Understanding the Lift in SAP Jam Implementations ...

RichBlumberg · ‎07-13-2015

Ensuring Success Beyond the Go-Live to Continue the Momentum

As a practitioner of hundreds of SAP Jam and related communities, platforms, collaboration, and transformation initiatives my team and I see many great efforts to support an organization’s strategy, goals, and objectives. Often we are asked to share insights on how to ensure success after the go-live.

Recently, when reading the NY Times best seller, “The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough, I was inspired by the story of the “courageous brothers who taught the world how to fly.”
A central part of their success was a formula[1] that they worked out and tested for flight:

Lift = k * V^2 * A * cl

The factors for successful flight address the size and shape of the wing, the velocity of the air flowing over the wing and the density of the surrounding air to address:

L = Lift

k = Smeaton coefficient (addresses the relationship between pressure and velocity for objects moving in air. Drag refers to the resistance that the wing generates as it flows through the air.)

V = Velocity (the higher the velocity the greater the lift)

A = Wing area (the larger the size of the wing the more lift will be created)

cl = Lift coefficient (addresses the angles a wing assumes in respect to the flow of air)

In the same way SAP Jam initiatives need to take flight and lift organizational goals and objectives towards impactful outcomes. These factors can be equated to the following:

L = Increasing revenues, growth, value, profits, learning, innovation by bridging organizational silos with cross-teams working together through common business processes and work patterns

k = The drag or opposing force that organizations, groups, and employees face when in motion

V = Speed to market, acceleration to achieve goals and objectives. Velocity is important when things are going well as well as when there are obstacles to overcome.

A = The greater the “area” and access to knowledge and expertise than the greater impact to an employee’s productivity, quality, value and reach to engage internal & external customers

cl = The trajectory of an organization based on 4 key factors: revenues, operational efficiencies, cost cutting, and/or recognizing major disruptions in the marketplace

When delivering SAP Jam[2] implementations and adoption initiatives some groups dynamically fly towards their goals and objectives while others are more static (or disparate) in their approach.

>>>The question persists – how to effectively start a SAP Jam group (or enterprise initiative) and sustain value beyond the initial launch? How to ensure it gets off the ground and continues the momentum?

While the factors to ensure “engagement” include “executive sponsorship” and excellent “business ownership” along with “business process accountability” and validating “governance” as well as developing “champions” to expand consistent usability is important, 4 foundational factors must be considered by way of the formula “E = A x C3”

Engagement = Access x (Content x Communications x Collaboration)

These factors are considered as follows:

Access = The right internal & external audience of owners, stakeholders, and end users have access to SAP Jam including setting privacy settings as needed

Content = Finding the right information at the right time on an ongoing basis to save time, money and scale to the right audience. Maintaining a 100 day plan for seeded content updates.

Communications = Sharing updates about SAP Jam and the respective initiative to the audience based on a 30/60/90 day and beyond plan

Collaboration = Posting discussions, questions, ideas, comments, and decision-making tools such as polls to encourage two-way dialogue

As mentioned in the blog, “SAP Jam: Using all the Piano’s Keys and Pedals” often groups play a few of the keys but the more advanced aspects of SAP Jam take time, trial and adjustment, and a combination of business and IT work experiences. The how-to’s of turning SAP Jam on or picking up the basics in the User Guides are helpful but most administrators, power users, content & community managers, and their users seek more by way of SAP Jam tips and insights.

Like the Wright brothers obsession to fly, SAP Jam takes dedication.

It takes both the “science and art” forms to achieve success. No matter how many implementations take place and questions are answered there is always more to address, learn about, and discover. With new product releases, which happen approximately every 2 months, there are new capabilities, innovations, and investments to take advantage of on a regular basis in the cloud.

So whether it’s your very important SAP Jam group (or enterprise rollout / initiative) or the Wright Brothers taking flight, the key is to consider the right factors for achieving lift (i.e. during implementation “and” beyond go-live including adoption).

When the right formula is applied with the right combined skills and best practice work experiences are put in place than success can be achieved both in the short and longer-term.

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Footnotes:
[1] National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), “Lift Equation of the Early 1900” - http://wright.nasa.gov/airplane/liftold.html
[2] ImportantNote: SAP Jam is a unique market leading platform and solution. It seamlessly integrates social business capabilities into existing (& planned) business process. SAP has made SAP Jam an integral part of the SAP portfolio of products and solutions addressing:

All lines of business centric vs. CRM as the primary

One SAP Jam vision vs. multiple roadmaps which have overlaps

SAP’s proven 40-year history of business software, processes, and market leadership

Collaborative ecosystem (Out of the Box – i.e. OpenText, Box, SharePoint, etc.)

Application integration (i.e. OData, REST APIs) by utilizing the SAP Jam Developer Center

Integrated platform as a foundational principal vs. a standalone which increases costs

Internal & external SAP Jam group capabilities & templates which easily set-up

Structured collaboration to support problem solving, issue resolution, and decision making

Screen and video capture

Mobile App alignment with SAP Jam Page Designer provides out of the box mobile capabilities

About the Author

Richard D. Blumberg is a SAP Jam Practice leader who works with both SAP and SAP Services. He is the President of World Sales Solutions, LLC (WSS) (www.WorldSalesSolutions.com) providing 29+ years of thought leadership on a variety of “View from the Top” strategies including: Enterprise Social Business, Go-to-Market Strategies, Business Development, Talent Development, and Community Building. He and his team are recognized SAP Jam global experts for implementations and adoption.

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