Guide for Increasing Utilization of Video Collaboration - 5 Easy steps to create awareness, increase utilization and drive adoption of video ...
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WHITE PAPER Guide for Increasing Utilization of Video Collaboration 5 Easy steps to create awareness, increase utilization and drive adoption of video collaboration across your organization
WHITE PAPER Guide for Increasing Utilization of Video Collaboration
Contents
Overview ....................................................................................................................... 3
The need for video collaboration ......................................................................... 3
Defining video adoption and usage levels ........................................................ 3
Step 1: Identify video collaboration champions ............................................... 4
Step 2: Make sure your network, systems and rooms are ready .............. 4
Step 3: Promote video across your organization ............................................. 4
Step 4: Train users on LOB applications and value (not products) ............ 5
Step 5: Track your progress .................................................................................... 6
Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 6
2WHITE PAPER Guide for Increasing Utilization of Video Collaboration
Overview Another study shows an increase in learning when interactive
You’ve recently added video to your communications audio and visual communication takes place. A report from the
environment. Now the real challenge begins –getting University of Wisconsin indicated that face-to-face meetings
your company to actually use the solution. What is the best show a 200 percent increase in learning.
way to launch and promote video collaboration internally?
So, clearly, the need for a rich, visual experience is needed
Which departments or groups should you be targeting?
to facilitate the creation of a collaborative environment
What are the keys to maximizing usage levels? What are
where people and organizations work together to achieve
the major concerns surrounding video, and how do you
common goals through knowledge sharing, learning and
overcome them? This document will outline five easy steps
building consensus.
to create awareness, increase utilization and expedite
adoption of video collaboration across your organization. Video is one solutions that can make this vision of collaboration
a result today. Now, how do you get this message across to the
The need for video collaboration rest of the organization?
Communication is improved with visual, non-verbal cues that
aid in comprehension. Nodding heads, raised eyebrows, Defining video adoption
crossed arms and eye contact (or lack of) all help to gauge and usage levels
understanding, agreement and integrity. Organizations that use video collaboration today vary greatly
in terms of size, industry, and geographical location. They
In fact, researchers have focused studies on the role of
also vary in terms of their adoption and usage levels of video.
verbal and non-verbal communications. While some
Some organizations have embraced video as a key part of their
reports indicate that nearly 80 percent of communication
corporate collaborative culture. Others, however, may have
is non-verbal, the most famous study on this subject
systems installed but only occasionally used. Still others may
comes from Dr. Albert Mehrabian. In his “7%-38%-55% rule”,
be new to video and are looking for strategies and processes
he concludes that:
to launch video collaboration internally.
• 7 percent of communication comes from spoken words
• 38 percent from the tone of the voice For the purposes of this paper, we will define the adoption
• 55 percent from body language and usage levels as follows in the chart below. Recommended
“start” steps are also provided to tailor the approaches you
In other words, over 50 percent of communications is “seen”. should take to maximize adoption within your organization.
To optimize understanding and comprehension, a visual Keep in mind, however, that any of these steps and
element should be included in communications. recommendations can be used regardless of category level
to optimize video awareness and utilization.
Category Level Usage Level Description Recommended Start Point
New user Low This organization is just starting a video implementation. The Step 1
organization may have already decided on a vendor and platform
but is seeking guidance to optimize performance and to create
initial awareness of video’s benefits.
Innovators Low to This organization has installed the latest video systems solutions Step 1
Medium at room and desktop levels. The organization is eager to create
a culture of collaboration but is unsure how to start.
Legacy installs Low to This organization has video installed in multiple locations. Step 2
Medium The organization has a combination of new systems plus older
systems. The outdated systems may negatively impact the user
experience resulting in lower-than-expected usage.
Heavy users Medium to This organization uses video collaboration in many, if not all, Step 4
High aspects of communication. Functional lines of business see
tangible benefits from workflow process improvements. Although
this organization has adopted video collaboration throughout the
organization, there are still areas of potential improvement.
3WHITE PAPER Guide for Increasing Utilization of Video Collaboration
Step 1: Identify video champions many companies only have video in certain rooms. If these
video rooms are always booked for non-video meetings,
The first step when building a company-wide video
usage will not increase.
collaboration culture is to identify a champion (or better yet,
champions) within the organization. • Usage instructions–Provide clear and concise instructions
for usage in the rooms. Don’t simply put the user guide in
The champion does not have to be an IT or video specialist. the room. Take time to create an easy-to-follow, step-by-
Rather, this person or group of people, can be in management, step instruction sheet that can be followed by even the
HR, operations or any group within the organization. The only most non-technical user.
requirement is that they be the evangelizers and promoters • Support contact list–While it is okay to include a contact
of the new technology. They must also “walk the walk and talk person for support, remember, the ultimate goal is to
the talk” to add credibility to their champion roles – using promote simplicity and usability. Therefore, never include
video not just for group meetings but also for day-to-day a statement such as “Contact IT or the AV Group to Set Up
activities. They must understand the benefits ideally through System” – this implies difficulty and complexity.
usage (see Step 4 for usage examples). It helps to find
• Web portal–Provide an easy-to-access online location for
champions in different functional groups, geographical
training manuals, application briefs, usage videos and other
locations and at different employee levels to broaden reach sales and marketing tools. Champions especially will need
throughout the organization. these materials to promote the new technology.
Find video champions, and adoption/utilization will increase. • Maintenance and support–Make sure your maintenance
and support plans are up-to-date. If you create the need for
Step 2: Make sure your network, systems video, there is nothing worse than equipment that is broken
or needs repair. Equipment downtime should be minimized
and rooms are ready wherever possible.
This document assumes that you have checked your network
for bandwidth, quality and other performance-related issues. • Equipment updates–Are all your systems updated to
If not, this should actually be Step 1. A network that lacks the the latest software or version numbers? Failure to do so
necessary bandwidth to support HD connectivity and content, can result in interoperability issues. Make sure your video
for example, will often lead to disappointment. So, check your conferencing network, systems and rooms are ready, and
adoption/utilization will increase.
network first to ensure that it can handle the video traffic you
will be generating. Make sure your network, systems and rooms are ready, and
adoption/utilization will increase.
If your system is a mix of older legacy products and newer
systems, keep in mind that earlier generation video products
simply do not provide the clarity or image quality required
Step 3: Promote your video
Ever wonder why the latest movies always hold star-studded
for effective business-critical visual communications. Blurry
premiere nights? Or why a company promotes on large-scale
images, pixelized screens and difficult-to-read content limit
events such as a World Cup or Super Bowl? Or why new
video collaboration acceptance.
technologies are unveiled at the industry’s top tradeshows?
HD video, has been a catalyst in video collaboration The answer is simple—they want to create awareness. The
implementation. With better resolution, HD content sharing same holds true for your video system. How will people know
and bandwidth optimization technologies, organizations that video is available if they are not aware of it? Don’t bother
are literally seeing the difference that HD brings to video with an email announcement or a flyer—they may create some
communication. As stated by the industry analyst firm interest but not at the level you desire.
Frost and Sullivan, “HD will enable users to accept video
So, hold a launch party. Invite key line of business personnel
conferencing, therefore increasing adoption and utilization.”
Show live demonstrations. Give examples of how video can
So, make the move to HD if you haven’t done so already.
help them in their daily activities. Have actual users talk about
The video experience will be richer and more life-like.
their experiences. Have application briefs targeted to specific
Other network and system-related readiness areas include: functional groups available as take-away literature. Position
the new solution as a catalyst to improve their performance
• Scheduling tools–Ensure that a system is in place to easily and to streamline operations. Share customer testimonials to
schedule video meetings. Integration with applications such
add credibility. Provide a glimpse of future applications if such
as Microsoft Outlook calendar will simplify scheduling. Also,
videos are available. Offer incentives to teams that embrace
4WHITE PAPER Guide for Increasing Utilization of Video Collaboration
the new technology the fastest. The call-to-action of this entire organization will see an increase in shareholder value
launch event is to get employees excited to sign up for more and a maximizing of revenue and profitability. This focus on line
information and training. of business process improvements will enable video benefits
beyond obvious travel savings to become apparent.
By the way, several organizations use an “always on” video
system in public places such as the cafeteria or break As far as work-life balance for employees is concerned,
room. Since video is always on, it allows people to see their spending hours in transit on planes, trains, and automobiles
colleagues in a remote cafeteria location. This helps them equates to productivity loss. Even more important, however,
experience first hand the usage and impact of video. is the impact of travel on work-life balance. Watching a son’s
baseball team play, attending a daughter’s piano recital,
Promote your video solutions, and your adoption and
celebrating a birthday or anniversary–they all improve
utilization will increase.
employee morale and build family ties. Just as in retail
where the philosophy is to ensure a “happy” customer, those
Step 4: Train users on LOB applications organizations that focus on employees (and specifically work-
and value (not products) life balance), will often be the most well-respected, most
Nearly everyone has a mobile device today. You can make sought after and highest performing.
calls, surf the Internet, text or tweet with friends and colleagues
or check emails anytime, anywhere. A quick glance at several lines of business shows the following
video usage opportunities. This list does not represent all
Do mobile device users really care about the technology functional groups, but rather shows the typical lines of business
behind the application? Some do, yes. But, for the majority, within the majority of large organizations. Help these LOBs
it is the application and value to the user–access to the understand the business value of video, and usage levels
information and resources at your fingertips—that has caused will increase.
mobile devices to become ubiquitous on a global scale.
• CXO or executive-level–For the CXO, video collaboration
To achieve widespread adoption, video users must become helps improve corporate communications, increase customer
aware of the business value of the product (and not necessarily relationships and maximize shareholder value. Board
become product experts). Training should not necessarily meetings, company-wide messages, annual investment
reporting, and deal negotiations can all be completed using
focus on “how” to use video but rather on “why” to use it.
video without the need for expensive and time-consuming
Remember, video conferencing has to be perceived as
travel. The end result is a highly-efficient organization that is
“easy-to-use”. Too much training on the actual operation
strongly positioned for success.
translates into apprehension. Emphasize the functional line
• Corporate training–Distance learning provides the ability
of business applications detailed below. In fact, it would make
to extend training beyond an on-site classroom and into the
sense to hold any training session with similar functional
remote offices and desktops of the students. Training remains
departments to create a more tailored or customized session. interactive and visual to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Highlight examples of best practices and video etiquette. Walk But with video, time, costs and resource requirements are
through ROI examples to show cost savings and productivity minimized. Furthermore, training sessions can be recorded
improvements. Bottom line, emphasize the “why” and usage for on-demand viewing when and where needed.
will increase. • R&D/engineering–For product development organizations,
video provides the ability to reduce product development
Finding process improvements in functional lines of business
cycles, enhance team communications and get products
(LOBs such as Human Resources, Operations, Customer to market sooner. This results in improved productivity
Service, Training, Sales & Marketing, R&D) can often mean (collaborative design), increased revenue (sooner revenue
the difference between an organization’s success and failure. generation) and increased customer satisfaction (validated
Reducing hiring time, shrinking a product’s time-to-market and product features).
maximizing a sales team’s product expertise, for example, can • Manufacturing–Companies that use video in their
drive down costs, increase revenues and improve productivity. manufacturing processes often see more efficient build
Key line of business metrics such as increased employee processes and enhanced vendor management. Product
satisfaction, stronger customer relationships and reduced inspections, returned material authorizations (RMAs), quality
financial costs will follow. Employee productivity and work/life assurance activities, for example, can all be done remotely
balance are improved. Customers and partners have closer to eliminate cumbersome and time-consuming shipping of
integration with sales and support teams. Bottom line, the materials to/from manufacturing and headquarters locations.
5WHITE PAPER Guide for Increasing Utilization of Video Collaboration
• Human resources–HR departments can use collaboration • Industry trends and new products are understood–Moore’s
in all facets of HR policy administration–from the hiring Law has accurately predicted that the processing power on
process to training to employee communications. Instead a silicon chip will double every 18 months. This means that
of voice-only phone interviews, for example, remote video technologies will continually improve. Keep up-to-
video-based interviews can be held to simplify interview date on industry trends and products and you will be better
coordination, reduce hiring time and shrink associated prepared for the future.
interview travel costs. • Best practices are shared–Meetings with internal champions
• Customer service–For customer service, video provides or users to understand the pros and cons of the video
the ability to provide the highest level of service via visual experience will be key to maintaining and increasing usage
collaboration resulting in quicker response times, face-to- levels. Provide feedback forms or solicit opinions – good and
face interaction and indepth problem analysis/resolution. bad – on a regular basis. Development of an internal User
Remote interactive kiosks, for example, can provide access Group will help facilitate these discussions.
to product experts or other remote personnel. • Problems are resolved–In many customer installations
• Sales and marketing–Collaboration solutions enable better today, usage levels increase within a couple of times of using
tracking of sales opportunities, enhanced customer and the technology. If not, there could be a number of reasons
vendor relationships, efficient project management functions including those shown below. Focus on correcting these, and
and better alignment of sales and marketing goals and video adoption will increase.
objectives. -- Expectations were wrong
Train on video applications and business value, and -- Equipment does not meet meeting requirements
adoption/utilization will increase. (e.g., difficult to use, poor quality)
-- Not enough end user training
Step 5: Track your progress • Bandwidth is optimized–Bandwidth is king, and this is
So your organization is now headed in the right direction. especially apparent in a video environment. Insufficient
Video adoption and utilization levels are increasing bandwidth can result in poor image quality, poor audio
(or are soon to be increasing). Don’t rest on your laurels, communications and worse, a poor user experience.
however. Just as an athlete who wins an Olympic Gold • Systems are current–The majority of compatibility issues
Medal must continue a training regiment to maintain peak arise when products and software are not kept current.
performance, you must do the same with your video
installation. Check regularly to ensure that: Track your video progress, and adoption/utilization
will increase.
• ROI and cost savings are calculated–As with utilization
tracking above, touch base frequently with the various user Conclusion
groups and quantify the savings. Share this information
Increasing video adoption within an organization is no easy
regularly with management and your budget may increase in
task. But with proper planning, you can create a culture of
addition to your utilization.
collaboration and gain the associated business, operational,
• Utilization is tracked–How do you know if you’ve taken the
and financial benefits that come with visual communications
right steps to increase awareness and usage if you cannot
track utilization? Make sure you have the processes and For more information on this document, please contact
procedures in place to accurately calculate the minutes and the Polycom Services Marketing Team at:
hours of use. servicemarketing@polycom.com.
About Polycom
Polycom helps organizations unleash the power of human collaboration. More than 400,000 companies and institutions
worldwide defy distance with video, voice and content solutions from Polycom. Polycom and its global partner ecosystem provide
flexible collaboration solutions for any environment that deliver the best user experience and unmatched investment protection.
Polycom, Inc. Polycom Asia Pacific Pte Ltd Polycom EMEA
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