When I speak at L&D industry events, one example I give of an organization that is effectively using Web 2.0 technologies -- what is more recently being called "Enterprise 2.0" -- is the large biomedical and pharmaceutical company Pfizer. One of the key things about Pfizer's use of these tools, and one reason that I always use it as such an important example of success, is that Pfizer is, of course, a heavily regulated company -- and the appropriate use of tools in such a context is a valid concern and always a question I am asked when speaking on this subject.
From what I've read and from talking with Pfizer employees, the company has incorporated into the daily workflow a range of Web 2.0 or more "social" tools, including:
- A large wiki, called Pfizerpedia.
- Social networking profiles.
- Various blogs.
- Many RSS feeds.
- Discussion forums.
- Social bookmarking (tags).
- Shared Microsoft OneNote notebooks.
- Microsoft SharePoint.
- … and more.
Pfizer's use of these kinds of tools has been discussed elsewhere online of course, including this post by Karl Kapp and this write-up at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
But perhaps the most effective description of Enterprise 2.0 at Pfizer comes from a SlideShare presentation called "Meet Jessica." This set of slides walks you through the daily life of a typical Pfizer employee ("Jessica"), focusing on how she uses the various Web 2.0/social learning tools. (See also the earlier "Meet Charlie" presentation as well.)
This "Meet Jessica" presentation has been available for a few years at this point, but if you've not seen it yet, I strongly encourage you to do so -- you'll likely get some great ideas for how "Enterprise 2.0" communications, knowledge management, and social learning tools could help your organization.
— Thomas Stone (Tom_Stone@elementk.com, and on Twitter @ThomasStone)
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