Beyond Notification: Integrated Business Communities
Harnessing the Power of Collective Intelligence for Collective Action
by Transformyx
Transformyx  8510 Quarters Lake Road  Baton Rouge Louisiana 70809 phone 1.225.761.0088
Beyond Notification: Integrated Business Communities
Harnessing the Power of Collective Intelligence for Collective Action
Overview
Today’s businesses cannot afford to ignore the power of collective intelligence and the role it plays in
disaster recovery and crisis communication. There has been a fundamental shift in the paradigm of how
we think about and respond to crisis situations.
The rise of social media and communications channels such as blogs, instant messaging and wiki
coupled with an increasingly connected population has led to the rapid growth and development of
online communities of people working together for a common goal or centered around a common
interest.
Organizations can no longer take a singular top-down perspective to recovery, and must foster allencompassing communities of sharing, collaboration and user involvement in order to implement an
effective disaster recovery plan.
Beyond Notification: Integrated Business Communities
Harnessing the Power of Collective Intelligence for Collective Action
Collective Intelligence: Defined
Web 2.0 has rewritten the rules of interaction, rapid sharing of information, cooperation and
collaboration occurs across organizational and geographic boundaries. The rise of social media and
communications channels such as blogs, instant messaging and wiki coupled with an increasingly
connected population has led to the rapid growth and development of online communities of people
working together for a common goal or centered around a common interest. This concept has profound
implications on the crisis communication and disaster recovery industry.
In his book, The Wisdom of Crowds, James Surowiecki explores this simple concept that is changing the
way we look at crisis communication: large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter
how brilliant or better at solving problems. This concept, often referred to as the collective intelligence,
is an intelligence that emerges naturally from collaboration when a relatively large number of people
work together to effectively manage outcomes.
What does this all mean to the way we look at notification?
In the past, crisis communication strategies used a command-and-control response approach with
orders and information flowing in a top down direction, led by a single or select group of decision
makers. The lines of communication were typically monologues with the organization broadcasting
content, status and instruction to constituents.
This evolved into bi-directional communication which allowed an organization to not only broadcast
information, but receive feedback from constituents such as their location and general condition.
However, this information was often merely a headcount or status report and rarely in a form that
enhanced decision making or provided a full picture of resources.
Beyond Notification: Integrated Business Communities
Harnessing the Power of Collective Intelligence for Collective Action
The introduction of Web based technologies, e-mail, text messaging and other networked personal
communications devices has now opened the door to the next generation of notification and crisis
communication strategies. Taking a lesson from the social networking principles of consumer sites such
as Facebook, MySpace and Friendster, organizations can effectively leverage the “wisdom of the crowd”
by creating interconnected networks and communities of key constituents positioned for response and
recovery.
Collective Action: Integrated Business Communities
The idea of networked community is not new. In both professional and personal life, we naturally form
communities with others that share our common interest or goals. In the business environment,
communities form organically among management, employees, partners and vendors based on a
particular goal or function. Yet in crisis situations, these vital connections are often broken when
standard communications infrastructures such as phone lines and cellular connections fail - leaving gaps
in the recovery plan and ultimately jeopardizing the continuity of operations.
Recent events like Hurricane Katrina have taught organizations the importance of maintaining open
channels of communication. Often organizations need to initiate recovery themselves without the aid of
outside agencies. Inspired by personal social networking platforms, businesses can establish virtual
teams that mirror their real-world business functions. These teams are known as Integrated Business
Communities (IBC) and consist of employees, partners, vendor and the media supported by a
framework that allows for real-time collaboration and communication. Online collaboration can be a
very effective tool for developing and maintaining relationships, building consensus and working with
colleagues to accomplish shared goals.
Communities are composed of three basic building blocks.
1. People – the key people to maintaining organizational continuity: employees, partners, vendors
2. Process – a set of guidelines for knowledge sharing and collaboration
3. Product – a framework for collaboration typically consisting of a virtual gathering space, tools
for collaboration and bi-directional communication using multiple communications channels.
Beyond Notification: Integrated Business Communities
Harnessing the Power of Collective Intelligence for Collective Action
Fostering a Collaborative Culture
Merely having the tools and technology for collaboration will not facilitate community. It takes a
concerted effort and support to grow a strong and active community. While each organizational culture
will ultimately dictate the style and frequency of interactions it will have with its community there are
several standards by which success can be achieved.
In order to foster a collaborative culture organizations must abandon singular top down
communications structures and allow for creativity, improvisation and collaboration throughout. This
can be achieved by the integration of collaborative and team based problem solving in day to day
operations, so that it becomes a natural function of business rather than reserving tools and techniques
for crisis situations.
Tips for creating a collaborative culture:
Define Community Roles – establishing roles for community members before a situation arises so that
they will know how to respond and what is expected of them.
Create Guidelines Not Rules – collaboration is a fluid process relying heavily on community member’s
ability to improvise and innovate. This is especially true in a crisis situation when information and
circumstances are in constant flux. Guidelines serve to unite group action and process rather than
dictate thinking.
Encourage Innovation – dare to think outside the proverbial box. In crisis situations the rules no longer
apply. This calls for not only doing things differently but doing different things.
Beyond Notification: Integrated Business Communities
Harnessing the Power of Collective Intelligence for Collective Action
Make It Work For You
Having an effective disaster recovery strategy comes down to planning, communication and fostering a
strong collaborative community.
Transformyx has worked with many organizations to help plan and produce effective communication
and disaster recovery strategies using RallyPoint, a comprehensive crisis communication tool to build
Integrated Business Communities uniting their key stakeholders.
To learn more about these projects or to talk to a Transformyx representative about how RallyPoint can
help your organization, call 1-888-829-0088 or e-mail info@tfmx.com
About Transformyx
Transformyx is the leading provider of crisis communication and disaster recovery software.
Their industry-leading product, RallyPoint is a web-based Integrated Business Community developed to
manage enterprise level crisis communication and business continuity. This application allows
organizations to track and communicate with their management teams, employees, clients, vendors,
and media outlets.
Through the creation of Integrated Business Communities, businesses are enabled to quickly, securely
and reliably communicate, collaborate and respond in real time across multiple communication
channels during a crisis.
Transformyx, Inc.
8510 Quarters Lake Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
PH: 225.761.0088
FX: 225.767.3445
www.transformyx.com