Wikis at Dresdner Bob Coulter Alan Hurt Mike Mueller

What is a “Wiki”? Ability to create and edit content within a Web environment without the need to download any special software Use of a simple markup language which is designed to simplify the process of editing entries Ability to easily create and edit content, often without need for special privileges

Wiki Applications Public websites - enable end users to easily contribute information Education - provide an opportunity to learn about team working, trust, etc. Research - make it easier to develop collaborative documents e.g. the FOAF Wiki Intranet - departmental administrators with minimal HTML experience can manage content. Wikis can be used at events for note-taking e.g. in discussion groups

Why Wiki? Pros and Cons Minimal setup required – simple interface and remote application Promotes a culture of sharing information and working together Useful for joint working when there are agreed upon, shared goals ProsCons Power Issues – Who’s in Control? Accuracy of information Copyright / Legal issues Lack of vision Lack of consensus Needs Momentum Others? imagine8.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/weak-pedia/

About DrKW Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein (DrKW) is the international investment banking arm of Dresdner Bank. DrKW is headquartered in London and Frankfurt and has offices in New York, Paris, Luxembourg, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong. DrKW provides a range of capital markets and advisory services, including  mergers and acquisitions assistance  listing companies that wish to go to market  providing structured finance for the funding of large scale projects  treasury and capital markets transactions  and risk management solutions.

The Advent of Wikis at DrKW Microsoft Sharepoint, Documentum and Media Surface were used to publish information, but limiting and created silos In 1997, DrKW installed it's first Wiki for internal use within the IT department In 2004, DrKW installed Socialtext's Wiki application, branded "DrKWikipedia“ in the IT organization

Decision Point “Are we ready for this technology, and is this technology ready for us?” – Lollapaloolaza  How do we bridge the gap between IT usage and general usage for the company?

We think… How do we start?  Create a Roadmap / Framework / Basic Outline  Have predetermined subject matter experts to preload some basic content prior to rollout (“Validation Effect” for SMEs)  Executive level champion for Wiki Adoption  Avoid “requirement to post” mentality, but recognize the early adopters  Seek out success stories How do we manage going forward?  Establish goals for usage, content, and percentage of contributors. Ongoing process.  Prepare strategy for 1 st and 2 nd “chasms”  Create Hyperlink-rich environment Which workgroups should be targeted?  Don’t Wiki for Wiki-sake  Look for productivity enhancements

What Happened Next? In 2005, DrKWikipedia launched to the broader business (beyond IT) In 2006, WYSIWYG feature added 2,500 of the 6,000 employees use the Wiki One in ten visitors makes an edit

Rollout and Adoption Adding content in advance of rollout Rollout Tools: One page 'cheat-sheet', FAQ document, best practice guidelines, screencasts User Support: Live chat rooms, centralized address Word of mouth/organic growth WYSIWYG - 'What you see is what you get' formatting Tight integration with –RSS feeds, change notification Be directive on how to use Early uses that demonstrate the power of Wikis

Popular Wiki Uses at DrKW Refining documents Record ongoing discussions Internal “mini-wikipedias” Repositories for files Brainstorming Publishing and Updating Training Schedules Creating presentations

Additional Considerations Governance  Security Issues? What if we lose control of sensitive information?  Ethical Issues? How will we censor / govern inappropriate content? Would a Wiki post be a reason to terminate employment?