Managing the Implementation and Use of Real Time Collaboration: When Vision Meets Reality

Vehring Nadine, Klein Stefan, Kramer Malte

Abstract
The paper studies the specifics of implementing a platform technology in an organization which regards IT as core competence and prides itself as particularly employee focused and friendly. As result of strategic alignment, management has developed a vision of how Real Time Collaboration can contribute to the future concept of the company and the enactment of the organizational leitidee of an integrated service unit. The paper reports on the challenges of managing the transition from a voluntary use in an experimental setting towards mandatory use in operational processes. In line with the corporate culture, management is relying on self-organizing forces on the team level while it is at the same time carefully monitoring the adoption process and cautiously sets rules and guidelines to facilitate team-based modes of use.

Keywords
Real Time Collaboration; Lotus Sametime; RTC adoption; RTC use; RTC implementation; strategic alignment; infrastructure management