Intergen's newsletter, Smarts, now available for online reading. Intergen provides information technology solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the world based exclusively on Microsoft’s tools and technologies.

1. 2007 is off to a great start and I’d like to welcome
our new clients that have joined us through our
acquisition of Kognition Consulting.
We are very pleased to have the clients and staff of Kognition
join us. They bring new capability in the areas of Mobility
and Smart Client development and add strength to our
innovation commitment. I am particularly happy to
welcome Chris Auld as Director, Strategy and Innovation
of Intergen.
Chris is a Microsoft Regional Director, one of around
only 160 worldwide and two in New Zealand. In this role
Chris is privy to significant new Microsoft technologies and
directions. He also regularly networks with the world’s top
Microsoft experts, both within Microsoft and the partner community.
Chris is based in Wellington but travels extensively and will be working
closely with our clients and staff throughout New Zealand and Australia.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome our 2007 graduate intake.
Each year we seek out the best graduates from New Zealand universities.
They started in January and attended an intensive week-long boot camp in
Wellington. I predict there are some real future stars amongst this year’s intake.
Congratulations must go to our Technical Services team. The team, with support
from others, worked through New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, moving our
Data Centre in Wellington. Having outgrown our offices some time ago, we had
been operating from two premises in Wellington. Late last year we secured new
space in Plunket House and the new Data Centre was designed and built in less
than three months. Any office move is a big project, but when you have to move
a Data Centre as well, it is huge. Extensive planning went into the move and,
with hundreds of servers and clients who demand high availability, there
was no scope for anything to go wrong. The planning paid off,
within the window allocated, and we now have a first class
facility that we are all very proud of.
I am writing this from San Diego where I am attending
Microsoft Convergence 2007, Microsoft’s annual
conference for its Dynamics Customers and Partners. I
am amongst 8,500 attendees hearing about the latest
offerings from Microsoft in the CRM and ERP space. It
is staggering to see the effort that Microsoft is putting
into this space and the scale of innovation and product
enhancements that are either here or coming. The level of
integration between Office and SharePoint with CRM and ERP
is amazing. Two years ago we made an investment in developing a
Microsoft CRM practice and in acquiring a Microsoft Dynamics NAV business.
This is paying off and, from what I have seen at this conference, we are in a unique
position to offer the next generation of integrated solutions from Microsoft.
It is an exciting time in the Microsoft world at present and we hope that we can
work with you soon to help bring the benefits of the new products and innovations
to your organisation.
< Copyright 2007 Intergen Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of Intergen Limited >
I S S U E T H I R T E E N
>> HOT NEWS:
>> T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E
New horizons
tony.stewart@intergen.co.nz
Microsoft MVP awards: Intergen now
has three Microsoft MVPs (Most Valuable
Professionals): Chris Auld for his work in
the Mobility field, Mark Orange for his
contribution to Microsoft SharePoint and
Peter Jones for his involvement with ASP
.NET. These awards further strengthen
Intergen’s position as Microsoft experts
and industry leaders in these areas, and
highlight our ongoing commitment to
fostering innovation and expertise by
upskilling staff.
New Wellington office: We are pleased
to announce that the move across the
road to our new premises is now
complete. We are now in Plunket House,
126 – 132 Lambton Quay, and we look
forward to showing you around.
Intergen Twilight seminars: Intergen’s
Twilight seminars are well under way for
the year. For more information on
upcoming seminars in your area, or to
register, visit www.intergen.co.nz/twilights
Intergen’s Wellington Development
and Integration Services Team
PROJECT GOVERNANCE >>
INTERACTIVE DESIGN >>
INTERGEN AT LARGE >>
CASE STUDIES >>
DATA CENTRE >>
KOGNITION/MOBILITY >>
UPCOMING >>
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2. Good governance, at all levels, is not a
guarantee of success in the delivery
of a business vision, but it does
set in place the backdrop and
structures that make success
more likely to be achieved.
Without a strategic and concerted approach to
governance, a project is exposed to a litany of
management risks that could be the difference
between a project that meets its deliverables and
a project that fails to meet any of its intended
objectives, wasting an organisation’s time and money
and failing to deliver value.
Governance around programs and projects is essential, and all
Intergen PMs are schooled in the principles of its establishment
for every project they manage.
What is governance and why is it so necessary to all IT projects?
Information Technology Governance (ITG) deals primarily with the alignment
between the business focus and IT management objectives. Information Technology
Governance recognises that organisations are critically reliant on their IT systems,
ensuring that strategic decisions about IT are owned at the highest level of an
organisation, not solely IT management.
>> INTERGENITE:
< S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E T H I R T E E N >>> P R O J E C T G O V E R N A N C E>>2
Protecting the project
– why governance
is a must-have
Emma Barrett
What do you do?
I head up the Wellington Project Management
team at Intergen, making sure we have the
right profile of PM skills to support our clients.
I am also a CRM product specialist and help
our clients get the most benefit from their
Microsoft CRM implementations.
How do you make a difference?
I have had the opportunity to work with
many different organisations, implementing
business solutions in New Zealand, Australia
and the UK, which has given me an extensive
understanding of how software solutions can
support different business processes, solve
issues and provide measurable business
benefit. I believe in collaborating with client
project teams to really understand the
business needs and together ensure that the
project meets its objectives as well as the
stakeholders’ expectations.
What do you love about your job?
It's great to see our clients and the Intergen
team members enjoying their working
relationship and the shared satisfaction when
the end result of the project is recognised.
A bit about me
I live with my husband Nathan in Lyall Bay.
Almost every weekend for the last two years
has involved DIY of some kind. Now that our
house renovations are finished we are looking
forward to the ski season and spending more
time out and about with friends and family.
The chief goals for Information Technology Governance are to:
>> assure that IT investments generate business value and
>> mitigate the risks associated with IT.
As with good governance at the corporate and IT levels, program and project
governance are critical to ensure that project delivery aligns with the vision and
value of the programs of work and IT strategy. Good governance makes delivery
teams more successful by establishing a framework for decision-making,
accountability and communication. Logically, the greater the structure, definition
and acceptance of governance, the less likely it is that there will be issues in the
management of the program/project.
As a vendor, Intergen is flexible in working with governance structures
existing within client organisations and programs of work. We
are also comfortable taking a lead or advisory role in
establishing or aligning governance to facilitate management
activities and achieve the desired business outcomes.
Projects must have a clearly defined set of responsibilities,
accountabilities and authorities, and individuals assigned
to the roles must have the requisite skills and experience
and the organisational authority to make the required
decisions.
A component of governance is the definition of the desired
business vision. This is not a passive activity within the iterative
development lifecycle used at Intergen. Each iteration requires
accountable business stakeholders to work with the development leads
to re-confirm the highest value features for the next delivery cycle. This ensures
continual and timely alignment of the project with the business vision and value.
In addition to this, communication and stakeholder management is essential
to ensure all parties are informed and engaged. The more involved the senior
management sponsors and stakeholders, the better the governance performance.
Intergen has consistently used Microsoft SharePoint to provide either a targeted
or broad scope of information to stakeholders depending on client requirements.
SharePoint is also used to manage and share program and project documentation.
Intergen’s Wellington
Project Managers

3. >> INTERGENITE:
< S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E T H I R T E E N > >>3>> I N T E R A C T I V E D E S I G N
Sue Quigley
What do you do?
As a Senior Interactive Designer at
Intergen I conceptualise and create
appropriate and engaging website
designs for our clients, developing
dynamic look and feel that meets
business needs and boosts traffic.
How do you make a difference?
My goal is to balance aesthetics and
performance. It is important to deliver
powerful graphic design without
sacrificing usability. A positive user
experience is a combination of terrific
look and feel and impeccable site
performance.
What do you love about your job?
I love it when a site goes live! It is
thrilling to see all those weeks of
discussions, concepts and revisions
culminate in an actual, functional
website for the whole world to surf.
A bit about me
My husband and I
recently escaped the
rat race and politics
of Washington, DC,
and moved to
Wellington. At first
we had trouble
staying left on roads
and puzzled over what
exactly people meant
by “panel beater”
“singlet” or “shandy”.
I enjoy exploring New
Zealand by hiking, biking
and kayaking. I also
design and create a
line of fine silver
jewellery.
Web 2.0!
Marketing buzzword?
Industry-speak?
A second bubble?
Meaningless phrase?
Or is it something more?
It’s a question that has been generating a lot of discussion
around the Intergen offices lately. Interestingly, we seem
to fall into two groups when exploring the meaning of
Web 2.0.
There are those of us that feel it is just that, a marketing
buzzword designed for self-promotion and building hype.
Really there is nothing new in Web 2.0; it has all been
done before. We’re using the same types of technologies
and concepts. And when exactly was ‘Web 1.0’?
Conversely, there are those of us that feel Web 2.0 signifies
a change in mindset we’re seeing online. It’s a new focus
on the web actually delivering what was promised in the
90s. We’re on the cusp of a new era where the user is
situated as the central and absolute focus of the web.
Users have gone from being mere consumers of the web to a new hybrid of
highly linked and networked producer-consumers (or consumer-producers!).
We have websites and applications that get better the more people use them,
something fundamentally different to the web of yesteryear.
Looking deeper at Web 2.0 there are four key concepts behind “what makes
something Web 2.0”. The first is that we are seeing a huge change in the user
interfaces we are able to deliver online. A lot of this is about bringing the
interactions users are familiar with from the desktop onto the web.
The second core concept behind what makes something Web 2.0 is data freedom
and transformability. Companies are loosening some of the traditional controls
they would enforce with their data and they’re allowing their users to access
it in any way they would like. Even allowing users to build their own
tools to access data!
The third key concept behind what makes something Web 2.0 is
that users are the point. A lot of sites we
are seeing now only exist and are only
useful because of how users
contribute and participate in the
site. Think YouTube!
The fourth and last key concept we
are seeing with Web 2.0 is
continuous improvement in each and
every level of websites’ operations
and their business management. Minor
enhancements are being made to aspects
such as application releases, infrastructure,
pricing and marketing - everything!
What happens when we combine the four concepts of Web 2.0?
Applications that get better the more that people use them.
One thing both sides will agree on is that there is no concrete accepted definition
of Web 2.0 and that does mean the term has wildly different meanings for
different people. We could see this as another reason to discard Web 2.0, or we
can embrace it and see where it takes the next evolutions of the web.
2007 is an exciting year!
john.lewis@intergen.co.nz
Factoid:
The term Web 2.0 was actually coined in 2004 by O’Reilly Media who
were brainstorming a name for their then upcoming web conference.

4. Daniel: “I really appreciate the social aspect of Intergen. It makes a difference
when you socialise with your co-workers outside of work hours.”
Phil: “When I joined Intergen I couldn’t get over how friendly and smart everyone
was, and how comfortable I felt. It is great being surrounded by a bunch of
young people with common interests.”
Jo: “Everyone has such broad interests and diverse backgrounds, which keeps
life interesting. You can’t put anyone in a box.”
All three found the graduate programme a big help in kick-starting their careers.
“You need a job to get experience, but often with a lot of jobs they won’t take
you unless you already have experience,” Daniel says. And the answer to this
catch 22 situation is the graduate programme.
A year has passed since Boot Camp (four days
of PowerPoint presentations “more intense than
university lectures”) and the three well and truly
have their feet under their desks, with team lead
aspirations for the future.
< S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E T H I R T E E N >>> I N T E R G E N A T L A R G E
After one year on the job…
Thoughts from the class of ’06.
A year has flown by and the trio are now
older and wiser and fully ensconced in their
respective roles. We took a few minutes to
reflect on the year that was and uncover
their impressions of Intergen as graduates
in their first ‘real’ full-time jobs.
Upon joining Intergen as wide-eyed grads,
the general impression of the company
was a fun, supportive environment where
there is encouragement to give new things
a go, and always someone on hand to help
out if you put your hand up. Daniel, Phil
and Jo all commented on the atmosphere
as the main thing that struck them
about Intergen on the whole.
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) has come
to encompass a far wider definition than it had
10 years ago.
It is still the term used to describe a software solution that integrates all financial
information across departments and functions and across a company onto a
single database and allows the business to easily share financial information.
Yet the modern ERP II system means even more.
ERP II solutions (the next generation ERP) need to be able to capture not only
an organisation’s traditional financial structured data (often called the transaction
engine) but also share ECM (Enterprise Content Management), which is the
enterprise’s unstructured data. In fact, the convergence of ECM and ERP is
considered by many to be what we have been looking forward to for years:
intelligent, collaborative business solutions, where structured and unstructured
data merge. What sets solutions like Microsoft Dynamics NAV apart is the ease
with which they integrate with ECM.
So what is Enterprise Content Management?
In its simplest form, it is any paper records, faxes, brochures, graphics, images,
web pages, emails – in fact virtually any multimedia information generated as
part of a business process and which can be digitised and then stored, retrieved,
shared and have its lifecycle managed.
When an organisation can take all the financial information of traditional ERP
solutions and through their business information system, integrate the ECM
seamlessly and transparently for better and more timely decision making, only
then are we talking about a true modern day ERP II system.
Microsoft Dynamics NAV provides the platform for ERP II. It acts as the transaction
engine and the Microsoft technology stack. Office 2007, SharePoint and BizTalk
are the tools that help collect and manage the unstructured data. The non-
financial business intelligence is then integrated back into the business processes
to enable smarter decisions based on all business information, not just financial.
The convergence is now real!
Phil Lee, Daniel McGaughran and Jo Chapman all joined Intergen’s Development
and Integration team in last year’s graduate programme intake.
>>4
Phil Lee, Daniel McGaughran
and Jo Chapman

5. >> INTERGENITE:
>> C A S E S T U D I E S < S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M AG A Z I N E . I S S U E T H I R T E E N > >>5
Bryce Scanlen
What do you do?
I am a Business Development Manager
for the northern region based out of our
Auckland office. My role is to ensure that
our clients are delighted with our services
and solutions.
How do you make a difference?
Bridging the gap between technical
solutions and business problems is where
I focus. On behalf of my clients, I advocate
their business issues and IT challenges to
find from our team the best alternatives
that we can offer.
What do you love about your job?
I enjoy working with and harnessing the
intellectual capital that make up the team
at Intergen. Being able to solve customers’
business problems using technology is
very exciting.
A bit about yourself
Prior to Intergen, I was at Microsoft New
Zealand for six years as a Partner Business
Manager. When the role at Intergen
became vacant I leapt at the opportunity
to return to a customer sales role.
I’m a father to three adorable young
children, so most of my leisure time is
spent keeping them entertained and
giving their mother a well-deserved break.
Before children and Microsoft, I took a
career “gap year” and travelled through
the Middle East and Africa.
The Electricity Commission had utilised the finance system running within the
Ministry of Economic Development. A switch-off date loomed for the existing
platform, and the Electricity Commission looked to Intergen for a way to gain
independence over their financial systems, with greater control and more flexible
and dynamic accounting tools a priority.
As Microsoft gold accredited partners, Intergen was able to demonstrate
in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4 capabilities.
“Intergen convinced me that Dynamics NAV 4 had the flexibility to handle the
different dimensions we use to manage our financial reporting requirements. They
communicated the benefits in a way that was relevant, giving me confidence that
they really understood our business,” says Electricity Commission’s Ruth Murphy.
There were three key factors behind their decision to go with Microsoft Dynamics
NAV 4: its multidimensional approach; the ability to cut and paste or export data
to Excel and overall Microsoft compatibility and the flexibility for managers to
access financial information and manage their own cost centres more effectively.
A go live date was proposed and a tight project deadline was met, timed just
prior to their financial year end. “One of the most complex challenges was the
decision to import the entire transaction history, rather than just totals, to the
new platform,” Ruth Murphy says.
The end result is “a quantum leap” from where they were, with a clearer view of
all accounting and reporting activity, numerous time saving efficiencies and all
ties to the Ministry of Economic Development platform cut.
Skills4Work set Intergen the challenge of providing an entire Microsoft Dynamics
NAV upgrade alongside rolling three organisations into one (Competenz,
Apprentice Training New Zealand and Careers Training New Zealand). With a
go live date of 1 January 2007, there were also public holidays to consider and
550 apprentices throughout New Zealand relying on receiving their pay packets.
Skills4Work’s Group Financial Accountant, Terry Wood, had previously completed
a successful high risk and liability system change onto Microsoft Dynamics NAV
3.6 from a DOS-based system, so it was obvious to him that the extra functionality
of Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4 SP3 would be advantageous for the future. On
Intergen’s advice, the upgrade was scheduled to occur at the same time as the
merger of the three organisations, which turned out to be sound advice, although
it created significant pressure.
“Normally a project like this would take four to six months, and Intergen
turned it around in less than four weeks. They would be checking databases
at midnight and resourced the project right through the Christmas break,”
Terry Wood says.
The final result of the project was on time, on budget, with a measurable result.
Terry Wood comments, “You’ll see most ERP projects don’t actually make their
development on time. Intergen did a very thorough job of evaluating and
defining what was needed and doing it.”
The upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics NAV 4 resulted in a robust business
reporting and information platform with the functionality to support the
reorganisation of Skills4Work.
Working around the
clock nails deadline
for Skills4Work
Electricity
Commission
powers up

6. < S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E T H I R T E E N >>> D A T A C E N T R E>>6
New Year’s Solution
New Year’s Eve 2006. Instead of kicking back somewhere relaxing and seeing
in the New Year in a leisurely, kiwi summer fashion, a team of 20 Intergenites
spent the day moving into Intergen Wellington’s state-of-the-art hosting facility.
It might seem an unconventional way to see out the year, but by the time the
day was through there was cause for plenty of celebration, as the new Data
Centre came to life after a seamless but somewhat arduous transition.
>> Redundant HVAC climate
control
>> High availability mains power
supply and enterprise grade
facility UPS
>> Onsite standby generator
(awaiting RMA approval)
>> Physically diverse Internet
connections
>> Category 6 data cabling
>> Redundant data transit
providers (ISPs)
>> Physical security requiring
3-factor authentication
>> Comprehensive VESDA system
>> Advanced environmental
monitoring
>> Firewall security
>> Active Intruder intrusion
detection and prevention
>> Proactive solution monitoring
with 24/7 alerting and
response
>> Anti virus protection
>> Managed software update
service
>> Data backup
F E A T U R E S :
Even with the benefit of hindsight, Dwayne wouldn’t have done anything
differently, except perhaps starting the planning phase earlier. The new facility
is an exciting step in Intergen’s evolution and a significant investment in the
future. Although the old facility ‘did the trick’ and was still better than most,
Intergen recognised that our clients’ maturity and requirements had grown
exponentially over time, and will continue to do so. And the development of the
Data Centre was Intergen’s way of proactively keeping ahead of the game and
staying in tune with the growing business needs of our clients.
Dwayne is excited about what the new Data Centre can offer its clients, not
simply because of the quality of the facility, which speaks for itself, but because
of Intergen’s specific and focused expertise in the field of internet hosting and
the strong relationship the technical infrastructure team has with our software
and development experts. What this means, in short, is that Intergen is a specialist
one-stop shop for hosting, and can offer clients a holistic solution, not just part
of the package.
For more information, or to arrange a tour of the Data Centre,
please contact dwayneb@intergen.co.nz
Such an undertaking is not to be taken
lightly. Imagine 38 kilometres of cabling
and moving 130 servers (totalling close
to 3.5 tons) from one side of The Terrace
to the other with kid gloves and levels
of patience usually reserved for the
saintly. And that’s just for starters.
Picture a telco-grade Data Centre coming
to life right about the time most of us
were commencing our revelry.
Dwayne Bace, Intergen’s Manager of Technical Services, said that “The outstanding
result was due to extensive planning, detailed research, military precision
and the fantastic group of people who slogged their guts out on the day.”
And with no margin for error or damage, the consequence of one small thing
going wrong could have been catastrophic. Anyone who knows computers
understands that you’re asking for trouble when you turn off machines that
have been chugging away 24/7 for years; it’s Murphy’s Law that something
will go wrong when you start them back up again. Fortunately, though,
there was only one mishap – in the form of a faulty power supply – during
the whole move.

7. WHAT IS MOBILITY AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN
TO BUSINESS?
Businesses now recognise that mobile devices can increase
productivity and create new opportunities. And with
employees spending more of their time on the move,
mobile solutions have become essential business tools.
Businesses are looking for ways to optimise the
productivity and effectiveness of their employees
while in the field or away from the office. A Windows
mobile solution is a cohesive, end-to-end mobility
solution built around the Windows Mobile operating
system running on mobile hand-held devices.
Windows Mobile-powered devices offer a rich platform
for mobile messaging, delivering access to existing
line-of-business applications, and creating new
business applications. These solutions have the power
to increase employee productivity and streamline business
processes, thus delivering direct, measurable business value.
The value of Windows Mobile-powered solutions comes not
only from the outstanding capability and flexibility of the Windows
Mobile platform, but also from the alliances that Microsoft has created with
device manufacturers, as well as mobile service operators and the wide ecosystem
of devices, software and solutions they offer.
This is a significant and exciting development for Intergen.
>> Kognition’s CEO, Chris Auld, has now become Director,
Strategy and Innovation for Intergen and brings a wealth
of passion and enthusiasm to the Intergen leadership team.
>> Chris’s appointment consolidates Intergen’s focus on leading
new innovations and helping clients to strategise and realise
their ‘big picture’ IT goals. Chris is also one of only two
Microsoft Regional Directors in New Zealand and is also a
Microsoft MVP (Windows Mobile Devices), which further
strengthens Intergen’s position as New Zealand’s leading
innovative Microsoft solutions company.
>> It means that Intergen now has offices in four major cities
in New Zealand, along with Sydney.
Kognition has an impressive CV, having done work for Microsoft,
and was responsible for developing some of the sample code
and training material for .NET 3.0. They have also recently started
a project for amazon.com. In addition to this, Kognition has developed a number
of products in joint ventures with clients. Having Kognition’s experience and
expertise broadens our offerings in the mobility, international projects and
product development spaces.
Chris says, “As a leading NZ Microsoft solutions provider, Intergen’s special
relationship with Microsoft, together with Kognition’s specific experience in the
mobility area, will provide Intergen’s clients with more resources and expertise
than ever before.”
>> K O G N I T I O N / M O B I L I T Y < S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M AG A Z I N E . I S S U E T H I R T E E N > >>7
In February Intergen acquired Kognition Consulting Limited, a Dunedin and Wellington-based company
specialising in Mobility and Smart Client development. Kognition has established itself as a world leader
in its field, with clients in New Zealand and the United States.
Intergen on the MOVE
Chris Auld, Director Strategy
and Innovation – Intergen

8. >> U P C O M I N G < S M A R T S - T H E I N T E L L I G E N T B U S I N E S S M A G A Z I N E . I S S U E T H I R T E E N >
F i n d o u t m o r e a b o u t I n t e r g e n :
Auckland: 09 966 3070
Wellington: 04 472 2021
Christchurch: 03 964 0017
Dunedin: 03 479 4099
Sydney: 02 9904 0443 www.intergen.com.au
info@intergen.co.nz
www.intergen.co.nz
Time for Action
Recent research from the United States highlights
some disturbing challenges facing business today.
Ed Robinson
Group Manager,
ActionThis
The United States research has direct correlation to business trends in New Zealand. Think
about what you spent your time on last week. How much of this time was truly valuable?
How many of the work problems that kept you awake a year ago really mattered in the
long term? We need to find better ways to work less hours and more effectively.
This is a problem where software should be improving people’s lives, but has failed
miserably to date. Most of today’s productivity software either focuses on project
management or collaboration: scheduling, planning and sharing information. What we
need is a new technology that bridges collaboration and planning – adding structure
to collaboration, and allowing self-defining communities and processes where the
important stuff gets done.
Imagine if your company’s strategies, tactics and operations were in clear alignment;
imagine if every minute at work was productive – no pointless meetings, ambiguous
goals, or shifting priorities. For most of us this would mean less time at the office, more
time with our families and a greater sense of accomplishment. Surely the right software
can bring us closer to this goal – so where is it?
At Intergen, we’ve looked for this software and haven’t found it, so we’re building it
ourselves. We’re developing a mass market product called ActionThis that adds new
focus to project management, team dynamics and collaboration. Fun to use. Effective
business outcomes. This is exciting.
We’ve been working on ActionThis for six months and soon we’ll be sharing it with our
clients. We’re hoping you can help here – we need to collect more statistics on productivity
and work hours, so we’ll be contacting clients and asking if they can contribute to a
short anonymous survey. You can also email Ed Robinson: edrob@intergen.co.nz to sign
up for the ActionThis newsletter and learn about the upcoming beta programme.
The research highlights three trends:
1 Rise of the information worker. Since the 1970s, new management techniques
and widespread adoption of information technology have given birth to the
information worker, characterised as workers who are goal-driven with a
reliance on information technology to achieve higher levels of productivity
than the structured task workers of previous decades.
2 Longer hours. 40% of information workers log more hours than they did
five years ago. Workers now average 46 hours a week – the workweek is
increasing at about 3% per decade, with the most notable increase at
the higher skilled levels, where 38% of people put in more than 50 hours
at the office.
3 Increase in wasted time. US information workers estimate between 37%
and 45% of their week is spent unproductively – ineffective meetings,
working towards unclear goals, surfing the web or procrastinating.
We have more self-government, but we’re putting in more hours and getting
less from those hours. Indications are that the steep rise in productivity
from 1970 to the early 2000s is now slowing. This is worrying in a tight labour
market – when you can’t find great people to hire, you must ask your existing
staff to work longer, or find ways of increasing their productivity.