1. Responsive innovation in a local context
Paul
Walk
paul@paulwalk.net
@paulwalk
http://www.paulwalk.net
2. Contents
5
topics,
30
slides,
plenty
of
time
for
discussion!
1.Usage
data
and
analytics
2.Local
and
remote
(SaaS,
BYOD)
3.Residents
and
Visitors
4.Customer/Vendor
relationship
management
(CRM/VRM)
5.Responsive
innovation
4. Library activity data
• The
University
of
HuddersQield
Library
has
been
a
pioneer
in
exploiting
activity
data:
• “We
have
collected
3.9
million
library
circulation
records
over
15
years.”
• “If
you
do
not
use
the
library,
you
are
over
seven
times
more
likely
to
drop
out
of
your
degree.
7.19
to
be
precise."
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/reports/2012/activity-‐data-‐delivering-‐beneDits.aspx
5. Local context, expressed as activity data
• analytics
are
fashionable
• evidence-‐based
service
provision
is
the
goal
• highly
responsive
service
delivery
is
something
to
aim
for
• predictive
analytics
are
the
holy
grail
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/reports/2012/activity-‐data-‐delivering-‐beneDits.aspx
6. Local wins and strategic benefits
• make
more
use
of
available
data
in
informing
investment
decisions
• the
library
is
well-‐placed
to
provide
data
about
some
aspects
of
student/researcher
‘behaviour’
• plug
into
the
wider
institutional
strategy,
but
Qind
some
opportunities
for
local
service
improvements
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/reports/2012/activity-‐data-‐delivering-‐beneDits.aspx
7. Usage data & analytics: recommendations
• look
for
opportunities
to
exploit
data
analytics
locally,
in
the
context
of
the
wider
institutional
approach
to
this.
If
there
isn’t
yet
a
wider
institutional
strategy
for
analytics,
be
the
pioneers!
• you
need
to
get
access
to
the
skills
and
resources
to
process
and
exploit
activity
data
if
you
don’t
already
have
these
• if
you
can
read
the
data,
you
have
access
to
an
important
raw
material
to
start
to
innovate
&
improve
local
services
in
a
responsive
way
• the
ability
to
extract
and
use
activity
data
should
be
a
Qirst-‐order
requirement
in
any
procurement
for
a
new
system.
9. Next generation (library) systems
• the
variety
is
increasing
• possibilities:
• proprietary
(closed)
• open-‐source
• locally
installed
• hosted
-‐
Software
as
a
service
(SaaS)
• cloud-‐provided
• most
‘next
gen’
systems
have
moved
to
some
arrangement
of
cloud
and
SaaS
• some
open-‐source
alternatives
appearing
• there
are
several
viable
combinations
of
these
possibilities:
• e.g
• an
open-‐source
system
offered
as
SaaS
from
a
cloud
infrastructure
• a
‘locally’
installed
&
managed
system
running
on
your
cloud
infrastructure
10. The impact of the ‘cloud’
• where
your
infrastructure
is
outsourced
• pros
• no
need
for
local
low-‐level
systems-‐support(i.e.
hardware,
operating
system)
• may
still
need
to
conQigure
and
maintain
the
particular
system,
even
if
it
is
running
in
the
cloud
• elastic
‘hardware’
provision
-‐
more
Qlexible/responsive
to
rapidly
changing
requirements
-‐
easier
to
budget
for
• cons
• not
necessarily
cheaper
(contrary
to
popular
opinion)
• some
loss
of
control
&
data
privacy/jurisdictional
issues
11. The impact of Software as a Service
• where
your
system
or
service
is
outsourced
• pros
• all
the
advantages
of
using
cloud
infrastructure,
plus:
• reduced
or
no
requirement
to
maintain/conQigure
the
SaaS
system
• potential
for
continuous
improvement
-‐
“perpetual
beta”
• cons
• reduction
in
control,
especially
ability
to
customise
to
local
requirements
• the
ability
to
innovate
locally
is
impacted.
The
provision
of
good
APIs
by
the
remote
service
may
mitigate
this.
• the
con
that
might
actually
be
a
pro
• good
APIs
offer
a
good
opportunity
for
local
innovation
-‐
better
than
locally
customising
third-‐party
software
12. Local / remote: recommendations
• consider
the
relative
merits
of
local/remote
systems
on
your
ability
to
extract
more
value
through
local
enhancement
• with
any
new
system,
whether
local
or
remote,
examine
the
affordances
of
any
APIs
offered
• the
API
is
your
route
to
extensibility
and
customisation
• it’s
how
you
plug
the
system
into
your
local
environment
• it’s
how
you
might
allow
your
users,
with
their
own
infrastructure,
to
plug
into
the
system
• it’s
where
responsive,
local
innovation
can
happen
• ensure
you
have
full
access
to
your
data
in
the
system,
including
usage/activity
data
14. Web-users are residents or visitors
• “We
found
that
our
students
could
not
be
usefully
categorised
as
Digital
Natives
or
Digital
Immigrants.
i.e.
This
distinction
does
not
help
guide
the
implementation
of
technologies
it
simply
provides
the
excuse
that
“some
people
‘just
don’t
get
it’
which
is
why
your
new
approach
has
failed
so
badly…”
• “In
effect
the
Resident
has
a
presence
online
which
they
are
constantly
developing
while
the
Visitor
logs
on,
performs
a
speciQic
task
and
then
logs
off.”
http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-‐natives-‐immigrants-‐but-‐visitors-‐residents/
15. Digital residents
• institutions
are
already
wrestling
with
the
implications
of
Bring
Your
Own
Device
(BYOD)
• but,
digital
residents
-‐
almost
by
deQinition
-‐
bring
more
than
different
devices
-‐
they
come
with
their
own
mix
of
infrastructure
• so,
we
might
need
to
consider
a
strategy
for
‘Bring
Your
Own
Infrastructure’
-‐
it’s
not
just
devices,
it’s
a
plethora
of
remote
services
too
16. Gartner Says: the Personal Cloud will
replace the Personal Computer as the
centre of users' digital lives by 2014
http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1947315
17. Context is king
• the
user
is
at
the
centre
of
context
• personalisation
• Bring
Your
Own
Device
(BYOD)
• remote
services
are
becoming
contextualised
rapidly
• the
social
‘graphs’
behind
Facebook
and
Google
are
where
the
next
phases
of
their
development
are
concentrated
• major
online
services
are
starting
to
work
better
for
digital
residents
than
they
do
for
digital
visitors,
due
to
personalisation
and
inter-‐linking
18. Residents & Visitors: recommendations
• build
a
picture
of
which
of
your
users
are
residents,
and
which
are
visitors
• analytics
will
help
with
this
• be
mindful
that
users
who
are
visitors
in
the
library
context,
may
be
residents
elsewhere
• consider
how
you
might
reach
out
to
the
residents
in
their
wider
‘residency’.
Does
the
library
service
offering
force
them
into
a
visitor
role?
• consider
how
library
services
(will)
appear
in
each
user’s
personal
‘cloud’
20. Client Relationship Management (CRM)
• a
better
Qit
than
the
normal
phrase
Customer
Relationship
Management
perhaps?
• is
a
‘patron’
a
‘customer’,
or
a
‘client’?
• is
there
a
‘retail’
relationship,
or
is
the
library
an
agent,
acting
for
the
user?
• the
library
is
the
customer/client
in
a
similar
relationship
with
library
systems
suppliers,
so:
• if
the
library
system
is
an
SaaS
service,
and
it
achieves
a
direct
relationship
with
the
user,
then
how
does
this
change
the
role
of
the
library?
• is
the
library’s
role
relegated
to
helping
the
service
provider
reach
the
user?
21. from CRM to VRM
• vendor
relationship
management
(VRM)
(coined
by
Mike
Vizard)
• made
popular
by
Doc
Searls,
who
uses
the
example
of
a
car
• a
car
gives
the
user
a
degree
of
control
and
privacy
• infrastructure
has
emerged
to
support
the
use
of
the
car
• this
infrastructure
would
never
have
come
from
the
railway
companies!
• Principles
of
VRM
• Customers
must
enter
relationships
with
vendors
as
independent
actors.
• Customers
must
be
the
points
of
integration
for
their
own
data.
• Customers
must
have
control
of
data
they
generate
and
gather.
This
means
they
must
be
able
to
share
data
selectively
and
voluntarily.
• Customers
must
be
able
to
assert
their
own
terms
of
engagement
• Customers
must
be
free
to
express
their
demands
and
intentions
outside
of
any
one
company's
control
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/reports/2012/activity-‐data-‐delivering-‐beneDits.aspx
22. VRM: fourth parties
• a
new
type
of
business
on
the
net
• third
parties
who
work
for
the
user,
rather
than
the
service
provider
• the
fourth
party
represents
the
user’s
interests
• in
other
words,
an
agent,
or
broker,
or
mediator
• a
new
breed
of
companies
providing
such
services
starting
to
appear
24. CRM/VRM: recommendations
• consider
that
the
‘C’
in
CRM
is
‘client’
rather
than
‘customer’,
implying
an
ongoing,
bi-‐directional
relationship
• be
ready
to
anticipate
a
growing
demand
from
our
users
that
they
control
their
attention
data
• manage
your
vendors
more
actively
-‐
organise
with
other
customers/clients
to
achieve
more
control
• have
a
look
at
Jisc’s
KB+
pilot
service
if
you
haven’t
already
26. the perceived value of local developers
• DevCSI
conducted
a
stakeholder
survey:
• 495
respondents
including
developers,
their
managers,
IT
directors,
vendors,
funders,
users
(academics,
librarians,
researchers)
• 75%+
agreement
that
local
developers
understand
the
local
context
and
act
as
a
bridge
between
remote
service
providers,
open
source
communities,
and
local
end
users,
and
add
value
by
integrating
into
local
contexts
• 75%
agreement
that
local
developers
work
closely
with
end
users
to
deliver
innovation
(more
work
needed
though)
• 70%
agreement
that
local
developers
are
undervalued
as
evidenced
by
short
term
contracts,
lack
of
professional
development
or
career
opportunities
and
poor
management
27. the value of the local developer
• can
understand
local
conditions
better
than
an
external
supplier
• is
more
accessible
-‐
especially
when
adopting
agile
development
techniques
• with
DevCSI,
is
now
backed
by
a
thriving
and
growing
community
of
peer
developers
working
elsewhere
in
HE
• through
web
APIs,
can
tailor
remote
services
to
idiosyncratic
local
needs
-‐
can
make
cheap
services
into
good
services
• can
engage
the
technical
people
in
an
external
supplier
-‐
not
just
the
pre-‐sales
people!
• can
engage
with
and
exploit
available
open
source
developments
28. Use the local talent!
• Student
as
Producer
at
Lincoln
University
• sourced
developer
effort
and
skills
from
the
student
cohort
• “demonstrated
to
us
that
students
can
have
the
requisite
skills,
enthusiasm
and
experience
to
enable
us
to
innovate
rapidly”
29. The strategic developer - a new role?
this is where the developer
Local net works with peers
Systems
Peer
Technical Developer
Requirements
this is where economies of
Strategic
scale and cost reduction are
End User Organisational achieved
Requirements Requirements
Remote,
User/ Strategic Remote
(commercial)
Domain Local System
technical (SaaS)
expert Developer
contacts
}
} this is where local
innovation happens
local context
this is where the cost of
outsourcing is mitigated
remote context
30. Responsive innovation: recommendations
• evaluate
your
capacity
to
do
local,
technical
innovation
to
get
the
best
return
out
of
investment
in
turnkey
or
outsourced
systems
• invest
in
this
capacity
• don’t
forget
the
supply
of
raw
talent
in
the
student
cohort
31. Conclusion
• for
local,
responsive
innovation
you
need
data,
skills
and
ideas
• the
data
and
skills
are
the
most
important.
Ideas
follow
data
and
skills.
• you
have
a
vested
interest
in
improving
your
service
offering
• you
already
have
the
data
• you
might
need
to
do
some
work
to
access
it
in
a
useful
manner
• you
need
the
skills
to
exploit
this
data
• you
need
the
skills
to
exploit
APIs
presented
by
remote
services