Virtual workspaces and IBM
Well, it seems that IBM is back to the blog and again it is because they do the right thing. During IMPACT 2007 (a conference targeted for IBM customers) IBM showcased a demo of the Innov8 game-like environment. Yes, a top world-wide company showing games in front of 4000 corporate clients.
What is Innov8 and why is it important? According to the IBM press release:
A BPM Simulator, an interactive, 3-D educational game simulator designed to bridge the gap in understanding between IT teams and business leaders in an organization. (…) The game, which can be played with a joystick, is based on Web 2.0 technology and allows players to visualize how an SOA impacts different parts of the organization. Together, users can literally see business processes, identify bottlenecks, and explore ‘what if’ scenarios before SOA is deployed.
(How many buzzwords can you fit into one single paragraph?) Behind the corporate jargon, Innov8 simulates an enrichened work environment. They think it’s nice because you can visualize the impact of SOA in your organization. I think it’s awesome because it’s a great playground for employees. When you see the video of the game, it looks like a proper (cubicled) work environment, with its lobby, offices, coffee machine, employees hanging around, etc. Why only use it to think about SOA? Of course understanding the impact of key technologies is important but, how about understanding the inner workings of your workplace?
Here’s my vision: The entire IBM Headquarters modelled as a 3D environment. And you can download it and walk around it using your computer. Would that be useful? Of course! Such an environment could be used to make new employees familiar with their future work environment. Where’s the cafeteria? Where are the copying machines? Where’s the office of the person I have to report to? Where can I find the office of employee X?
Does that sound trivial? Let’s try some more questions: What should I do in the event of a fire? Where is the closest emergency-exit from my cubicle? And how do I exit the building if I’m not in my usual desk? Are there any areas of the building that require special safety equipment? How is it to move around the building in a wheel-chair? (the last question is inspired by a real IBM case in their theoretically disabled-friendly new building in Madrid. The first time the wheel-chair ramp at the main entrance was needed… noone knew where it was!)
Anyhow, the idea I’m trying to convey is that management tends to overlook the importance of learning about the work environment itself. No matter how much management sees employees as resources (tools?) that produce benefits, the employees are, in fact, human beings and they interact with the environment. They need the business knowledge to be functional employees, but they also need the environmental knowledge to be functional human beings. And as proof, here’s a screenshot of the non-public wiki currently being used by the Department of Medicine at MGH
That wiki captures the rich knowledge of the department, but the second most popular page in it is the lunch schedule. Unlike computers, employees eat.
