How to Choose an Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

Transcription

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2 Workshop developed by GrantBook Expertise and proactive support as you transition to the cloud. Melanie Wood Director, Client Services Rahi Delvi Lead, Technology Adoption Tierney Smith Manager, Client Services

3 Today s Agenda Innoweave Cloud Computing Module Time Curriculum Block 9:30 a.m. 9:45 a.m. Agenda Review 9:45 a.m. 10:45 a.m. Block 1: Conducting a Needs Assessment & Solutions Comparison 10:45 a.m. 10:55 a.m. Break 10:55 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Block 2: Introduction to Cloud-Based Tools 12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. Block 3: Budgeting for the Cloud 1:00 p.m. 1:45 p.m. Lunch 1:45p.m. 2:50 p.m. Block 4: Technology Planning in an Uncertain World 2:50 p.m. 3:00 p.m. Break 3:00 p.m. 4:15 p.m. Block 5: Creating a Cloud-Computing Pilot Project and Strategy 4:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Closing Remarks and Adjourn

4 Intro Exercise What do you think of when you hear the cloud? What are some positive and negative experiences you ve had with the cloud? What are you hoping to get out of this workshop?

5 Section 1: Conducting a Needs Assessment & Solutions Comparison Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

6 Discussion What does your technology procurement process look like?

7 Step 1: Documenting Your Current State Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

8 Know Where You Are Finding and deploying new technology starts with knowing where you are currently. Begin your procurement process by taking stock of the systems you currently maintain and the functions they carry out.

9 Try different formats List of technologies and their functions Narrative text that explains how you got here Visual illustration of technologies and how they connect Index cards, each one representing a different technology

10 Test it out on a non-techie Before proceeding to the next step, make sure your model makes sense.

11 Step 2: Naming the Challenges and Opportunities Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

12 People love to share Your colleagues might happily share opportunities to improve. Also ask about current strengths, to capture additional priorities.

13 High and low priority Clarify whether the challenge/opportunity areas are high or low priority. Hint: If one surfaces repeatedly, it's probably a pretty big deal, and worth investing in a solution.

14 Know your needs Do: Describe the type of solution your challenge or opportunity requires, and what criteria should be weighed when choosing a tool. Don t: Blindly select a tool.

15 Also keep in mind When thinking about a possible solution, remember that your technology systems exist to support the organization's larger mission and vision.

16 Step 3: Solutions Comparison Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

17 Here comes the hard part Setting aside your own bias isn't easy. The solutions comparison is more likely to surface the most appropriate technology for your organization if you identify selection criteria before doing any further research.

18 Sample Selection Criteria Cost Time User Experience Risk The total cost of ownership over three years is commensurate with the anticipated savings in staff time and improvement in operations. The time required to obtain, setup, document, deploy, and maintain the chosen solution is justifiable and does not strain internal resources. The public-facing and admin-level user experience across multiple browsers and mobile devices is excellent. The possibility of product malfunction, downtime and data loss is minimal compared to comparable solutions.

19 Now dive in Research no fewer than 3 to 5 technology solutions that might help you implement the Type of Solution" you identified for addressing the challenge areas. 2. For each solution, scope out what it does well, get a price quote, take a demo, and rate it against the selection criteria.

20 For example: Challenge: Staff have difficulty accessing their and calendar when out of the office. Type of Solution: Improve access to and contacts through a cloud-based productivity suite. Selection Criteria: Cost of ownership; Intuitive Interface; Remote access

21 For example: Your research might look like this: Your research might look something like this: Legend: Green = Excellent, Yellow = Average, Red = Poor

22 Step 4: Making a recommendation Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

23 Now for the easy part With all the data you've gathered, you can build a strong case for proceeding with one technology solution over another.

24 Evangelizing The decision makers in your organization will most likely want to hear how you arrived at your recommendation. Don't shy away from giving them as much information as they need.

25 The day after Visibility Maturity

26 Needs assessment exercise What are some of the challenges, opportunities you face? What type of technology upgrade or process enhancement could address your needs? Finally, what selection criteria are important to your team when evaluating options?

27 Some Types of Technology Solutions Website Content Management System Contact Database / CRM Social Media Mass / Newsletters Web-based Calendar and Scheduling File Sharing and Storage Forms and Surveys Event Registration Password Management Staff / Volunteer Evaluation Tools Project or Task Management Collaborative Web-based Editing of Documents / Spreadsheets Online Meetings / Webinars Accounting / Financial Management Crowdfunding / Fundraising Video Sharing and Storage Photo Sharing and Storage Web-based Voting / Polling

28 Discussion Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

29 Section 2: Introduction to the Cloud Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

30 What is the cloud? Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

31 Put simply, the cloud is a way of accessing computing resources over a network. It includes many different web-based applications and services that many of us use every day, such as: providers Storage services Contact management and the list goes on

32 The cloud isn t a single product or service developed by one company or organization. the need to eliminate local hardware, software, and data backups.

33 Your new operating system In the past, compatibility of your office solutions was dependant on operating system (Mac vs. PC vs. Linux) Now, when working from the cloud, compatibility is related to which browser you use (Chrome vs. Firefox vs. Internet Explorer)

34 The browser is your OS Browser Desktop Applications Desktop Computer

35 What kind of solutions are out there? Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

36 Document storage tools

37 Core values Document storage and retrieval Automated version control Share a link to a file while you continue to work on it Search the contents of documents as well as the file names Leave comments on a file, assign tasks, and see an activity feed Sync with multiple computers Share with people outside your organization and in other locations No document servers to maintain or upgrade and no VPN connections

38 Productivity Suites

39 Core values Real-time collaboration Secure access from any computer or mobile device Excellent search and retrieval Extendable through browser apps Compatible with Microsoft Office suite Other benefits No servers to maintain or upgrade

40 Contact management tools Often referred to as Constituent Relationship Management apps, or CRMs

41 Core values Access all your contacts in one place Access the history and notes about each contact in one place Access everything you need to know from within your client Have a back channel and private conversation with your fellow staff Run reports on any of the fields stored

42 Who's using the cloud? Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

43 As of % of non-profits report using some kind of cloud-based software solution Staff is the most commonly used cloud solution (69%) Source: NTEN s blog post, Report Release: The First "State of the Nonprofit Cloud".

44 Types of Solutions Used Source: 2012 State of the Nonprofit Cloud by An NTEN Report, prepared by Idealware

45 Primary Advantages Source: 2012 State of the Nonprofit Cloud by An NTEN Report, prepared by Idealware

46 Case Studies Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

47 J.W. McConnell Family Foundation The McConnell Foundation is a private family foundation funding programs to foster a more innovative, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient Canada. The Foundation prepares resources each quarter for its Board of Directors meetings Circulating hard copies and storing it on a local server prevented multiple people from accessing it at once and resulted in several different versions existing at any given time.

48 J.W. McConnell Family Foundation A hybrid of Box and Google Drive was adopted to offer realtime collaboration on Google Drive, while Microsoft Word documents were housed in Box when it was necessary to use Tracked Changes. This allowed multiple people to work on a document at one time (Google Drive) at any location (Google Drive and Box), while offering version control to review earlier edits of the documents as needed.

49 J.W. McConnell Family Foundation Board materials are now prepared more quickly, and staff can focus on their contribution to the documents, rather than strategizing how they will circulate through the office and when edits will be incorporated.

50 Grand Challenges Canada Grand Challenges Canada is an independent not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of people in developing countries. Each year Grand Challenges would spend a lot of time conducting performance reviews of its 18 staff members. The process included 360-degree feedback, which resulted in many attachments with sensitive information being shared over . Compiling all of this information consumed a lot of time.

51 Grand Challenges Canada After completing a survey of the landscape of performance management tools, Small Improvements was identified as the ideal tool to streamline its staff assessment process. Small Improvements could be used to coordinate performance reviews, objective setting, and 360-degree reviews, addressing all of their needs. Grand Challenges was also able to implement this process for performance assessments with external stakeholders.

52 Grand Challenges Canada Moving to the cloud for this process resulted in staff spending less time administering their performance reviews, and instead were able to focus on the content of the reviews themselves. For the first time, staff received anonymized verbatim feedback from colleagues, which would have been very difficult if not impossible to accomplish previously. Grand Challenges now also has a historical record of reviews in the event staff leave.

53 More case studies case studies:

54 and resources idealware.org nten.org bethkanter.org techsoupcanada.ca techsoup.org CanadaHelps Educational Resources

55 Benefits and Possible Drawbacks Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

56 Benefits Take your office on the road Skip the leg work Save time and money on upgrades Collaborate without boundaries Extend the life of your hardware

57 Possible drawbacks Change isn t easy Researching and selecting the right solution and training staff can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

58 Possible drawbacks Just what are you agreeing to? Each tool has its own Terms of Service which can be difficult to digest and fully understand.

59 Possible drawbacks What you see is what you get Adding features or functionality can be difficult, if not impossible, and reversing upgrades you re not excited about isn t an option.

60 Possible drawbacks The bills keep coming Instead of one-time up-front software expense, cloud-based tools are usually subscription-based, so the cost is ongoing, and can grow as you add users.

61 Benefits and possible drawbacks Discussion Have you identified any other benefits or possible drawbacks for your organization?

62 Other Considerations

63 Security Is the cloud less secure than our current system?

64 Security Probably not. With the benefits of hosting your data off-site via a third party, control over a security or privacy breach is out of your hands. Reputable cloud-based vendors serve thousands of clients and invest heavily in the security of their data centres, while many non-profits don t have similar resources. Instruct staff on best practices when selecting passwords as a precaution.

65 Security Can the U.S. government seize my data if it s stored on American servers?

66 Security Probably, but Canadian servers don t differ much... According to David Fraser, a Canadian privacy lawyer and expert in Canada-U.S. data security issues, the U.S. and Canada have equally strong legislation in place that permits authorities to seize and share data between security agencies in both Canada and the U.S. without warrants. Source - Cloud Computing & the Patriot Act: A Red Herring? by Lindsey Finch and David Fraser

67 Terms of Service (ToS) We ve identified an option that suits us. How do we avoid compromising the data we oversee or getting burned by an unfair Terms of Service?

68 Terms of Service Know your obligations and research the vendor. You can t be sure a service meets your organization s privacy needs without first detailing what those needs are.¹ ¹Slide 13, Donny Shimamoto s Dissecting Risks of Infrastructure in the Cloud.

69 Terms of Service What should you look for in ToS and Service Level Agreements?

70 Terms of Service Consider the following questions¹: Who owns your data, where is it stored, who has access? Uptime guarantees do they include maintenance windows? How often are maintenance disruptions and what limitations exist during them? ¹Slide 18, Donny Shimamoto s Dissecting Risks of Infrastructure in the Cloud.

71 Terms of Service The following ToS excerpts demonstrate how varied cloud-based tools ToS can be. Huddle Terms of use (link) Other than the limited licence and other rights you grant in these Terms of Use, Huddle obtains no right, title or interest from you (or your licensors) under these Terms of Use in or to any Content that you submit, post, store, transmit or display on, or through, the Services, including any intellectual property rights which subsist in that Content

72 Terms of Service Facebook Terms of Service (link) For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.

73 Terms of Service Have a conversation about what privacy and security mean within your organization. There might be some parts of your work where security is a more pressing concern than others for some, financials fall in to this category. If it s unclear as to whether a service can accommodate your concerns, consult a lawyer or security expert.

74 Terms of Service Can I negotiate with a vendor if I object to their Terms of Service?

75 Terms of Service Maybe. Most terms favour the vendor and they are usually not willing to change them case-by-case. Sometimes terms can be amended slightly if it doesn t significantly diverge from the company s standard practices.¹ If you re unsure about what it all means for your data, you can consult with a cloud-computing security professional. A lawyer or security expert can advise you on the realities of a vendor s terms, and sometimes contact service providers to discuss amendments on your behalf. ¹Slide 17, Donny Shimamoto s Dissecting Risks of Infrastructure in the Cloud.

76 Confidentiality How can we keep material confidential?

77 Confidentiality Map your confidentiality requirements: what levels of access are necessary and who falls in each category. Prototype different permission and accessibility levels before building them into the completed deployment. Ensure the tool you select is able to accommodate the criteria you define.

78 Productivity What if our Internet connection goes down? Our work could screech to a halt!

79 Productivity If possible, have multiple Internet connections available at your office (ex: backup wireless router or portable USB internet sticks) Some cloud-computing solutions allow offline work (like Box or Dropbox). Documents and resources will be updated when Internet connection is restored. Be prepared to ask your staff and volunteers to connect from their home Internet connection and personal devices.

80 Where to start With so many options, how do we know we re choosing the right tool?

81 Where to start The same rules apply to selecting cloud-based software as software you install yourself. Be disciplined in your research and selection criteria. Take the time at the outset to avoid complications later.

82 Office uptake What if our staff doesn t take to it, and the tool isn t used properly or at all?

83 Office uptake Draft a work plan to outline timelines and milestones for implementation. Make sure there are ample resources for staff during training and implementation. Remember that people learn in different ways; documentation, in-person, and on-going support will all be crucial to ensure maximum adoption.

84 Other considerations Discussion Have you identified any other topics to consider in cloud-computing planning?

85 Lunch Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

86 Section 3: Budgeting for the Cloud Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

87 Important to remember The cloud isn't:

88 Important to remember The cloud isn't: F R E E

89 Important to remember While working in the cloud may not be: F R E E Doing so will likely help you get more done. Make sure to track your outcomes and impact.

90 What do cloud costs include? Accounts for your staff and volunteers Guaranteed uptime Synchronization across devices Product development & continuous updates Secure facilities

91 And you ll also need Hardware Internet connection Setup, training & support

92 Zero-based budgeting Zero-based budgeting can help you review your critical expenses.

93 Zero-based budgeting Unlike a traditional budget that uses the existing expense structure as its baseline, a zero-based budget assumes no history and starts with a baseline of zero no activity, no costs. Source: Mario Morino in Saving the ship by rocking the boat

94 Zero-based budgeting If your organization is able to clarify its priorities through a zero-based-budgeting exercise, it will do a better job of allocating resources around its core mission and knowing when to say no to less important efforts and projects. Source: Mario Morino in Saving the ship by rocking the boat

95 In short Zero-based budgeting is ideal for taking a close look at your IT expenditures and evaluating the financial implications of migrating to the cloud.

96 Step 1 of 3 Set aside your current IT budget for now, and focus just on the essential activities your technology infrastructure will need to support.

97 Step 2 of 3 Identify the cloud-based tools your organization would need to fulfill its essential activities, and estimate the cost of over three years for... Setup fees Per-user per-month fees Base annual fee

98 Step 2 of 3 Add-on the costs for... Internet access Hardware & installed software Services & support IT professional development

99 For example: Note: Example prepared using

100 Step 3 of 3 Compare your new IT budget with your current one. If the expenses in your new budget are less than your current, then you're probably a strong candidate for migrating to the cloud on a purely financial basis.

101 Zero-based budgeting exercise Take a few minutes to play the role of the accounting person or department within your organization as a group After you have filled out the worksheet below, we ll compare IT budgets throughout the room.

102 Zero-based Budgeting Discussion Questions: What did you learn about how technology supports the work of your organization by completing this exercise? Did members of your group have any notable differences in what they considered essential or nonessential activities? How did you resolve these differences? Were you able to identify areas to reduce or eliminate technology-related spending?

103 Section 4: Technology Planning in an Uncertain World Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

104 Introduction to Scenario Planning

105 True or False? Technology will remain constant until at least Your organization s programs and services will be the same as they are today in 2020.

106 Scenario planning group exercise In your group, think of two trends or changes that you do and do not anticipate in relation to technology over the next three to five years. List them across the top row of the distributed worksheet. Also think of four trends or changes in your organization or field, and list them in the left-hand column. Select a few combinations in your worksheet and discuss what the effects could be. This will shed light on what you could be preparing for.

107 Scenario planning group exercise

108 Section 5: Creating a Cloud-Computing Strategy Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

109 Technology Strategy Who has a technology strategy in place at their organization? Pieces of a technology strategy? How many of your technology strategy documents require updating? Consider the following: Current state Ultimate goals Ongoing maintenance

110 Pilot Project Finder Identify teams or departments and areas for improvement that could be addressed with a smaller-scale implementation to aid their work. Discuss and subjectively rate the following on a scale of 0 (none) to 5 (high): Level of Frustration among the team with existing processes; Shared Vision for improved processes or technology. Input the rating numbers in the appropriate blanks in the worksheet.

111 Pilot Project Finder Include the number of areas for improvement you ve identified in the third blank. In the last blank, rate out of 20 (high) the difficulty of any resistances or barriers within the team or organization that would need to be overcome to run a successful pilot. Complete the formula illustrated. If Frustration x Vision x the number of Pilots Identified is greater than the rating for resistance/barriers, the team or department is a good choice to run a pilot project.

112 Pilot Project Finder Example: The communications department is comprised of staff who consistently suggest new, creative ways to get our message out. They point out flaws in the status quo and push for innovation. The main barrier to change is a limited budget for new, untested tools. Team or Department: Communications Department Possible Pilot Projects: 1. Introduce a tool to manage design and sending of press releases and newsletters 2. Improve project-management resources for campaigns Frustration (0-5) x x = 32 > Vision (0-5) Pilots Identified (0-5) Impetus for Change Resistance/ Barrier (0-20)

113 Pilot Project Finder Example: The communications department is comprised of staff who consistently suggest new, creative ways to get our message out, but are ok with the current systems in place. The main barrier to change is a limited budget for new, untested tools. Team or Department: Communications Department Possible Pilot Projects: 1. Introduce a tool to manage design and sending of press releases and newsletters 2. Improve project-management resources for campaigns Frustration (0-5) x x = 0 > Vision (0-5) Pilots Identified (0-5) Impetus for Change Resistance/ Barrier (0-20)

114 Pilot Project Finder Example: The communications department is comprised of staff who consistently suggest new, creative ways to get our message out. They point out flaws in the status quo and push for innovation. The main barrier to change is a limited budget for new, untested tools. Team or Department: Communications Department Possible Pilot Projects: 1. Introduce a tool to manage design and sending of press releases and newsletters 2. Improve project-management resources for campaigns Frustration (0-5) x x = 32 > Vision (0-5) Pilots Identified (0-5) Impetus for Change Resistance/ Barrier (0-20)

115 Wrapping Up: What s Next? Innoweave Cloud Computing Module

116 Thank You! Innoweave Cloud Computing Module