Inside of every company, there can be hundreds or even thousands of sources of data. Information is generated by people (through emails and social network messages) and by systems (CRM and ERP systems, and inventory tracking, for example). Where the information flows and how it is used is strictly defined by a set of business processes; employees in Sales may learn about customer order updates, and the Human Resources team may be the recipients of a benefits-related email thread. Information is locked into predefined silos inside the organization, helping pockets of employees complete their work, but failing to expose important data to other departments and stakeholders.
Information silos highlight one of the most important problems in today’s Enterprise: companies are overwhelmed by the vast quantities and sources of data generated during the normal course of business. How do companies optimize the flow of information to promote efficiency, knowledge-sharing and a connected, well-informed workforce?
The solution to the information overflow problem is Activity Streams. Activity Streams are the future of enterprise collaboration, uniting people, data, and applications in real-time in a central, accessible, virtual interface. Think of a company social network where every employee, system, and business process exchanged up-to-the-minute information about their activities and outcomes. Now, instead of pockets of knowledge, the company will have one central nervous system that unifies every piece of corporate information. Each employee can find data that he or she never knew existed, collaborating around this information and accessing it in a variety of ways (email, mobile applications, and through existing infrastructure).
Activity Streams fundamentally change how companies do business, unlocking the vast amount of information generated by everyday operations and making it instantly available across previously defined boundaries. Activity Streams humanize every business process inside a company, adding a social layer to data and opening up real-time collaboration.
