This is the year to make your business stand out from the competition… to rise above the crowd… to soar with eagles… (insert your own cliché here).

 The start of a new year is historically a time for reflection and planning; an opportunity for you as a business leader to think about the path you will take to achieve the greatest success for your company. So just what will you do this year to reach your goals? I suggest the answer should be “Share.”

 When we were little, our parents always told us to “play nice,” and to share with others. “If you share with Billy, I’m sure he’ll share with you.” Over time, sharing grew to encompass not only physical items, but also more intangible areas. I remember my brother and me sharing responsibility for cleaning our bedroom – and also sharing the blame if it wasn’t done satisfactorily! (Maybe that’s not a great example.)

 Anyway, sharing was something we were all taught to do, and we all learned there were both negative (e.g. shared blame) and positive (e.g. shared credit) instances. We accepted that this was the normal, desirable way to get things done. So what happened?

Becoming territorial

 Somewhere along the way, we stopped believing that sharing was a good thing. We became territorial and possessive. We stopped believing that sharing was mutually beneficial, and despite our corporate mission statement espousing our “shared vision,” we decided to keep all our stuff to ourselves.

 Now it’s time to change.

 Sharing is the essential prerequisite for excellent customer service. And when you really think about it (and if you listen to Tom Peters), it’s really all about service. In today’s business world, there is little to distinguish the products we make from the products made by our competitors other than the service (including the buying experience) that we provide for our customers. Using a (not so) scientific formula:

             Sharing => Customer Service Excellence => Business Success.

 So how can sharing have such an impact? Where will it have a bottom-line (or top-line) effect on your business?

 One of the most fundamental examples of sharing takes place when you provide your clients with access to their order activity – past, present and future. It is becoming quite common for companies to implement portals or extranets: outside- and inside-facing web sites that allow secure access to information. For a client, this could be ordering information, with the capability to reprint invoices, check order status, and check for the ETA of a critical shipment.

 By sharing information with our customers, we let them become more self-sufficient, so that when they call with a real concern, we can dedicate appropriate resources to their issue. It’s kind of like going to the bank: if I want cash I go to the ATM because it’s fast, routine and convenient; when I need to negotiate financing, I call to arrange a meeting.

 Collaborative tools allow your customer to do some of your work for you. Have you ever bought something online? Submitted a book review to Amazon? Searched for a technical answer at Tektips.com? These are all instances where sharing technology improves service by putting the customer in control, while also reducing the cost of delivering service. And, as a further benefit, we can collect this customer information for future use!

Needn’t be expensive

 Keep in mind that portals need be neither elaborate nor expensive. Depending on your technology environment, tools like Microsoft Sharepoint Server, or Business Object Crystal Reports Server can easily make information sharing affordable and cost-justifiable. These products help mid-sized companies deliver large-scale service.

 Information sharing is the basis for successful collaboration inside any business, and here also it is critical to make relevant information readily available to those who will best use it to advance corporate goals. Recently, I was involved with a project for a Canada-wide distribution company, whose sales staff were constantly looking for detailed information about the buying patterns of customers in their territories. Some companies guard this information like the Crown Jewels but in this case, management had the insight to see that by sharing this Business Intelligence with both the sales staff and the customers, efforts could be focused on those areas that needed it most. Sales staff can now fill “holes” in their product offering to clients, and can also recommend complementary products to clients.

 A critical point about information sharing: Successful collaboration and business intelligence is dependent on information being timely. It’s all well and good to share information, but it is of no use to customers, sales staff or management if the information is outdated before it is available! This may seem obvious, but it is absolutely essential to acknowledge the impact timeliness can have on the value of information.

 There are literally thousands of excellent examples of where information sharing has a profound effect on business results; I’m sure you can point to a couple of examples of your own. If there is one recommendation I make to you for 2006, I would say seek out new opportunities for sharing in your business, with customers, partners, and staff members. Be aware of the significant requirements for information security and confidentiality that now exist, but invest in collaborative tools and information distribution systems for your business. Service is the key to future business success, and collaboration and sharing are the keys to service. Let’s start the Information Democracy!

Jim Payton is President and Senior Consultant with Dynamic Intelligence, a Kitchener-based Business Intelligence practice. With over 12 years of experience in information technology, Dynamic Intelligence services small- and mid-sized clients across Canada and the U.S.