Since 1999, Paul Wilkinson has been looking at how businesses use ICT tools to improve information-sharing and collaboration. Already a Wikipedian, while at BIW, he started blogging in 2005, later deploying RSS feeds, wikis and Twitter. In 2008 he co-founded the Be2camp network – extending web 2.0 awareness among architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) people; he organised the UK’s first dedicated AEC ‘unconference’ in October 2008, and ran the world’s first AEC social media awards, the Be2Awards in February 2011.
Today, Paul’s expertise includes:
- corporate social media audits
- creation and maintenance of corporate blogs, and micro-blogging services
- development of corporate wikis and intranet projects
- creation of professional networks and communities of practice
- training workshops and post-training mentoring
- social media events events, and
- in all of the above, integrating social media with conventional PR and marketing practice
‘Social media’ or Web 2.0, broadly, relates to the use of web technologies and design to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration between people. Blogs, RSS feeds, social bookmarks, extranets and wikis are just some of the tools used to support such conversations and relationships.
As the internet becomes increasingly widely used across industry and commerce, the importance of web 2.0 approaches is growing. Businesses cannot afford to isolate their employees in ‘silos’ or to limit interaction with customers, investors, suppliers and other stake-holders. Nowhere – particularly in a recession – is this more vital than in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector.
Used properly and integrated with more conventional communications media, web 2.0 can help AEC businesses enhance the collaborative capacity of their employees and improve key relationships with customers and supply chain businesses.
Web 2.0 training/consultancy clients
BM Trada Group, the British Council of Shopping Centres, CIBSE, CIMCIG, CIPR, Conject, Crittall Windows, DesigningBuildings, EarthShine, FIRA, the Institution of Civil Engineers, Leeds Metropolitan University (with Fairsnape Consulting), LSI Architects, Provelio, University of Reading TSBE, the University of Dundee, Unit4 Collaboration, Vertice.
