product & service manifesto creating unique internet tools for civil society. apc
TRANSCRIPT
product & service
manifestoCreating unique Internet tools
for civil society.
APC
the environment
cheap dial upfree hosting
many NGOs onlineeasy development
Why APC?
Services.Internet.
Unique. Civil society.
examples:lobbying
fundraising
organising
volunteering
solidarity
democracy
... of unique civil society desires & needs.
Unique Civil Society Internet Services
... can meet these needs.
Unique Civil Society Internet Services
... a real opportunity for APC.
=
Unique Civil Society Internet Services
... our killer SEP.
=
Unique Civil Society Internet Services
... attaining civil society goals.
=
Unique Civil Society Internet Services
... sustainability for APC members.
=
Unique Civil Society Internet Services
... foundations of an alternative media system.
=
What’s good ...
... in a civil society Internet service.
Unlike anything offered by the commercial Internet industry.
1
example: online lobbying tools
1
Designed specifically to address NGO needs and desires.
2
example: su training on internet campaigns
2
Easy to integrate with other APC products and services.
3
example: conferences and NGO virtual
office
3
Integrally woven into the 'people network' which makes up the
APC and each node.
4
example: labournet or womensnet
online community
4
Easy to replicate over and over again.
5
example: database-driven action
applications
5
3 categories
value added products
development and support services
traditional internet services
value added
extra or special features which make a product or service more
valuable
extra or special features which make a product or service more
valuable
value added
value added
standardised and easy to replicate
products
examples
action applicationscivil society conferences
NGO virtual officeonline su trainingonline fundraising
online communities
.... of value added products
why?
internet + NGO processes
unlimited number of users
low cost solutions
tools = content
.... of value added products
why not?
harder than services
no betas
marketing is key
.... of value added products
where’s $ come from?
tool accounts
content accounts
publishing tools / publicity
transaction fees
.... for value added products
development &
support services
one time / project based delivery to meet specific needs
examples
site development
face-to-face training
communications consulting
content facilitation
custom documentation
.... of development & support services.
why?
meeting individual needscapacity buildingperpetual R&D
relationships and trustperpetual feedback
good money for good works
.... of development & support services.
why not?
more work = more staff
bad service = big impacts
treating products like projects
.... of development & support services.
traditional internet products & services
the stuff everyone else is offering
examples
dial-upwww hosting
ecommerce hostingLAN support
connection softwarebasic training
... traditional Internet products & services.
why?
platform for unique services
customer perception
customer expectation
customer contact
cash flow... traditional Internet products & services.
why not?
decreased confidence
dial up = value added?
service quality
misdirected resources
technical perception... traditional Internet products & services.
outsourcinghave a clear contract
outsourcinginclude penalties for poor service
outsourcingshare financial risks if possible
outsourcingkeep control of all customer contact
and make sure it pays
building
unique internet services for civil society
dreaming ~ ~ marketing
buildingdreaming ~ ~ marketing
desireNGO-specific
clarity difference
product profiles
clearly describing a product or servicefor yourself
and your client communities
product profiles
1. Product Name
2. What is (product name)?
3. Who would use (product name)?
4. How is (product name) provided?
5. Features and benefits
6. Pricing
products profiles
1. Strategic Importance
2. Pricing Details
3. Conditions of Sale
products profiles
Action Applications:Shared Database Publishing for NGOs
What Are Action Applications?
'Action Applications' provide NGOs with both simple 'cut & paste' publishing for their own WWW sitesand increased publicity through the 'aggregation' of information into issue based communities. At the levelof the individual NGO WWW site, an Action Application is simply a high-impact / low-cost way toautomate the publishing of press releases, job listings, events or other types of information. But the realpower of Action Applications comes at the level of 'collective publishing' and 'aggregation'. Each eventadded at to an individual site is also automatically added to a 'community-wide' site, thus increasing theamount of publicity received by each listing and the organization which posted it.
Individual Action Applications include:
4. Press Release / Action Alert Publisher
5. Events Listings
6. Job Listings
7. Community Radio Program Exchange
Who Would Use Action Applications
Organizations who want to seamlessly combine the benefits of dynamically publishing events on their ownsite and on a high-traffic, issue-based community site. It is especially useful for umbrella groups andorganizations with memberships that are active within a particular sector.
How Are Action Applications Provided?
Action Applications are built using 'shared databases' which both lower setup and operating costs forindividual and make it easy to 'aggregate' related information into 'community-wide' listings. Applicationscan be installed in new or existing NGO WWW sites simply by adding a small amount of additional 'code'.Once an Action Application installed, non-technical NGO staff, volunteers and even end users canautomatically add information to a site simply by cutting and pasting. Each posting is also automaticallyadded to the appropriate community-wide listing. Different levels of security can be implemented to controlwho can post information.
Features and Benefits
applications match NGO 'business tasks'increased publicity for specific postings and NGO site as a wholelow cost automated WWW publishingno need for technical skills to publish to a WWW site
integrates into content aggregation / online community
Action Applications:Shared Database Publishing for NGOs
What Are Action Applications?
'Action Applications' provide NGOs with both simple 'cut & paste' publishing for their own WWW sitesand increased publicity through the 'aggregation' of information into issue based communities. At the levelof the individual NGO WWW site, an Action Application is simply a high-impact / low-cost way toautomate the publishing of press releases, job listings, events or other types of information. But the realpower of Action Applications comes at the level of 'collective publishing' and 'aggregation'. Each eventadded at to an individual site is also automatically added to a 'community-wide' site, thus increasing theamount of publicity received by each listing and the organization which posted it.
Individual Action Applications include:
4. Press Release / Action Alert Publisher
5. Events Listings
6. Job Listings
7. Community Radio Program Exchange
Who Would Use Action Applications
Organizations who want to seamlessly combine the benefits of dynamically publishing events on their ownsite and on a high-traffic, issue-based community site. It is especially useful for umbrella groups andorganizations with memberships that are active within a particular sector.
How Are Action Applications Provided?
Action Applications are built using 'shared databases' which both lower setup and operating costs forindividual and make it easy to 'aggregate' related information into 'community-wide' listings. Applicationscan be installed in new or existing NGO WWW sites simply by adding a small amount of additional 'code'.Once an Action Application installed, non-technical NGO staff, volunteers and even end users canautomatically add information to a site simply by cutting and pasting. Each posting is also automaticallyadded to the appropriate community-wide listing. Different levels of security can be implemented to controlwho can post information.
Features and Benefits
applications match NGO 'business tasks'increased publicity for specific postings and NGO site as a wholelow cost automated WWW publishingno need for technical skills to publish to a WWW site
integrates into content aggregation / online community
product differentiation
assessing the uniqueness of your products and services
product differentiation
product criteria
organizational criteria
market criteria
product differentiationAPC Business Planning Project Service and Product Differentiation Worksheet
Service or Product Name:
Competitors/Competing Products:
Criteria
1) Criteria related to the product or service being offered
Product or service benefits (e.g., cost savings, service improvement, etc.) 0Unique features of offering 0Perceived quality of offering 0Related service(s) provided with offering - pre- and post-sales 0Quality of presentation of offering to prospective clients 0Price of offering 0Delivery method for your offering 0Time to delivery 0Relationship to other offerings you or other APC nodes supply 0
Sub-total
Geographic location of your office(s) 0Convenience of buying from your organization 0Your staff's knowledge and experience with your offering 0Relationship of your organization to customers (e.g., shared knowledge, values, trust, etc.) 0Image of your organization 0Long term vision of your organization 0Strategic alliances, partnerships or memberships 0Financial stability of your organization 0
Position of your offering in market (early, mainstream, late) 0Ease of entry into market (time, cost, barriers to entry, etc.) 0Requirement for ongoing innovation of the offering 0Product obsolesence timeframe 0
0
Competitive Rating
APC Business Planning Project Service and Product Differentiation Worksheet
Service or Product Name:
Competitors/Competing Products:
Criteria
1) Criteria related to the product or service being offered
Product or service benefits (e.g., cost savings, service improvement, etc.) 0Unique features of offering 0Perceived quality of offering 0Related service(s) provided with offering - pre- and post-sales 0Quality of presentation of offering to prospective clients 0Price of offering 0Delivery method for your offering 0Time to delivery 0Relationship to other offerings you or other APC nodes supply 0
Sub-total
Geographic location of your office(s) 0Convenience of buying from your organization 0Your staff's knowledge and experience with your offering 0Relationship of your organization to customers (e.g., shared knowledge, values, trust, etc.) 0Image of your organization 0Long term vision of your organization 0Strategic alliances, partnerships or memberships 0Financial stability of your organization 0
Position of your offering in market (early, mainstream, late) 0Ease of entry into market (time, cost, barriers to entry, etc.) 0Requirement for ongoing innovation of the offering 0Product obsolesence timeframe 0
0
Competitive Rating
product differentiation
Product or service benefits (e.g., cost savings, service improvement, etc.) 0Unique features of offering 0Perceived quality of offering 0Related service(s) provided with offering - pre- and post-sales 0Quality of presentation of offering to prospective clients 0Price of offering 0
0Time to delivery 0Relationship to other offerings you or other APC nodes supply 0
2) Criteria related to your organization
Geographic location of your office(s) 0Convenience of buying from your organization 0Your staff's knowledge and experience with your offering 0Relationship of your organization to customers (e.g., shared knowledge, values, trust, etc.) 0Image of your organization 0Long term vision of your organization 0Strategic alliances, partnerships or memberships 0Financial stability of your organization 0
Sub-total
3) Criteria related to the market you operate in*
Position of your offering in market (early, mainstream, late) 0Ease of entry into market (time, cost, barriers to entry, etc.) 0Requirement for ongoing innovation of the offering 0Product obsolesence timeframe 0Vertical market or niche market opportunties 0
Sub-total
Total
Product or service benefits (e.g., cost savings, service improvement, etc.) 0Unique features of offering 0Perceived quality of offering 0Related service(s) provided with offering - pre- and post-sales 0Quality of presentation of offering to prospective clients 0Price of offering 0
0Time to delivery 0Relationship to other offerings you or other APC nodes supply 0
2) Criteria related to your organization
Geographic location of your office(s) 0Convenience of buying from your organization 0Your staff's knowledge and experience with your offering 0Relationship of your organization to customers (e.g., shared knowledge, values, trust, etc.) 0Image of your organization 0Long term vision of your organization 0Strategic alliances, partnerships or memberships 0Financial stability of your organization 0
Sub-total
3) Criteria related to the market you operate in*
Position of your offering in market (early, mainstream, late) 0Ease of entry into market (time, cost, barriers to entry, etc.) 0Requirement for ongoing innovation of the offering 0Product obsolesence timeframe 0Vertical market or niche market opportunties 0
Sub-total
Total
exercise
pick an SU or ICT service
create a product profile
use the differentiation worksheet
present idea to group
exercise
SU Resource Centre:
Online Community for Trainers(curriculum, tools, resources)
Online Resource Library(SU resources for user communities)
exercise
ICT Toolkit:
NGO Virtual Office(intranets and online collaboration)
Member x Content Community(value added information and content service)