Abstract

This document describes the features of TCNW Intranet. The intent of this document is to detail the specification of essential features and to collaborate the idea and wish lists from all parties.

Introduction

The main idea of TCNW Intranet is as follows,

• Single sign-up system to access all functionality

• Collaborate the information of Tzu Chi volunteers

• Ease of administrative work and flow

• What is the single most important piece of shared information that your team needs?

• What are the 3 most common tasks that your team (or your client teams if you’re in HR, marketing, etc.) need to do?

• Who needs the information?

• Who has the information?

• How often is the information updated?

• Load Balancing

Scope of the projects can vary depending on users’ need. However, expectation needs to be set correctly in order to achieve reasonable goal.

Function

1. User Authentication

Users can register in the system with their preferred user-id and email address. However, the user profile should contain the real names (English and Chinese). And the Tzu Chi Volunteer ID should be given in order to authenticate the users. If Tzu Chi Volunteer ID is not given or unverified, he/she won’t be able to access Tzu Chi sensitive information.

User groups/roles (e.g. Academy School Group, Medical Group,...) need to be created respectively so that group-sensitive information can be given to people who are part of the group. Users can belong to multiple groups.

2. Multilingual Support

Multilingual interface needs to be supported to the contents as well as operating interface.

3. Calendar, Schedule, and Event

Formal and informal activities can be posted in the system. Per event posted in the system, outside users or Tzu Chi users can sign up to the event. Reminders can be sent out automatically.

On-line ticket selling should be in the system too.

Personal calendar can also be used for meeting or event scheduling where the organizer can check out the availability.

4. Photo Sharing

Community wide of photo sharing is needed. This can be used for the sharing of event photos. However, this needs to be cleared with Tzu Chi 3-in-1 policy.

5. Document Repository and Sharing

The system needs to provide a central place to share documents. Documents need to have privilege control.

6. Conference Room Booking

Web-based booking of conference rooms is needed.

7. Trouble Ticketing [in Drupal production]

Troubling tickets can be filed per department so that corresponding personnel can track and solve the problems.

8. Inventory

Goods have be managed in the system so that administrators can get warning on running-out items. However, inventory needs other companion system (e.g. barcode) in order to have the complete scope. It is not clear how large the scope of Inventory ought to be.

9. Glossary System [in Drupal production]

The system provides a central database to help translators interpreting Tzu Chi Chinese words to English or Spanish. This project is co-developed with Sister Louisa and Sister Peggy.

10. VITA System [in Drupal production]

The system provides not only online appointment system but also the collaboration of volunteers. The system is up and running in year 2011 and 2012 to help out VITA administrated work in San Jose, Oakland, San Dimas, Cerritos, and S. El Monte. This project is co-developed with Sister Julie and Sister Ingrid.

11. Wiki System [in Drupal production]

The system provides an informal place to share information and document. Medical Team and 3-in-1 Team have been facilitating this feature to share document and inforation.

Lessons

Why Google Apps informs and complicates the Dialogue

http://collaborationforgood.org/2011/08/25/why-google-apps-informs-and-complicates-the-dialogue/

Here’s what we can learn from Google, regardless of whatever tool (s) you happen to have:

• email is a part of business: because of this, your tools need to operate seamlessly with your email and your options should be flexible.

• browser based document management is non-negotiable: folders are on their way out. You need to be able to search, share, and collaborate on documents in real time, across teams, in and out of your organization.

• your calendar needs to be smarter than you: did you get an email with a time in it? If you can’t do something with that in 3 clicks to set up an appointment your application is behind the time, and that’s your time it’s taking. Shared calendars should know what you might be interested in based on other data – like who you email or chat with a lot, or what projects you’re working on.

• no company is going to be best at everything: that’s why there’s a marketplace and an open API. Let other developers make the product better without custom (expensive) development.

• CRM is foundational: when you send an email to a client, do your tools talk to each other, storing collateral, sharing notes, alerting others on a status update, while archiving everything simultaneously? If not, lame.

  • note: Google doesn’t make a CRM, but they’ve teamed up with SalesForce.com to make the two seamless.

• search is king: users don’t always know the medium they want information in, they just know they want something and should be able to search for it – through profiles, projects, wikis, docs, blogs, everything. To make matters more complicated, once you’ve started to hone in on something, it should be incredibly easy to filter.

  • note: ironically, Google App users have a terrible predicament – they have to buy a google search appliance to search across their apps. Google is apparently working to fix this, but still a sad state of affairs for the search giant.

• big cloud > small cloud: the underlying philosophy behind cloud computing is that the cloud infrastructure can optimize server usage. Having a small cloud doesn’t help, and in fact hurts. That’s why most smaller cloud users actually use Amazon’s servers – which are pretty big.

• go mobile: beyond small design firms, most organizations rely on blackberry, even if the rest of their workforce is happily using their personal pocket-sized super-computer to do both work and personal stuff.

• service matters, but a crowd of smart people matters more: you may not get all of your solutions through your relationship manager or service rep, but you’re likely to find it in one of the many user forums dedicated to solving problems and providing tips.

• social tools matter, but less than the rest: you may disagree, but there’s a reason why millions of people use google apps in business and at home without some twitter-like tool. G+ might change that, but considering how far the rest of the suite has come without it, I’m not worried.

• video is paramount: your system needs to love video and other media forms in every way possible. If it doesn’t, people will go outside the wall.

• analytics isn’t just for social: Google Analytics is built into google sites, docs, and probably other things too. Good reason. If you build it, they won’t come, so you need to measure who is, from where, and try to answer if they got what they were looking for. Counting shares, likes, comments, etc. adds 0 value in the enterprise alone.

About Google Apps for Non-profit

Did some quick research on the Google Apps for nonprofit. Here is the summary.

• Overview (http://www.google.com/nonprofits/products/)

  • Store documents in the cloud; 25GB for email; 5GB of storage for Google Drive

  • Free version of Google Apps for Nonprofits with fewer than 3,000 users, or a 40% discount ($30/user/year) on Google Apps for Business for organizations which have over 3,000 users.

  •  

• Eligibility: http://www.google.com/nonprofits/join/

  • At present, Google for Nonprofits is open only to organizations based in the United States. Organizations based in other countries can view Google's country-specific programs for nonprofits.

  • To be considered for inclusion in the Google for Nonprofits program, an organization's 501(c)(3) status must first be publicly updated in the IRS's online database; copies of IRS letters are not sufficient for this requirement. You can review your organization's current status here. Please note that this update can take some time after an organization receives IRS notification of its 501(c)(3) determination.

  • We only allow one membership per organization. However, branches of umbrella organizations that share Employee Identification Numbers (EINs) with their parent organizations are eligible for individual memberships. Branches must indicate that they are applying as a "related organization" during the application process and go through additional screening.

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• Terms of Use

  • I cannot find one for non-profit. Here is the terms of use for education: http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/terms/education_terms.html

Google Drive/Doc, Calendar, Email is stilled considered #1 that Drupal cannot beat. However, depending on Tzu Chi usage model, we should explore all other possibilities.

Outlook vs. Google Apps

1. Comparing Google Apps to Microsoft Outlook

2. Can You Really Replace Microsoft Exchange with Google Apps Premier?

3. Microsoft Outlook Perspective on Google Apps EMail

4.  

Priority

Priority needs to be set with respect to the scope and the urgency of the projects.

User Inputs