Vbulletin.. ??? for the MC guys..

[Doggtyred]

Ok.. this is the 4th.. 5th.. online web forum that I've been involved in over the years, the vast majority run on VBulletin..

I am being tapped to rebuild a leadership team in a small to mid sized hospital that does not have an effective communication infrastructure for its employees..

In addition to face-to-face meetings one on one and in group/department wide, I am thinking of utilizing something like this for inter and intra departmental communication for work related private messages and bulletin board purposes. Anything past home page would be employee only. Rank and file does not have outlook mailboxes.

If successful it may be expanded from intranet to being on the www and encompass other hospitals in our region

I want to hear the good, the bad and the ugly about the software with regards to that mission. Bugs. Issues. Pros.. Cons..

 

[jesse]

Well, the administrative interface sucks ass -- but is very powerful. I've never really seen a forum like this succeed inside companies. I say that after having set it up for companies that have asked me for it.

What issue are you trying to solve exactly? If you're looking for something that is more of a structured place to communicate I would suggest an enterprise wiki. We use this in our enterprise:
http://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/

 

[Doggtyred]

Well, the administrative interface sucks ass -- but is very powerful. I've never really seen a forum like this succeed inside companies. I say that after having set it up for companies that have asked me for it.

What issue are you trying to solve exactly? If you're looking for something that is more of a structured place to communicate I would suggest an enterprise wiki. We use this in our enterprise:
http://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/

Using it as an electronic bulletin board, as an IN HOUSE mail program, dissemination of information in a manner that can be viewed from any terminal within the building.

The vast majority of it would actually be one way communication (announcements, directives, educational materials, upcoming class schedules for in house education, etc).. In other words, NOT being used for social back and forth. Employee concerns or responses could be posted, but held, then addressed, so that threads dont get out of control.

I've considered the possibility of an "uncontrolled airspace" idea so if someone wants to make a birth announcement, or say they are selling girl scout cookies or that sort of thing there is a way for that to happen, all within the guidelines of a civil/healthy work environment.

Also considered the development of a "rumor mill" section that folks can submit institutional rumors and get an answer on them relatively quickly.

I don't want to get too carried away with cost and infrastructure, because this may only last a few months to a few years until something "better" (i.e. integrated into a new house wide software package) comes along.

I am being recruited to come into a hospital that had a toxic leadership and much has been lost. I want to hit the ground running and try and get communication flowing again.


When you say its failed in the places you've set it up, was it a free-for all with regards to posting? What was the manner in which it failed..

What I need is something that will go in/go up cheap, with minimal maintenance, and be useful for in house messaging and bulletin board functionality

 

[EppyGA]

Might be more than you're looking for, but you can look at either phpNuke or dotnetnuke depending on your platform microsoft or linux.

 

[Greebo]

Intra company bulletin boards typically get very little interest, in my personal experience. Been at half a dozen places that tried, and they just weren't effective. People just pic up the phone or go across the hall and chat...