Orchestrating the Global Virtual Workforce
This morning, DST’s Roy Brackett led a great discussion on how microwork processing and crowdsourcing apply to the virtual workforce of the future; and how you can use AWD to extract outputs from that workforce. Innovative solutions like crowdsourcing can position your operation to improve quality, scalability, resilience and efficiency.
One of the biggest buzzwords in the workforce arena today is crowdsourcing. This basically refers to outsourcing tasks that were traditionally performed by an employee to an undefined large group of people through an open call. The term itself is now referenced over 20,000 times per day. What are real-world examples of crowdsourcing? Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia with open editing capabilities. Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative projects (crowdfunding), while Elance provides instant access to contracted crowd labor.
Composer and conductor Eric Whitacre harnessed the vocal talents of 2945 people in 73 countries for his virtual choir. The result? Global crowdsourcing shows that it IS possible to orchestrate inputs from all over, with often magical results.
What is meant by workplace 3.0? The workplace has changed- and is now virtual in many respects. There’s a growing supply of free applications for use by all. Historically, “workplace 1.0″ = rigid, single employer, worker goes to work and stays at company for a lifetime. ”Workplace 2.0″ = flex time, employees with multiple employers, remote collaboration, some work from home. ”Workplace 3.0″ = dynamic, on-demand,project oriented, work finds talent WHEREVER it exists (engaging the right talent at the right place and time, then disengaging and moving on).
Workplace 3.0 encompasses MicroWork- the notion that a body of work can be broken into fragments (work sourced to full-time workers, outsourced employees, 1099, commission-based, etc.). Global Virtual Microwork Assembly Lines are faster, better and more efficient. The workforce of the future is here, and there is a rapidly escalating increase in contract workforce; even at DST.
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