Members, Consultants, the Foundation, the Board, and the network’s support structure each have their own Intranet areas, visible only to those with specific area permissions.

The Scanlon SharePoint Intranet features tabbed areas that are only visible to each group based on permissions: Members, consultants, the foundation, the board, and the network’s support team. The above view is the admin view which shows all tabs due to the admins permissions to edit all areas of the Intranet. A member, for instance, would only see the Home and Members tabs.

Both the public facing WordPress site and the SharePoint Intranet site and sub sites were launched in May 2010 and are ready for content that will be developed by the Scanlon Leadership Network in phases. Since both platforms are so easy for anyone without web development knowledge to edit and are scalable, they are ideal for businesses of all sizes to use for external and internal communication and collaboration.

The Scanlon Leadership Network plans to add and update their own content via volunteers living across the United States. Since both platforms enable updates to be performed from any Internet connection anywhere in the world via permission-based login, they present an ideal solution.

What is so different about the new website compared to the old website?

We’re glad you asked! The new website gives La Grolla the ability to update their website from any computer with Internet access 24/7 through an easy-to-use, password-protected content management portal. This is vastly different from the old site which was a typical static website that required web publishing software in order to make content updates.

The addition of the WordPress architecture enables La Grolla to put new content front and center and makes it possible for visitors to subscribe to an RSS feed of future updates.

Are there any green aspects to this website?

Absolutely. With this type of web platform, one of the biggest changes clients notice is on the back end in the area of content collaboration which is paperless when a client utilizes the host of back end collaboration features available.

Staff contribution permissions are just one part of the paperless collaboration tool set. The client’s staff are each assigned their own user name and password and permissions are set so that staff with “Contributor” status can submit content to “Editors” for review, changes, and publication on the website. Pending content is kept in a pending area where “Editors” can see all pending content at a glance.

There are even more back end collaboration tools available, which we’ll post about very soon. In short, we’re as excited about the capabilities as our clients are. This platform empowers our clients in ways they hadn’t considered before and the energy and ideas that are sprouting as a result are thrilling all around.
Paperless, collaborative, and empowering.

The best part about this specific open source website development platform in our view is that it puts the real power in our client’s hands and they don’t have to call us to communicate to their customers. We’re always available to help, yet rather than being a bottle neck in the flow of information, we can focus on being a creative catalyst and help our clients step into using social and viral marketing techniques as well, which of course is part every interactive and eco marketing firm’s dream.

Watch for further updates regarding La Grolla’s online presence as we continue to incubate new viral, social, and paperless marketing ideas with the cutting-edge La Grolla team. Be sure to visit www.lagrollastpaul.com and check out their menu as well.

About Doc Hall:

Frequently called “Doc” by industry friends, Hall is a founding member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence and received its award for outstanding lifetime service. For 22 years he was editor-in-chief of AME’s publication, Target. He also received the SME Gold Medal for outstanding service to the manufacturing engineering profession in technical communications, technical writing, and lectures.

Hall has authored and co-authored six books on manufacturing excellence, with topics ranging from the improvement of manufacturing practice to organizational development and renewal. He also has an interest in innovation, and is a judge for the PACE Award (innovation by auto industry suppliers). A prior book, The Soul of the Enterprise (1992) touched on some of the topics in Compression, so he’s been ruminating about Compression thinking for almost 20 years – reluctantly concluding that there is no “easy out.” Compression thinking applies the best ideas seen in organizing for work to the manifold problems of the 21st century.

About Compression Thinking:

The 21st century must be a turning point. Physical economic expansion that accelerated with the industrial revolution cannot continue indefinitely. The earth has finite resources, but our legacy business and economic thinking promotes expansion, assuming that more resources are always available – somewhere. Transforming ourselves to limit consumption while simultaneously increasing human quality of life for everyone is the supreme human challenge of Compression.

What to do? The basics begin with eliminating waste, not doing that which doesn’t need to be done. Then reuse, repair, remanufacture, recycle and so on. Many individuals are doing what they can to decrease their personal waste of energy, water, and materials. But without working organizations creating systems that help them do it, that effect is minimal. And careful conservation is not enough. Every technology can have adverse consequences. Unless working organizations make a new kind of thinking practical, individual measures cannot offset the heedlessness stimulated by commercial incentives.

Compression calls for a change in fundamental economic thinking — a new mindset — Compression Thinking. This begins by contemplating issues so interrelated that single engineering fixes are unlikely to let mass consumption continue. Many different imaginative changes will be necessary, under always changing conditions. Most companies have barely started. Some do a little, but claim a lot, thus laying themselves open to charges of “greenwash.” Our technical and systems issues are unprecedented, but our biggest challenge, always, is us.

So start to look behind financial facades to see the physical reality of what we do. The transformation needed is so great that it amounts to redesign. Remediating excess consumption after it has happened is not good enough — expensive too. One can only go on from the present, devising operational methods that anticipate future problems and preclude them before they happen.

The goal of Compression is in short to greatly reduce global resource consumption while globally increasing human quality of life for everyone. It is a difficult challenge, yet it is possible.

To learn more about Compression Thinking, to download the free 55 page condensed version of the book “Compression” and extended footnotes, and to learn how to start thinking differently, visit Compression.org >

Here’s a peek at The American P. I. look and feel:

We designed the logo, website, and one page speaking sheet for Paul in a vibrant range of oranges and blues.

The American P. I. purpose:

With The American P. I. website, Paul Jaeb, CEO of the Heartland Investigative Group, set out to create captivating podcast content that would provide helpful and educational information to fellow investigators. His content focuses on everything from the business issues of running a P. I. firm, to legislative issues, continuing education, networking and investigative associations, and of course investigation techniques and concerns. On each podcast episode Paul interviews several seasoned investigative colleagues from across the nation to get at the issues facing private investigators in various geographical areas and investigative niches.

Here’s a peek at Paul Jaeb, The American P. I.:

Paul Jaeb, CEO

Heartland Investigative Group

Paul Jaeb is 20 year veteran private investigator. He is the founder and CEO of Heartland Investigative Group, a premier investigative and security consulting firm based in Minneapolis.

Paul is a founding member of the Minnesota Association of Private Investigators and is the current National Director of the National Association of Legal Investigators.

Paul also sits on the Executive Committee of Investigative and Security Professionals for Legislative Action, and is active in ASIS International and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

In addition, Paul speaks at corporate events, professional associations, and private events bringing his experienced perspective and engaging style as a key note or breakout session for organizations across the nation.

Seamless, easy-to-use, and powerful website technology:

One-click integration isn’t only for Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn these days. We’re really excited how this website plugs The American P. I. into all the big podcast and video media feeds. What’s even more thrilling is that one-click integration can easily be built into every one of our client websites.

Here’s the skinny on podcast recording sessions with guests all over the nation work:

Podcasting session are recorded locally, yet guests on the podcast episodes call in from all over the nation with a clear recording session thanks to Skype.com’s free, 24/7 Internet calling features.

Check out The American P. I. website here and the Premiere Podcast Episode here.

Stay tuned! Down the road we’ll check back with Paul and feature feedback from The American P. I. on his website, podcasts, and further interactive plans in the works. Happy podcast listening!