"This is the point when you look at ways they can work better together and what tools you can use to enable it," said Locandro. "However most companies are still in the mode of automating basic document processes and have yet to mature to a level where further collaboration can take place."

At CLP, a roadmap for collaboration and knowledge sharing is clearly specified: workers start with physical collaboration and then move into more virtual means through the use of technology. "Vendors are trying to build enterprise [collaboration] suites on their own," he said, "but I don't think anyone successfully does it because collaboration is part of a company culture."

Locandro insists the company itself should know how best to move from physical collaboration towards virtual means. "Every firm must go through these stages," he added. "No organization in my experience can go straight to [collaboration] being technology-enabled without going through the physical process first."

Changing user behavior

At the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong, tools such as chat rooms, forums, and integrated document management systems are being evaluated. The aim is to help improve staff collaboration and knowledge sharing.