Case Studies

Large and small scale military “discovery” experiments and wargames conducted by several branches of the Department of Defense are bringing together key decision makers and subject matter experts from around the globe to develop the concepts, doctrine, and training that will form the U.S. Military of the 21st century and beyond. Looking for new ways to structure an experiment that fosters innovation as well as critical thinking, these military organizations selected FacilitatePro to enable large scale collaboration and concept development.

In labor-management negotiations throughout the country, laptop computers linked to powerful servers allow negotiators to instantly capture ideas on FacilitatePro's virtual flipcharts, build on those ideas and rank – using the group’s own criteria– various options to achieve real consensus. “For collective bargaining, dispute mediation and conflict resolution," says FMCS Director Peter J. Hurtgen, "technology tools are the wave of the future.

Combining a state of the art facility, FacilitatePro software and skilled facilitators, Luther College’s Round Table Services provides group facilitation services to assist in strategic planning, problem solving, assessment, policy-making, and consensus building. Its mission is to provide a collaborative environment for the college as well as the business and not for profit community.

The Exploring Innovation in Community Development 2009 Conference in St Louis illustrates innovative ways to engage participants at a large group conference.The Innovation Cafe, an interactive extension of the conference web site, built the community amongst participants ahead of the actual event and helped shape the conference dialogue. The plenaries combined creative facilitation techniques with collaboration technology to engage conference participants in a dialogue full of inquiry and exploration.

FacilitatePro powers public engagement in charting Vermont’s energy future. Vermont, known for its environmental sensibilities, Yankee frugality and town-hall democracy, was facing some tough decisions and planning for the future of their energy supply. The Governor wanted broad and deep public participation in the process. FacilitatePro provide Vermonters a web-based forum to help government chart their state’s energy future.

FacilitatePro helps eliminate the static from strategic planning. Electrogrid, a pseudonym for the public benefit corporation charged with managing a large state's electrical power grid, used Facilitate.com software and services to overcome difficult organizational dynamics, enabling them to implement a successful strategic planning process and create a dynamic strategic plan to meet the challenges of maintaining the state's vital infrastructure.

Rich idea exchange on iPod touches adds sizzle to Advisory Board meetings. The best Customer Advisory Board sessions are less about presentations and more about facilitated discussion between your board members, with your executive team quietly listening. The challenge is to create an unbiased atmosphere and a safe environment for board members to voice their views and experiences.