Companies can achieve greater success when they streamline communication and collaboration efforts between in-house and remote teams. By using collaboration technology, teams can solve problems and accomplish tasks in real-time, no matter their geographical location.
Basically, collaboration tech refers to the tools and systems created to help groups work seamlessly. The term “groupware” is also sometimes used to describe it.
By facilitating collaboration, these technologies reduce costs and time for companies that use them.
In addition to assigning roles and coordinating workflow, collaboration technologies are also responsible for routing documents associated with current projects, and verifying and approving its various components.
Businesses are becoming more and more dependent on technology for their collaboration needs in the digital-dominated world.
There is a great need for digital content in businesses (and we mean a great deal!). To power their online and offline efforts, organizations rely on a variety of content types, such as product photos, sales sheets, videos, and graphics.
However, there is a problem. The process of managing these files, along with the workflows that support them, can be challenging without a dedicated DAM (digital asset management).
DAM manages, organizes, and distributes media files. Using DAM technology, companies can store and index pictures, animations, graphics, as well as PDFs, templates, and other digital files for an all-round, seamless collaboration.
While there is a plethora of collaboration tools out there, the majority are defined by a number of essentials elements:
- Shared workspace platform. This acts as a digital home base for the employees.
- The use of customizable user groups
- Personal dashboards (which are customizable) within the same shared platform
- File or document management
- Forums for discussion on any topic
- Third-party app integration
- Careful routing of workflow
- Team member tagging capabilities
Table of Contents
Types of Collaborative Software Tools?
Collaboration technology serves three purposes: communication, conferencing, and coordination.
That means that there are three types of software when we talk about collaboration technology.
Each of these software’s goals is to simplify a specific feature of team collaboration.
Examples include meeting conferencing, as is evident by the use of zoom to conduct remote area meetings or document updating in real-time.
Let’s now discuss each of the three Cs in some detail:
Communication Technology
As the name suggests, these software take care of the communication lines – messages, group chat, and other conversations that occur over the Internet, whether or not the participants are on opposite ends of the globe.
Examples of communication technology include:
- Instant messaging apps
- Team, department, or organization-wide chat forums
- Digital voicemail applications
- Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls
Conferencing Technology
There are two core components of conferencing technology:
- Enable real-time communication between group members regardless of the platform used, whether it is Internet-based or phone calls.
- Screen sharing is a prominent feature in these technologies. Conferencing technology allows hosts to make, manage, and record calls with their teams in order to increase real-time collaboration.
The features of conferencing technologies include:
- Sharing screen capabilities on video conferences
- Document-sharing software
- The ability to allow users to review and edit information simultaneously
- Shared applications
Coordination Technology
All the tools in coordination technology are integrated. Essentially, they combine teamwork and workflow considerations to make delivery of tasks seamless.
As a result, there is greater coordination between teams and their activities, making managing workflows more efficient.
Examples are:
- E-calendars
- Scheduling systems
- Project-management systems
- Portals, both for internal employees and clients
Benefits of Collaboration Technology
Greater Flexibility
In the digitized world we live in, the demand for flexibility is high, for both internal employees and clients.
With the changing and unpredictable situation caused by COVID, the remote workers have seen increases in their ranks.
Remote workers like the flexibility of working from anywhere in the world. Given that flexibility facilitates creativity, remote work is also a huge step in productivity.
By offering flexibility in work hours, you take the pressure off your employees and let their best ideas spring forward.
Increased Productivity
Since greater flexibility is considered a necessity by would-be employees, your hiring efforts can ramp up. With additions to the ranks in your company, you will have a higher productivity rate.
As mentioned, flexible hours favor creative work, your team can come up with novel ideas and concepts that increased production rate.
Reduces Costs
A major expense for companies is traveling costs, especially when you have international presence. Before the shift toward remote work, training sessions, meetings, and project oversight were some reasons executives, managers, and other employees would draw on company resources to travel.
Collaboration technology allows businesses and companies to forgo such practices by employing visual communication software or apps.
These allow for real-time and face-to-face conversations to happen from almost anywhere.
Creating a Team Environment
Conferencing and collaboration tools make team work possible between remote teams. Whether you want to stay in touch, get updates, hop on a quick meeting or schedule weekly meets, team collaboration tech is indispensable.
Accessibility of Resources
By simplifying the sharing and accessibility of documents, resources, and information, collaboration technology has increased both the amount and the rate at which the exchange of data occurs. Business success often depends on the speed of knowledge transfer.
Gives You a Competitive Edge
As globalization creeps into every corner of the world, competition has reached new heights. The race is not just about finding and converting new customers but acquiring new talent.
Businesses that use collaboration technology will manage to stay ahead of others in the competition. Closing the geographical distance with the ability to communicate in real time, collaborative technology allows businesses to have and maintain better relationships with their partners.
Final Words
Businesses are increasingly relying on collaboration technology. The sooner companies and business owners realize that traditional methods of communication and collaboration no longer work, the greater their advantage will be in the current business landscape. Similarly, companies need to manage digital assets in a way that increases collaboration. The building or acquiring of digital assets is expensive and time-consuming.
