Collaboration is an essential function of any successful business. Having the ability to communicate ideas effectively and efficiently across an office or across the globe gives companies a competitive edge in the marketplace. With the use of collaboration technology, communication can now be streamlined through mobile devices and traditional desktops.
Modern collaboration platforms offer a variety of features to fit businesses’ needs. However, it is crucial that your team understands the do’s and don’ts of collaboration tech in order to secure the greatest ROI. In that spirit, let’s explore the many benefits of collaboration technology, along with the correct applications.
How Collaboration Tech Impacts The Workplace
Every company wants an interface that is user-friendly and easy to use. Luckily, collaboration platforms like Microsoft’s newly-launched Teams and Cisco’s new Spark platform provide just that. Cisco Spark has a clean, easy to navigate interface and boasts communication-boosting features like calendar integration, video calls and recording, individualized rooms, and a messaging center—all in an easy to use interface. Microsoft’s Teams integrates nicely with the 365 suite, and it’s easy to move conversations between text, audio, and video. When collaboration tech puts user experience first, it’s a win-win for everyone.
With so many useful tools incorporated in collaboration technology, it’s easy to see the benefits. But before a company launches a collaboration platform, it’s important to make sure that particular platform will integrate with the existing software. To ensure a seamless transition, avoid collaboration platforms that only utilize a screen share. Instead, search for collaboration tech that has a sync feature in real time. By making sure whatever platform is ultimately chosen can be easily integrated into existing software, companies enhance communication instead of hindering it.
Mobile Collaboration Tech
In today’s marketplace, the need for mobile communication and connection is more relevant than ever—especially since a recent study found that only three percent of people come up with their best work-related ideas in the office. With the use of mobile collaboration, companies give employees the ability to document and share these ideas whenever they arise, whether in the office or out of it.
Employers and employees alike benefit from mobile collaboration tools. Employees are more productive when using collaboration tech, and companies clearly benefit from that increase in employee productivity. When the use of a collaboration platform is in place, employees feel less isolated and more connected, both to other people within the organization and to their work. Employees are also able to enjoy the flexibility mobile collaboration technology encourages.
The ability to work remotely allows employees a flexible schedule while still staying interconnected with a team across the city or across the world. And while some believe employees who work remotely are less productive than those who work traditional hours, studies have found that belief to be false. In fact, employees who work remotely and use a collaboration platform actually polled higher when questioned about their collaboration and productivity than those who work in a traditional office setting.
With today’s collaboration technologies offering video conference calls, instantaneous file sharing, video recording, and other features all in a user-friendly interface, it’s easy to see why employees are more productive and enjoy using them. But don’t let employee satisfaction alone misguide you. Companies have much to gain from collaboration tech as well.
Why Companies Like Collaboration Technology
First and foremost, companies evaluate any investments from a financial perspective, and an investment in collaboration technology is no different. What some companies don’t realize though, is that collaboration technology actually saves money.
For example, CEMEX, a fuel company, reduced C02 emissions by 1.8 million tons and saved the company more than $140 million dollars in one fiscal year. This massive savings was initiated when CEMEX implemented a collaboration platform, allowing engineers to share their experiences and ideas quickly and effectively through an online platform. CEMEX’s case might be a best-case scenario, but if collaboration technology can have that large of an impact on one company, the sky is the limit.
Some companies still have concerns about the customer service and customer support applications of collaboration technology. Fortunately, the adoption of a collaboration platform doesn’t mean the neglection of customer service and support. The combination of collaboration technology with data as a service (DaaS) cloud technology assures customer service and customer support don’t get overlooked.
The Takeaway
Collaboration technology provides employees with a user-friendly, efficiency-boosting communication platform packed with useful tools. From a company perspective, collaboration tech doesn’t only help increase revenues, it also has the potential to create solutions and help save money. Companies without a collaboration platform in place aren’t able to capitalize on some of the most beneficial technology available for businesses today.
There’s much more to talk about when it comes to collaboration. In fact, we’ve only just begun. Click here for more tips on how to simplify collaboration from the pocket to the boardroom.
Photo Credit: amexmarketing Flickr via Compfight cc
This article was first published on HB Communications.
