To successfully run your business, you and your team should be able to communicate clearly. Teamwork is an integral part of running any venture, and with the numerous advancements in technology changing the way we work, how you and your team collaborate should also evolve.
Collaborative tools are applications that enable individuals, teams, and businesses to create a more efficient environment by streamlining common and important activities, such as communication, file sharing, and negotiation. They use a cloud infrastructure that allows for network connectivity, flexibility, and scalability. These can be classified under three main types: communication, conferencing, and coordination tools.
A collaboration suite features an integrated workspace that allows users to perform actions, such as emailing, virtual meetings, content management, scheduling, and file sharing.
Using collaborative tools provides several benefits, according to the University of California[1]. These solutions can help boost employee productivity, improve relationships between the customer and the client, make tracking projects and their progress more convenient, and streamline your operations.
Finding the right collaboration solutions can be a challenging endeavor. They offer various features and price ranges. If you are in the process of looking for collaboration solutions for your business, here are some core factors you should consider.
Choose the Right Collaboration Solution for Your Business
Determining the Right Collaboration Solution
1. Does it meet your business goals?
Different businesses have distinct goals and pain points. You can set goals and identify challenges by brainstorming with your team and getting feedback from your clients.
Then, look for a collaboration solution that can help you meet your business goals and address your business challenges.
Is it taking too long to complete projects due to frequent miscommunication? Do you want to give your marketing campaigns a boost? Do you need to tackle a new project and create a different team for it? Different tools offer varying features that fit a team’s unique needs.
When searching for a collaboration solution, always consider and assess the goals and pain points that it can address. Also, take note of the team members who’ll be using this solution.
Moreover, you also have to take your business’s future needs into account. Times are unpredictable, and you might need to come up with new long-term strategies that entail using collaborative platforms.
2. Security features
One of the essential factors that shouldn’t be overlooked when considering collaborative solutions is their set of security features. Look for features, such as complete encryption and multilevel authentication. Moreover, check to see if it offers secure mobility, especially if you have remote employees.
According to a report by McAfee Labs[2] in 2017, there had been a total of 16 million mobile malware incidents within the past decade. Secure mobility lets you and your team work remotely or on the go while still enjoying safe access.
3. User experience
A good collaboration tool is something that’s intuitive and easy to use. It should also have a simple, user-friendly interface that makes navigation and mastery easy for anyone on the team. Opting for collaborative tools that are feature-rich but difficult to handle may end up becoming a hindrance to your team’s success.
4. Integrations with other systems
After you’ve identified your goals, needs, and challenges, you would need to check if the solutions you’re considering are compatible with the software used in your company. There may be multiple computer platforms in the workplace or even in a remote setting, so you need to make sure that the collaboration tool you’ll pick can work with different types of operating systems, including Mac, Windows, and Linux.
5. Automation
Another key feature to consider when it comes to collaboration solutions is their capability to automate common tasks. A good collaborative tool lets you create programs or bots to automate manual operations. Automation can boost team efficiency and productivity.
Collaboration for Workplace Success
Collaborative solutions streamline operations and make individuals and teams more productive. They pave the way for more efficient operations that can help your company progress.
The way we work has changed a great deal. With the advancements in technology, we’re able to create solutions that go beyond borders. To keep up with the rapidly changing workplace, you need a digital workplace platform (DWP). A DWP enables everyone on the team, whether they’re based in the office or working remotely, to work, collaborate, and access all the necessary files, tools, and data.
Kissflow Digital Workplace is a great example of how a unified digital work platform makes work simple. It’s a tool that’s powered by a system that lets you work smarter. It has extensive analytics, integrations, admin controls, powerful in-platform features, and is a unified platform. It offers an intuitive experience for all users, from the executive level to the employees, and lets you build a consistent digital culture by offering every employee the same intuitive experience.
This all-in-one digital workplace platform can sync to more than 1000 cloud tools, giving you and your team better flexibility. Plus, it eliminates the need for you to switch from one app to another, as you’d be able to work on all your tasks using it.
For team leads, it lets you access all the data without the need for switching between apps. It also allows for seamless conversations wherever you might be in the world, paving the way for consistent and constant communications across teams on a global scale.
The right collaboration solution will empower and encourage your employees to perform better, and it makes it easier for them to be at their best. By carefully considering how to select collaboration solutions and the core aspects that are useful for your business, you’d be able to optimize how you work.
Are you ready to bring the future to the workplace?
