Collaboration often happens when people can see each other, and not from a distance. It’s one of the core reasons for offices and open working spaces. Yet, with social distancing mandatory across most of the world, companies that haven’t already been working on online collaboration tools were faced by a major challenge: teamwork needed to happen, and their best bet was to work on real-time collaboration tools.
On the other hand, many companies have already been working on real-time collaboration tools and their work was not as negatively impacted in this regard since they didn’t depend solely on meeting face-to-face to conduct their operations.
What are real-time collaboration tools?
Online collaboration tools enable co-workers to interact online through messaging, sharing documents, and communicating effectively and easily. These tools also help streamline workflow and help colleagues work on the same project together while tracking their progress, keeping everything organized
So, as collaboration tools become more essential in the modern world, what are their biggest benefits to businesses and corporations?
Saves costs on travel and time
Time is valuable to any business, and time spent on traveling from one office to the other, or even one country to the other, can cost businesses a lot of money. From arranging training sessions across the world to organizing trips for cross-country collaborations, employees can feel swamped and distracted to prepare for travel when they already have a lot on their plate.
With real-time collaboration tools, employees can learn online without leaving their office. Thus, they reap the benefits without the pressure, while saving the company the cost of travel.
Keeps teams focused on a shared goal
No employee has only one task at hand. Usually, they have to do one task, then another task comes along, and soon it becomes a bundle of tasks with subcategories. With collaboration tools, managers can assign tasks so that it is clear that employee X and Y are working on task A, while employee X is also working on task B.
Easy allocation. When tasks are organized in such a manner, it becomes easier for employees to conduct tasks while keeping matters clear as well for the manager. For managers, they can see what their team is working on, and can also assign tasks according to who has more time on their hands or fewer tasks.
Organization. Addedly, some tools allow users to add documents to categories so that all documents are shared under the task file and can be accessed quickly. This saves time and keeps teams focused on completing the tasks they have at hand without forgetting any or getting distracted.
Leaving emails. It’s also important to note that as companies rely on email, it can become easy for important documents and information to get lost in the many emails sent every day. According to a study by Accenture, managers spend up to two hours a day searching for information, and 59% of them miss important information every day because they cannot find it or did not see it.
Protects against data breaches
With the fear of data breaches, companies are looking at secure collaboration tools to protect their information.
No company wants their documents and data to be in the wrong hands. With reputable collaboration tools, employers can ensure that their data is saved on a secure network and software. They can also add documents and grant access to view or edit by authorized users, so there is no worry about data being changed or accessed by the wrong person.
Encourages flexible and remote working
With remote working swooping more of the headlines around work, more and more companies have been encouraging their employees to work from home, with some companies even hiring remotely across the world on a regular basis.
Instead of needing to be physically present at an office, online collaboration tools enable companies to implement remote working while tracking the performance of their employees.
This mode of flexible working helps employers attract the best people as employees, offering greater work-life balance. From calendar sharing and conference calling to task management, all these features are available in one tool, and they’re all recorded with easy timely reminders that help colleagues remain on track.
Concluding notes
As the world continues to become more dependant on online tools, it has become imperative for all businesses to conduct their daily operations through online collaborative tools. Not only does this improve efficiency and productivity, keeping organizations more organized and goal-oriented, but it also helps improve employee satisfaction, which ultimately leads to better results and increased profit.
Sources:
Accenture, Managers Say the Majority of Information Obtained for Their Work Is Useless, Accenture Survey Finds