What is collaboration software? Collaboration software allows many users in different locations to work together on projects on any device (mobile phone, laptop, desktop).
What do I use collaboration software for?
The concept of collaboration tools over the internet or a data connection is not new. Email has been around for years but has restrictions as a collaboration tool in terms of being able to share access, editing of documents. Email will always be a valuable tool in communication but perhaps less so in a collaborative project.
Simply put, collaboration software can be thought of as a virtual computer that everyone in a team has access to. Documents, calendars and internal communication platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and Asana are all examples of software collaboration tools.
Basic functions needed from collaboration software are as follows:
- Storing of information with centralised access
- Providing shared access to files and information
- Retrieving information requires a seamless method of being able to search for information. The ability to search through different document properties may also be required, such as task owner, document author, project team members, deadlines and due dates
- Knowledge management, in other words providing access to a business’s information and knowledge repository. Knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, using technology to train and share information in an organisation, to ensure that employees have the skills and resources to perform their jobs to a high standard. It is critical to business success.
Some of the benefits of collaboration software include:
- Enhanced project management: Being able to manage a project and the people involved can be a daunting and difficult task. To finish a project effectively and on time it is extremely important to be able to coordinate and communicate, using collaboration software is an important tool to make sure you get the most out of your team.
- Improved scheduling: Shared calendars such as Google Calendar make it possible for employees to have access to all meetings and project deadlines and tasks.
- Personal & group tracking: Being able to keep track of all your events, meetings and deadlines can be a big task. Personal and group calendars can help team members and you to be involved and informed at all times.
- Strengthening team relationships: Working together to manage and complete projects and tasks is a good way to build an effective working relationship between employees and teams. Collaboration software programs were designed to make it easy for employees to work as a unit, especially when employees are not all in the same location
- Reducing paperwork: Using software that comes with cloud document storage allows for instant access to documents and enables document collaboration and change history tracking. The concept of cloud storage greatly reduces the need for paperwork in any organisation or business sector.
With the global COVID-19 pandemic there has been a massive surge in the usage of video calling and video conferencing. A big benefit been that you are able to host a number of people in the communication in various locations. Video conferencing can sometimes be frustrating, especially if it is impacted by a poor connection or lags and delay (latency). Therefore, we find that in some cases, individuals are hosting voice only conferencing over these platforms where connections are not strong.
Should you require video conferencing on an ongoing bases, consider that you and your employees will need a robust data connection for video communications to be efficient. Mytelnet provides both business and residential fibre packages as well as fixed and mobile LTE data packages to support your needs. Our packages are customisable and can scale with flexibility, as the needs of your business change.
Should you simply be looking for voice conferencing where your staff are equipped to conference in from their various work from home and or office locations, our voice conferencing platform with a centralised portal and downloadable app for your staff members smart phones is a breakthrough way to help get your team into that productivity sweet spot.
Get your teams, fully connected with seamless communications no matter where they’re working from. Effortless communication is only a few minutes away, start your free trial and be a part of the business communication revolution.