The Evolution of Document Collaboration Tools
Document collaboration tools have played a vital role in our changing workplace. Previously, working together on a document was a case of passing around hard copies and performing edits by hand. Today, we have the tools that enable the simultaneous co-editing of documents in the cloud. This is key to digital transformation.
Overall, collaboration in the workplace has never been better. When it comes to communication methods and ways to share documents and other work with one another, we have several tools at our disposal:
- Social networks
- Instant messaging
- Video conferencing
Document collaboration tools are key to the digital workplace
We are also moving away from the idea that work must be carried out at a specific time and place to one where employees can work anytime, anywhere and on several different devices. In its simplest form, digital transformation is providing the tools and tech that allow for this new working environment (i.e. the digital workplace) to exist.
Digital transformation leads to improvements across the whole business:
- Employee engagement
- Customer approval
- Better hires
- More agile and scalable business
- Greater innovation
- Increase in leads and sales
- Better bottom line
In the traditional workplace, collaboration often requires employees working in the same location and is prone to delays—from misplacing physical paper copies to inevitable delays in email back-and-forth. Today, the same collaboration processes are aided by new technologies, such as improved video conference calling, instant messaging, real-time document editing, and file sharing.
From Paper to Email: the Original Disruptor
Document collaboration was once limited to reviewing paper-based docs and sending email attachments. Communication between colleagues and customers was via face-to-face meetings, telephone, or email.
When it was first introduced email really changed how we worked. But it’s not immune from barriers to productivity like information silos where important information is held up in individual inboxes. This hinders collaboration and productivity. With cutting-edge collaboration at the heart of the digital workplace, the physical limitations of the traditional workplace, like information silos or version control issues are removed.
Co-editing in the Cloud
Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based productivity platform, puts collaboration at its core. Solutions like Skype for Business or Microsoft Teams offer an immediate, informal way of chatting with colleagues and working on documents in real time. With these tools we can more easily share files, work on documents together, set appointments, and attend video conference calls, all from the same place enabling everyone to stay on the same page.
The Rise of Instant Communication
Digital transformation is all about giving employees more choice about how they get work done. They can look at the task at hand and decide how they should proceed. The rise of video chat and instant messaging gives your team another way to communicate over a document no matter where your members are located. Instant messaging will not replace email, but it gives employees another tool to use to solve business problems.
If you need a quick response to a query, instant chat is often a lot faster than email. This has a positive effect on all areas of the business, as employees can solve problems faster and speed up processes. Instant chat is great for sharing ideas, brainstorming, and finding solutions to questions over document edits.
How Cutting-edge Collaboration Helps Your Business
Keeps your business relevant
Businesses need to keep up with technological shifts in their industries to stay relevant. Technology continues to evolve at a tremendous pace of change and if businesses don’t act now they risk falling so far behind it will become impossible to catch up.
Better, faster, stronger
Collaborative tools can transform your business by helping your employees work faster, work smarter, and work together more efficiently. When you help your employees perform their jobs more effectively, it helps to grow your business in the long run.
Attract the best talent
People want to work at forward-thinking, tech-savvy organizations where collaboration is at the center of your business processes. If your organization is going to attract the best employees, you need to make this a priority.
Trailblazing the Way Forward
A smooth collaboration and communication process is essential to every business. Making sure your IT environment provides the best tools and solutions for your employees, so they can collaborate over documents whenever and wherever they are, is vital for your business’s success.
At Worksighted, we provide IT services for growing companies, helping businesses in all industries unlock the potential of cloud-based collaboration and communication. We help you create lean, efficient and secure IT environments in the cloud that enhance the performance of your teams and reduce costs.
To find out more about implementing technology for your business, explore Worksighted’s collaboration & productivity expertise or get in touch with us today.
Worksighted Team
