Collaboration Software

Guide for Buying Collaboration Software

Many businesses, ranging from tiny startups, all the way to large enterprises with thousands of staff members, are increasingly doing business on a global scale. This requires them to work together with customers, partners and employees spread out throughout the world. While there are many methods that can be used to exchange information quickly, such as email, they don't have the features needed to control all the changes to files and documents as they are worked on by people spread out across different time zones.

This is where collaboration software can come in very handy. By deploying the right collaboration solution, businesses will have the tools needed for several stakeholders to bring together their knowledge and skill in order to accomplish a shared objective, all without having to be working together in the same office.

What Is Collaboration Software?

Thanks to collaboration software, a large number of users can talk to each other, coordinate their work and take part in conferences. All of this results in more efficient group work.

The software makes it easier and more practical to exchange messages between individuals by using virtual discussion forums, voice and video chat, instant messaging and email. It also has several features that assist with the management and sharing of documents. Thanks to collaboration software, several users can work together on the same batch of documents and keep them updated in real time. Collaboration apps like Slack have changed the entire landscape of how employees collaborate with each other both in the office and remotely across the globe.

Organizations of all kinds can benefit from the power and versatility of business collaboration tools. They're now used in a wide range of industries, including advertising, construction, manufacturing, marketing, nonprofit organizations, retail and technology. No matter what size your company is or what it does, you'll find a collaboration software tool that works for you.

Common Functions Found in Collaboration Software

While each collaboration platform will be unique, the majority of tools in this category of business software will have the following capabilities:

Document Management

This function enables users to upload various types of files, such as documents and images, to a central location. This is usually a cloud-based file storage service provided by the developers of the software or a third party. This function allows users to share the documents they're working on with others. It also lets them keep track of changes to the documents and keep different versions neatly organized.

Knowledge Management

A knowledge management module lets team members create a repository that contains documents related to all ongoing and completed projects. It allows seamless knowledge sharing throughout the organization, as anyone can access the documents in the future.

Content Management

Thanks to modern collaboration software, several authors can get together and work on the same document using content management systems. Users are able to add comments or highlight text in order to simplify the editing process. Some collaboration suites also allow users to build their own library of content by organizing and structuring documents according to their chosen criteria, such as file type. This makes retrieving a document later on a lot simpler, as users will already know exactly where it is.

Calendar Management

Collaboration software allows users to view individual and team calendars. This lets them schedule appointments or meetings with other team members, even if they're thousands of miles away from each other. Many collaboration apps now support calendar synchronization with many third-party tools, such as Google Calendar.

Third-Party Integration

Many organizations use a wide range of business software tools and cloud-based services, including VoIP clients, web conferencing software, internal communications and chat software, messaging software and email applications. The top collaboration software packages have integrations that allow them to work seamlessly with these third-party solutions.

Communication Software

All collaboration software has several communication components. This allows people working together on a project to effectively exchange information. Examples of communication tools include team-specific groups, videoconferencing apps, instant messengers and discussion forums. Some more advanced solutions allow users to create an internal corporate social network that supports the creation of profiles for individuals and teams, which can then be used to share comments on the statuses of projects.

Project Management

A project management module allows users, especially management staff, track the status of projects by breaking it down into several tasks. Completion milestones, goals and deadlines can be set for each one. Some collaboration solutions offer tools that allow a visual representation of project completion to be made.

Advantages of Using Collaborative Software

There are many benefits to using collaboration tools in your organization, such as:

Lower Operational Costs

Collaboration solutions provide several useful features, including communication tools, task management, content curation and document management. While individual software tools that can accomplish these functions do exist, paying for them separately can be rather costly. Collaboration software helps you cut down on project costs by being able to perform functions that would normally require several separate tools.

Better Employee Productivity

The latest research shows that employees in North America can spend nearly half of their work day in meetings. Deploying a solid collaboration solution across your organization can reduce the need for meetings, which enables team members to spend more time on tasks that are related to their assigned projects and make critical decisions in a faster and more efficient manner.

Centralization of Information

Businesses that have employees, freelancers and partners spread out all throughout the globe often have issues effectively communicating job schedules and information about tasks to be carried out. Email is frequently ineffective for teams that have members in different time zones, especially if it comes to collaborating on the same document.

Collaboration software eliminates many of these problems by providing a central location where content is stored, together with real time updates so that everyone is guaranteed to have access to the latest version of documents. Collaboration tools allow organizations of all sizes to create a central repository for their working documents, which consolidates their knowledge management.

Choosing the Right Collaboration Software

Collaboration solutions are mainly divided by the size of the business they're aimed at. Tools exist for freelancers, small businesses, as well as growing medium-sized companies and global enterprises.

Small and Mid-sized Businesses

These businesses range from tiny startups with no permanent staff members to medium-sized companies with up to 100 staff members. Small businesses often need solutions that focus on effective communication between staff members that may not always work from the same location. For example, a company that manages a small amount of projects and has employees in a few locations might be looking for a solution that enables effective communication between remote team members, together with centralized storage of information.

Larger Enterprises

Bigger companies frequently operate in several geographic regions and have several different divisions. These businesses are often looking for a software solution with powerful coordination features. Large enterprises tend to choose a modular collaboration suite that allows them to select the specific modules that they require.

Understanding the Latest Market Trends

Mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets are now increasingly being used in the workplace. Many employers now have a BYOD policy, which allows team members to access work resources from their own devices. This has led software developers to create collaboration solutions that include mobile apps, allowing employees to effectively work together, regardless of whether they're using a desktop or mobile device.

Social collaboration tools are also gaining in popularity and may soon replace email. For years, experts have predicted that many businesses will replace traditional email with social networking tools. In today's world, this trend is becoming highly visible, as many companies invest in social collaboration platforms that allow effective information exchange between team members.