Businesses need to be collaborative to achieve any level of success. From deciding what tools to use within the company, what services to provide, or support for customers (internal and external), it’s difficult to achieve success without collaboration.
In this new remote environment, teams are spread out all over the world, and communication can be challenging without the right tool. Email and phone are still heavily utilized but may not be the ideal method of communication with other colleagues, or customers. Cloud collaboration solutions may be the answer.
Collaboration Solutions: Engagement Made Simple
Collaboration solutions make employee engagement and connection simple. Employees can host face-to-face meetings and share ideas, get feedback on projects, or just contact fellow co-workers with cloud-based solutions.
If you choose the right solution, it will provide more than communication. Employees can share their documents, larger files, and screen share in order to better collaborate with each other.
Document editing is simple, as everyone can provide their notes and feedback without sending newer versions of the file through email. Gone are the days of multiple naming conventions for the same file.
Collaboration Solutions: The Tools of Trade
A great collaboration solution is intended to help teams work together as if they were in the same room. Whether it’s whiteboarding a new product launch, or sharing the latest webinar, collaboration solutions are all about access to information and teamwork.
Here are some of the usual apps you can find within a collaboration solution:
- Video conferencing. This is the most common application, and the most popular way teams collaborate. When using video conferencing, you’re able to see the other person and engage with each other as if you’re in a conference room. A video conferencing app also lets you do audio only calls as well and might be more convenient than using a mobile phone.
- Messaging. If you just need to leave a quick note or just have a quick message about a project, use the messaging feature. This might be a preferred method of communication if your colleague doesn’t want to hop on a call.
- File-sharing. It can be difficult to email the same file back and forth. Edits might be missed and there could be multiple versions of the same file. File-sharing and editing allows co-workers to work on the same file and ensures everyone is working on the updated file.
Collaboration Solutions: The Business Benefits
When choosing to use a collaboration solution, there are many perks that you will notice right away. Here are a few main benefits for your business:
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Simplicity
No matter the size of your team, productivity is essential. You don’t want to lose valuable time on extensive training on the new solution. Ease of use is essential. A cloud collaboration solution will have a learning curve, but it should be intuitive and developed for the user. It should not take a master’s degree to share a file or join a call. It should be a click of a button to share that file or click a link to join a meeting.
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Cost savings
The best part about a collaboration solution is that you don’t need other apps. There’s no need for a separate chat, conferencing, or meeting solution. All your functions are under one vendor. Which means, one payment.
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Scaling
Have a small team? Do you plan to grow that team? As your team grows, you need a collaboration tool that grows with it. Your business’s goals of growth might seem to be a few years away, but you need to keep them in mind. Does your solution have the features you’ll require in two years? Five years? It might cost a little more up front, but you’ll save overall if you choose a collaboration solution that’s able to grow with your team.
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Integration with your Tools
Integrations allow your collaboration solution to connect to other software tools you access daily. Integrate your CRM, project management tool, or HR software. This simplifies your workflow and eliminates copy and pasting info such as task updates, and CRM changes. There’s no need for a drastic overhaul and your employees should be able to continue to use the tools with the new system.
Work Together with a Collaboration Solution
A collaboration solution is a great way to keep your team connected. When you partn
er with Excel Telecom for your solution, you’re working with a trusted partner with over 30 years of experience whose goals are to exceed your expectations. At Excel Telecom, we’d love to have a conversation with you on how we can help you choose the best collaboration solution for your team and answer all your questions. Contact us today.
