The way we work is always evolving, and it makes sense that where and how we work would also change. Office working isn’t for everyone and there is a lot more to consider than only your morning commute.
Enter collaborative technologies and with them, a boom in users per day by the millions. Companies are becoming more flexible and accessible to their employees and partners. It has become clear that maintaining an enjoyable working environment is crucial, even when workers are not sat within reach of each other.
Finder compiled a number of studies that show that working remotely with these collaborative technologies meant 83% of employees didnโt feel they need an office to be productive. A lot of companies are looking to continue using software to blend home and office working into a hybrid style of working thanks to the continuing evolution of cloud solutions. In this article, weโll look at the ways that the technology we use can influence how we collaborate on our work.
Everything In One Place
An important factor when it comes to how a business operates is clarity. When we go hunting for information, we want to be able to find it as quickly as possible in the most convenient way imaginable. Collaborative technologies benefit work to increase productivity by keeping everything in one place.
Software such as Microsoft Teams, with its instant messaging and chat features, as well as calendar breakdowns for meetings and deadlines, results in a reduction to the amount of additional software required to get through a workweek.
Side-by-Side
Sometimes, several members of a team need to access and edit a document. Collaborative software allows the simultaneous viewing and amending of documents from places like Word. Workers can also track those changes and add comments, as well as compare the original and amended pieces.
This encourages team members to work together, so that any errors that may have been missed on the first review are more likely to be addressed before completion.
Faster Communication
One of the key elements to any successful business is communication across and between all departments and teams. While emails have long been the established means of communication, collaborative technologies have made processes much easier and lightning quick.
Group chat and thread functions cut down on time spent waiting for emails to arrive in your inbox. They can boost team morale too, as emails can feel impersonal compared to chats. The inclusion of video calling also provides for remote meetings to become a much better option than they were in previous years.
Strengthens Culture
Itโs not always easy to implement new technologies into a workplace. Though the idea of where and how we work is constantly evolving, but studies by Owl Labs have shown that these changes can make teams feel more productive and involved with business processes.
Giving your employees the technology to make their working lives easier and more flexible helps to build a more cooperative environment. Not only that but investing in it also shows that you are willing to think outside the box and try new things to enhance productivity for your businessโ well-being.
Positive Changes
Overall, the recent movement towards collaborative software and cloud-based solutions have shown that providing employees with a one-stop program for shared calendars, documents, and chats encourages more collaboration between team members. It also leads to increased productivity, as well as strengthening the culture within a business itself.
You may also enjoy reading about How office design can also improve employee wellbeing
