An Introduction To Cloud-Based Collaborative Software
The adoption of collaboration software is one of the biggest trends of the past 12 months. And it’s no surprise. Collaboration can improve business execution, enabling better communication and increasing productivity.
It is the heart of innovation, and critical to operating a business with agility in a fast moving and changing world. In fact, according to Forbes, 73% of businesses plan on increasing collaboration this year, considering it vital to success.
The Basics of Collaboration in Business
But what does collaboration look like today? Many work teams look remarkably different than they did even 10 years ago. Whether you’re a large enterprise or a startup; likely more and more of your organization is made up of employed and contract resources that are working from various geographic locations. Where once everyone came into a physical office together, now companies of all sizes have remote teams working together from all around the world.
Luckily, as much as the makeup and work practices of your organization has changed, so have the collaboration tools at your disposal. The issue is that new tools are coming out so quickly, it’s almost impossible to keep up with the latest trends.
The right collaboration tool can transform how teams communicate within a business process, and make that process run more efficiently. Many of the tools and strategies that we have become accustomed to, for example, email, just fall short. In the following blog post, you will discover how your business can use modern collaboration practices, tools, and platforms in the best way possible. The goal is to help you determine which tools and applications are right for your unique needs and business culture.
The Benefits of Cloud Collaboration
Put simply, efficient, accessible collaboration solutions just would not exist without the cloud. Project managers know that getting team members on the same page is critical to the success of any project. This is increasingly difficult because people don’t work in the same office anymore. Remote teams require a cloud-based platform to seamlessly share, collaborate, and communicate with each other. Furthermore, many employees use smartphones and tablets as much as they use desktop or laptop PCs, so effective collaboration solutions need to be accessible from any device, from anywhere.
If you are concerned that your organization isn’t ready for SaaS, don’t be. The worldwide market for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is expected to hit $45.6 billion by 2017 (Gartner Forecast: Public Cloud Services, Worldwide 2011- 2017). While initially SaaS was considered a small business play, today even the largest enterprise organizations are turning to SaaS solutions to transform their businesses.
According to a survey by IBM, businesses cited “reducing total cost of ownership of their software applications” as the top reason for utilizing SaaS. But the study also revealed that nearly half of the companies they surveyed are using SaaS products for reasons other than just cost savings. SaaS tools provide an undeniable advantage for organizations hoping to enhance decision making, increase market agility, and improve collaboration.
In 2017 —cloud-based tools are a necessity, not an option.
Questions to Ask When Deploying A Cloud-Based Collaboration Tool
1. Which business processes could run smoother and more efficiently?
2. Which project teams or departments can use your new SaaS tool to make better, more informed decisions?
3. What types of devices will your team use to access the cloud?
4. What core systems need to connect to your new collaboration tool?