The Future of Work - Part 3 - Using Digital Collaboration Platforms

One of the most important aspects of present work is the impact it has on collaboration. As we currently stand, collaboration is in person - which, though by no means easy, is an obstacle that workers are used to overcoming.

Digital collaboration is an entirely new playing field–and while it has similar rules, they’re worth taking a closer look at in the context of the next normal.

Digital collaboration heavily depends on internal communications and good management practices in the team portal. These best practices will create a space that enables team members to build a collaborative culture that will serve as a competitive advantage. Here are some features of an internal communications portal to look for when selecting a platform on which to move your team’s digital presence:

• Use a platform that allows real-time collaboration:

Different real-time collaboration tools have their own sets of features to accommodate group interaction. Some involve instant messaging and other real-time communication tools, others involve collaborative real-time editing, where files can be amended or altered jointly in real-time.

• Use an app with one central location:

The ability to access and connect to files, attachments, services, and messages from multiple sources in a central location allows employees to centralize key aspects of their job in a single location. Organizations struggle to grow and manage costs effectively using disparate software applications. This disconnected collection of software applications causes process bottlenecks and training challenges. Using the team portal reduces access and complexity issues for employees.

• Avoid switching applications:

The key to avoiding manual, duplicative work is to ensure that your employees can access the software applications they use to complete core business processes. Work processes enable you to minimize employee time spent on activities that would otherwise be required to follow-up or oversight to ensure the work has been completed. This centralizing of software applications and workflow into the team portal create process efficiency across the organization.

• Use a platform that allows for personalization of content and information:

Employees need to be able to log into an area where they can view, download, and upload private information. The information should be organized, labeled, and searchable to make finding answers simple. Content should be created, prioritized, and refreshed according to what employees are most often looking to find. Furthermore, the ability for employees to create and personalize their accounts is a powerful component. Whenever employees log in they are greeted by name and directed to a personalized home page loaded with curated information and display articles and topics relevant to them. This helps employees feel like valued partners with unique preferences.

• Ensure content security:

Employees allow users to handle administrative tasks on their own without the need for a support ticket or phone call that requires a login to provide secure access to content and systems. With complete visibility into how employees use information, you can continuously improve the quality of your content.

Collaboration is similar to cooperation and requires two or more people to complete a task or achieve a goal through communication and connection. Collaboration is a coordinated, synchronous activity that is the result of a continued attempt to construct and maintain a shared conception of a problem. While these concepts don’t necessarily change when collaboration happens over a digital platform, they can certainly become more challenging. These methods ensure a smooth transition onto a digital platform for continued and optimized workplace productivity in the next normal.