How to get the most out of collaboration software

Online office conversations can be old-fashioned sometimes. 

There are endless discussions going on about various projects and finding the right information could feel like looking for a needle in a haystack.

How can the right collaboration software help?

These are the few keys areas where the perfect collaboration software has to deliver.

1. Documents and files

The majority of collaboration platforms conveniently ignore document management because it requires a completely different skill set.

Collaborating is often about creating, sharing and managing information, right? 

Just attaching documents to messages will result in another silo where information can get lost or be shared with the wrong people.

Sharing a couple of files is fine, but what happens when there are so many files you can't even keep track of?

Most document management software available in the market are too difficult to use and expensive but you cannot ignore them.

But it's necessary that these software provide a viable means of sharing documents and files.

2. Communication

Communication and messaging apps are proving more popular than email.

We also have cloud file sharing apps like DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive, which offer some relief, but they lack structure and cannot be considered as a good team-based collaboration platform.

All those documents and files buried in multiple folders and message threads will be lost someday, or extremely difficult to find.

The right collaboration tool should have control, security and manage information and communications in a structured way, ticking the compliance box but at the same time letting your teams do what they were hired to do.

3. Security

Files can easily get into the wrong hands if there's a lack of security.

The right platform must have a well-structured and visible security presence. To increase data security, all the documents, files, messages should be encrypted in transit and when stored.

Another aspect to consider here is sharing. Does your app allow you to control who shares what information? If not, how can you ensure users only have access to information required for their role.

It's also important that collaboration events are searchable with every aspect of the collaboration recorded for compliance.

4. Distraction free

What's the first thing you do when you get to work? You most probably start by looking at your emails.

But when you start using emails as your daily task and priority manager, you're asking for mismanagement and chaos.

Today, we are resorting to free apps like folder-based cloud storage, cloud file sharing, communication apps, digital walls, task management etc. All these single purpose apps demand your attention.

But all these help you with just one thing and more often than not, create digital chaos.

To reduce distraction, the right platform should be easy to use, have a satisfying user experience and the ability to be rapidly deployed.

Ideally, collaboration software should deliver in the aforementioned areas.

But that's not just it.

There's more that is required to make sure that we can communicate and share information without losing connectivity.

Find out more in our free eBook:  The Do's and Don'ts of Collaboration Software.

What's your experience of using collaboration software? Let us know in the comments below!