In the past collaboration used to be all about bringing people together in shared rooms where they could brainstorm ideas for success. Teamwork involved whiteboards and post-it notes, alongside huge idea-building sessions with large groups of people. In recent years, as companies have begun to consider the benefits of remote work for things like agent productivity and cost savings, the demand for new kinds of collaboration has emerged.
As work became a “thing we do” rather than a place we go to, organisations needed to begin to search for a way to bring people together no matter where they were. The age of remote collaboration was born. In 2020, when the global pandemic hit, many businesses had to adapt to this new technology a lot faster than they had originally expected.
However, now that many groups agree that remote and hybrid working styles will continue to be crucial in the years to come, it will be essential for everyone to discover the new age of collaboration.
The Age of Collaboration Tools
Collaboration tools or collaboration software has emerged as a part of the complete UCaaS environment, assisting employees in communicating and collaborating behind the scenes. These tools come in a range of shapes and styles. There are productivity and project management tools where supervisors can assign tasks to specific employees and measure their progress.
There are document sharing and cloud storage tools that allow business team members to work together on the same project in real-time. These solutions can sometimes come with things like virtual whiteboards where people can share ideas instantly, and annotations for shared cloud documents.
On top of that, many collaboration tools also come with solutions for quick and seamless communication. As more people work remotely, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for them to rely on things like phone calls and emails to stay connected. Instant messaging and group chat is quickly replacing the shared email thread, and video conferencing has transformed the average phone call.
Many leaders in collaboration like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and RingCentral are even introducing ways for people to communicate in shared virtual landscapes and share ideas like never before.
Teamwork in a New World
Teamwork, as we know it is evolving at an incredible pace. Digital businesses are now transitioning away from the old fashioned ways of work, replacing tools like whiteboards and boardrooms with solutions that empower agents to remain productive no matter where they are.
Avaya’s recent study found that around 72% of US businesses are rethinking how they currently work due to the impact of COVID-19, and around 80% are investing in new tools to empower better ways of working together. However, companies will need to be cautious about how they approach this new landscape. Business leaders should ensure that the collaboration tools they implement actually have a positive impact on their teams.
Overwhelming the digital workplace with new apps isn’t the answer. Delivering genuinely positive experiences based on the issues that your employees face everyday is crucial.
