Workplace collaboration improves the bottom line

Workplace collaboration is a common buzzword these days. But are your employees really working together effectively, or are they just lip-synching? Is the open office concept making your teams more productive and collaborative or just distracting them?

It's ironic, because in some ways we're more connected than ever. Supply chains are global, and employees and contractors are no longer chained to their desks — with a smartphone or a laptop, they can work from anywhere. But too often they find themselves buried under an avalanche of email because employers tend not to offer tools that could get them out from under it. Workers also waste time searching for the information they need. The more there is, the harder it is to find it.

Getting workplace collaboration right

When workers are able to share their thoughts and insights seamlessly across an organization, the benefits are powerful. At businesses where workplace collaboration works well, products come to market faster and problems are solved more quickly, making organizations more competitive. Projects that get everyone's input from the beginning are less likely to get stalled later, when delays can prove particularly expensive. And bouncing ideas off other people generates a creative spark that can take programs to a whole new level.

A forward-thinking workplace needs to connect employees both to information and to one another, and they need to have that access “anywhere, anytime, and on any device," says Jacob Morgan, the futurist and author of The Future of Work. That means they need a strong collaborative platform.

Today's productivity and content management tools let workers share not just documents, but photos, PDFs, and other files — from any device and any location. They can also add notes and make changes without losing control of the iterations.

Secured collaboration platform

Another critical factor is security. Make sure the platform not only keeps hackers out, but also allows you to restrict access and require internal authentications for sensitive company documents.

Companies that strike a good balance between collaboration and individual achievement are the ones that perform the best. Figuring out the best way to improve collaboration and help employees work together can help develop a sustainable competitive advantage for your business.