Innovations in cloud technology and project management have developed to allow for people to more effectively pool together their respective talents and get the most out of their work as a team.
With this new business landscape of vastly improved collaboration, sharing platforms and interaction, all kinds of organisations are reaping the benefits. Increased production, cost saving, dynamic workforces; the benefits of online collaboration are rich and varied.
And, interestingly, a consequence of this quiet revolution in group project work is how we are beginning to change our view of an, until recently, central and indispensable staple of contemporary teamwork: email.
The Ascent of Email
With the rise of the internet, email very quickly became an essential for the business community. It allowed for quick, simple and paperless information exchange at low or zero cost; people no longer had to coincide their availability in order to communicate, so saving on the time, effort and money required for face-to-face meetings and calls; and it was far more efficient than post or other outdated methods of communication.
The Ascent of Online Workspaces
Yet the advancement of cloud-based technologies, collaboration platforms and new means of communication within and between teams is helping to shed light on the ways in which email is deficient, and even counter-productive.
Online workspaces are carefully designed to be conducive to efficient, productive communication between individuals and groups, keeping team members abreast of developments, and management of progress. Furthermore, the various features of the best-designed collaboration platforms means that online workspaces are doing to email what email did to fax machines.
Online Workspace Features
- Security. Designed with the understanding that users may typically need to exchange sensitive information and documents, the best online workspaces provide the highest possible security via https/SSL encryption. Data is safely backed up and access to the workspace is permission-based.
- File sharing. Document management tools allow for very large files to be easily exchanged and viewed with the option of comment.
- Discussions. Even between large groups, communications are all-inclusive and easy to follow.
- Version control. Documents can be easily modified and amended in multiple hands without confusion as to which version is being viewed. It is simple to return to a previous document.
Email Limitations
- Security. Email messages are often not safely encrypted and may be easily intercepted. Also, spamming is a common problem and carries the increased risk of viruses.
- File sharing. There are often stringent limitations to attachment sizes, a problem compounded by the fact that file formats and sizes often change when emailed.
- Discussions. Huge email threads are notoriously difficult to follow. Team members may or may not be included in different exchanges throughout a conversation and the resulting confusion is often time-consuming.
- Version control. It is common for a team to end up with multiple versions of a document held in different locations with possibly no single version entirely valid.
With online workspaces designed to be intuitive to use, collaborative and efficient, the virtual office is a clean, spacious and productive place to be.
So while there is still a place for email in today’s world, online workspaces encourage new and dynamic ways to harness resources, they keep workers informed and motivated, and they provide many businesses and teams with a superior way to communicate, collaborate and project manage.
For more information on how your company or team can benefit from online workspaces, visit Glasscubes.