Evaluating Collaboration Technology
The Data You Need to Help You Make the Best Choice
Innovation propels technological advancement, technological advancement induces digital transformation, digital transformation powers innovation. A virtuous circle that continually shifts the paradigm of events and their outcomes in all human endeavors.
The world is birthing new sectors and industries at an alarming rate. As knowledge now doubles every 12 hours, certain jobs and fields that used to constitute a formidable means of livelihood to people are no longer relevant. Today as in the future, a college degree as a requirement is now replaceable with empowered and adaptive individuals. Decades ago, nations with large deposits of crude oil were almost always believed to possess the transformational factor that could bring about all-round development, today, that belief has been repudiated as innovation in business and state administration demand the right people and tools combined to initiate new processes for improved results, faster growth and better standard of living across the board.
The above Virtuous circle has set the planet on a cutting edge with an inherent capability for untimely self-disruptive results. These is the major characteristics of the knowledge society in which we presently live. And whether you understand it or not, it affects you remarkably in the divide that you are located. To those who have made digital adoption to initiate the needed digital transformation, if done correctly, the results are more than a quantum leap. The opposing side has no tolerance for none players as all entities, not digital transformation–ready will be taken out in no time. This means, today as much as in the future, continuity and growth are for businesses and individuals who leverage technology and the attendant digital transformation.
Although digital transformation is not all about technology, technology, however, remains the pivot. As digital transformation is basically a business initiative, collaboration technology constitutes the drive and the finishing point, and one of the most impactful technologies in this aspect is collaboration technology. As we attempt to lay out appropriate data you would need to help you make the best choice when evaluating collaboration technology for the purpose of buying, this post highlights the following
- Types of collaboration technology
- The 2 dimensions of collaboration technology
- The data you need in order to choose what/ which brand of collaboration technology your business needs.
THE 2 MAJOR DIMENSIONS OF COLLABORATION TECHNOLOGY
Basically, there are 2 main dimensions of collaboration technology, these dimensions specify the operational application of all collaboration tools. The dimensions are, (a) Real-time or synchronous, and (b) asynchronous. It is these 2 dimensions that specify how a collaboration tool or technology can be applied by specifying the number of people that can connect per time, in what place, and at what time.
- SYNCHRONOUS OR REAL-TIME COLLABORATION TECHNOLOGY
All synchronous (or real-time) collaboration software works in real-time, that is, two or more people are simultaneously communicating, interacting, reviewing, and collaborating on the same platform per time. In synchronous collaboration, there are no time logs or delays in responses no matter the locations of the communicators. So, users receive answers, solutions, and tasks as the case may be almost the moment there are relayed.
Prominent synchronous collaboration technology available today includes but not limited to the following, forums, instant messaging, VOIP systems, and digital whiteboard applications.
- SYNCHRONOUS (NON-REAL TIME) COLLABORATION TECHNOLOGY
Just as the name implies, this category of collaborative tools is not meant for instantaneous or on-the-spot results or responses. Asynchronous collaborative programs carry an inherent time log or a measure of delay between the time at which Users relay inputs from different ends of the communication lines.
Asynchronous (or non-real-time) programs include email, document sharing, group calendars, ERP systems, etc.
TYPES OF COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGY
Collaboration programs are mostly classified into 3 main categories, these categories form what has come to be known as the three “Cs”, representing communication technology, conferencing technology, and coordination technology.
Although each of them centers on executing specified group tasks like meetings, conferencing document updating, and calendar sharing, the integration or combination of these 3 presents limitless possibilities in project management.
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
A program that facilitates conversations, group chat, messages, etc., to be carried out between people and parties either from separate office locations of the same business, from remote business locations, or from different parts of the world on the internet is broadly referred to as communication technology. it includes but not limited to the following
- Voice over internet protocol VOIP system
- Team, department, or organization-wide chat forums
- Emails
- Digital Voicemail applications
- Instant messaging applications
CONFERENCING TECHNOLOGY
Conferencing programs enable people and parties to interact and communicate among themselves synchronously on the information superhighway – the internet. It also facilitates the viewing of a Unified screen. With conferencing technology, people can access, edit and even multitask on a Unified Screen all at the same tie.
Examples of conferencing technology include but not limited to the following,
- Document sharing programs
- Shared applications where users can simultaneously access certain apps synchronously checking information
- Video conferencing with shared screen capability
- Shared digital whiteboard where Users can create, edit, and review data simultaneously
COORDINATION TECHNOLOGY
Coordination technology is a piece of versatile collaborative technology designed to facilitate the integration of both teamwork and individual job functions. This technology enables people and parties to connect interpersonally as well as execute tasks and activities.
Examples of coordination technology include but not limited to the following,
- ERP systems
- Employee time trackers or scheduling systems
- Internal employee as well as client’s portals
- E-calendars
- Project management systems, on-premise or SaaS, web or cloud-hosted.
Although collaboration tools are basically classified according to their primary functions, there are some collaboration tools that combine functions and therefore do not fall into one single category, here are such tools;
COLLABORATIVE ACCOUNTING AND BUDGETING PROGRAM
This collaboration technology enables members of a team working remotely to utilize financial planning, accounting, and other budgeting software to generate and send invoices, track expenditures, view outgoing payments deadlines, submit timesheets, approve reimbursement, reports, etc., from the same platform.
DIGITAL WHITEBOARDING
A digital whiteboard is a collaborative tool that eases tasks for remote team members as it enables colleagues to take turns drawing graphics, plot charts, map concepts, and even jots down notes on a shared screen during a conference call. These colleagues can then save or erase those images the moment the next person wants to use the board.
DOCUMENT SYNCHRONIZATION TOOL
When the need to match 2 or more documents arises, document synchronization technology will simplify the complex task as it tracks the paraphernalia of documents by tailoring, doing the additions where necessary, deletion, etc., in a jiffy. It then collapses separate documents into one new sheet based on directory inputs, saving team members from redundantly creating documents.
COLLABORATIVE SCREENSHOTS AND VIDEO SHOTS
This collaboration technology helps people and parties, especially remote team members share pictures and videos of their screens. It works basically by turning screengrabs into condensed links, thereby making both real–time and asynchronous troubleshooting easier. For instance, in a situation where a team member finds it difficult to edit work in the team’s new document management program, a quick solution here would be to send a video showing his process difficulties to another team member, who can then send him a link of their own with a systematic visual tutorial of the way out. No more time-wasting in laborious trial and error.
The Data You Need In Order To Know The Best Collaboration Technology For Your Business
PARTICIPATION RATE AND ACTIVE USERS
This is based on 2 data points, (a) daily logins and (b) hours spent logged in. Successful business collaboration tools inspire activities, which means your monitoring participation rate metrics over time can provide some indication of the value Users derive from using a particular tool. Also monitor who is active and who is not, if those who are supposed to use the tool are not doing so, what are they using? If a large number of employees are using it while management is not, this may show a problem worth investigating.
CUSTOMER RESPONSE TIME
As customer response time remains a fundamental metric in Customer Relations Management by businesses, you want to take this very seriously in trying to assess the effectiveness of the collaboration technology you are considering. Remember an effective collaboration technology should help reduce average customer response times, if they don’t, you want to understand why.
PROJECT COMPLETION TIMES AND TIME TO MARKET
Collaboration technologies are basically systems or solutions designed to complete jobs or tasks at record time or even to do what the human hand cannot do. By measuring the rate of early completion or the percentage of timely competition, you can track how a change in a process induced by collaboration technology is fast-tracking project completion. Again, depending on the type of company, measuring the time to market can show how a collaborative tool is helping the various departments produce needed results
CROSS FUNCTIONAL INTERACTION
Are the respective divisions or groups in a company only talking to themselves or are they reaching out to other divisions company–wide? You want to take this very seriously because one of the main reasons for collaboration technology is to facilitate cross-functional interactions
EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND RETENTION
Better collaboration tools ease workflow, reduce workload, enhance interpersonal support among employees, and induce satisfaction from better performance in the workplace. By looking into surveys conducted before and months after the installation of a collaboration tool, you can have a snapshot of these metrics. On the long run, measuring employee retention is another way to understand how the overall employee satisfaction is doing. Remember, collaboration tools that make employees productive, efficient, and connected can help reduce turnover.
REVENUE GROWTH
Another very important data you need is a change in revenue after-sales and marketing teams have embraced new collaboration technology, especially if such a tool is a major element of external communications and outreach.
TRAVEL COST
A very simple but productive means of measuring the ROI of collaborative technology is to track travel costs over time. Better collaboration tools are designed to reduce traveling costs by providing incentives for employees to collaborate from their respective work locations rather than traveling and accumulating costs.
In conclusion, after you are abreast of the types and dimensions of collaboration technology that can power your business effectively and efficiently, you want to remember that costs of purchase and operation are the 2 major yardsticks smart businesses use in buying collaboration technology. And that the possibility of ease of integration is another overriding factor. As a result of these factors, smart businesses and futuristic entrepreneurs prefer Vezeti. Vezeti is a collaboration technology offering VOIP and UC as integrated. Our clientele consists of the Government and the Nigerian Organized Private Sector (OPS) even as we have a special inclination to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Vezeti is the 1st of such platforms specifically designed to enable businesses to achieve bigger results at a minimal cost. For more information, log on to www.vzeti.net
