How Technology Can Help Modern Businesses Encourage Collaboration

Collaboration has always been at the heart of a successful business. However, teams can no longer work together effectively when they don’t have access to the right tools.

According to a report from McKinsey, innovative collaboration technology can improve productivity by up to 30%, while 80% of organisations use collaborative software to improve their overall business processes. In fact, an Alfresco survey found that 83% of business professionals now rely on technology to collaborate, with 82% claiming they couldn’t collaborate as effectively without it.

Now that the modern workplace has shifted towards more flexible and remote working practises, businesses are relying on web conferencing, cloud-based workspaces and screen sharing software to encourage continuous collaboration. But how does this technology help teams work closer together?

IMAGE: PEXELS

Stay Connected Everywhere

Due to rapid advancements in technology, the workplace has changed dramatically in recent times.

Workers are no longer limited to a single office building or strict working hours, instead choosing to step away from their desks and release themselves from the restrictions of the 9-to-5. There are currently around 1.5 million remote workers in the UK, and ONS figures suggest that almost 50% of the UK could be working remotely by the end of 2020.

Since 40% of the UK population already prefer to work from home, technology is proving vital towards keeping teams and clients connected. Web conferencing and instant messaging platforms ensure workers are no longer restricted by physical barriers and travel limitations, allowing them to collaborate with each other from almost anywhere on the planet.

Instead of having to waste time travelling long distances, modern technology provides teams with a much more flexible form of communication, helping them spend their time more productively and improving their overall time management. When it’s so simple for remote teams to connect and collaborate, they’re much likelier to work together on a regular basis.

Faster Communication And Results

The immediacy of modern technology means teams can collaborate at the drop of a hat. Rather than worrying about booking out a meeting room or trying to work around everyone’s tight schedules, teams are now constantly connected via instant messaging, conference calls and video chat technology; meaning they can respond to urgent situations and resolve queries without delay. 

Providing a much more efficient, convenient alternative to slow email trails and lengthy phone conversations, recent technological innovations allow teams to push projects forward and achieve much faster results. This improved efficiency ensures employees have instant access to the information and support they need, while also ensuring any remote workers feel fully integrated with the rest of the team.

Increase Employee Engagement

The issue of unproductive meetings has been something of a hot topic lately, after Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos both made the headlines with their innovative meeting techniques. Since 56% of all workplace meetings tend to be unproductive, there’s little wonder as to why so many employees feel completely unengaged with the majority of sessions.

Traditional face-to-face meetings are typically filled with distractions and hampered by delays, lacking clear agendas and inevitably running well past their allotted time. Of course, this can turn meetings into a real chore, which is why 60% of workers attempt to avoid them altogether, continuing to work solo instead of seizing the opportunity to collaborate.

However, the rise of technology is helping to streamline the entire meeting experience, ensuring sessions become much more efficient and productive. Web conferencing systems, for example, ensure teams can get together quickly and eradicate the most common meeting room delays, while the addition of screen sharing software ensures remote workers are all on the same page and meetings become much more focused.

By providing the ability to view, share and edit relevant files, team members will inevitably feel much more engaged with the meeting—and employee engagement has always been essential for effective collaboration.

If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.

IMAGE: PEXELS