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One of the problems that teams working in different geographical locations face is the lack of direct collaboration on projects. It is usually challenging to manage time differences and schedules while adhering to project deadlines.
The good news is that there are some great software solutions available today which can help solve this problem. However, having the right online tools is one thing, and using them effectively is another.
Below are five tips on how you can use online tools effectively to enhance team collaboration.
1. Use DAM to Enhance Collaboration
The most common complaint from most employees is not accessing a work-related file from a remote location. The main reason behind this is simple; sharing files on various machines has been known to cause numerous errors, such as duplicates or older versions overwriting newer ones.
Fortunately, there are many kinds of digital assets management (DAM) tools available that provide different solutions to this problem depending on the size and needs of your business. These DAM tools allow you to get more out of your existing digital assets by combining them into an automated workflow that enhances teams’ efficiency, collaboration, and productivity.
If your business deals with many video assets in its campaign, it can be a good idea to incorporate a video asset management tool to help manage your digital assets.
2. Leverage on Communication Tools
Poor communication is among the leading obstacles to smooth team collaboration. To overcome this challenge, it would help if you leverage online communication tools such as Slack, Skype, and Zoom.
Such tools help enhance the collaboration of remote team members irrespective of their geographical locations. The best bit is that most of these communication tools are free to use, thus providing small business owners with an effective communication solution at no added cost.
3. Invest in Project Management Tools
Investing in project management tools such as Microsoft Project, Skype for Business, Trello, and Evernote is another way to enhance your team’s collaboration significantly. These tools are designed to improve collaborative working and help teams cut down on time spent on administrative tasks.
Additionally, project management tools allow team members to access and track projects from the same place, meaning that every member has access to the latest version of a project at all times. Better still, project management tools provide avenues for communication where team members can give feedback on updates without the need for back-and-forth communications through other channels.
4. Integrate Your Business Software
Having a system for every business process is great. However, stand-alone systems may not be collaboration-friendly. They require a person to take the report from one system to the other. The good news is there is a solution to the problem.
If you have a stand-alone ERP or CRM tool, integrating the systems using sync data integration apps can be an excellent way of enhancing collaboration. Data integration apps help integrate data from the different apps, allowing team members to see all your business data in one place.
5. Leverage the Power of all of Them
The key to enhancing team collaboration is joining all the dots. Using a combination of all these tools ensures you enjoy the best of each and create a collaborative culture within your team.
Therefore, choose from among the tools the combination that works best for you. Stick to those and have a straightforward workflow that every team member understands, so they know what you expect from them at every stage of the project. That way, you will experience effective team collaboration and radically transform your company.
