Online collaboration refers to the process whereby people working together on a computer work collectively toward a common goal. For example, online collaboration often happens when business teams work via email or websites to achieve a goal or develop an assignment.
Online Collaboration allows you to chat face-to-face, in real time, with remote workers, customers or partners. You can also share applications and files for a true side-by-side experience. And since everyone is working in a familiar desktop environment, collaboration is even easier.
Increase communication
Online collaboration offers organizations a chance to achieve optimal communication among team members during projects. Collaborating online provides more spaces where teams can communicate. Many tools offer virtual chat rooms, video calls and online meetings to keep a project organized and on schedule.
Privacy features are one of the online collaboration tools that will appeal to organizations. Teams inevitably communicate across a wide range of online functions. Certain online tools ensure that only the necessary personnel are capable of joining these channels. Online collaboration tools give access points beyond an office or home. Members of a team can bounce ideas off one another from mobile locations as well. This keeps everyone on a project connected and builds efficiency.
Utilize modern file sharing
File storage functions create opportunities for teams to work together in a streamlined environment. Online collaboration tools provide file storage in a shared database. Constant access to the library of files enables teams to thrive. This type of blanket connection naturally creates efficient projects. Teams can quickly receive ideas from text, images, or videos and work together to take the necessary steps with the data.
Online collaboration creates clear potential for greatness in an organization. Administrators see the power it has on the teams they monitor and are beginning to employ it. Stay ahead of the curve by understanding the benefits of online collaboration.
Management of data storage for online collaboration is optimized with a digital asset management system. Boost the connectivity of a team to produce highly professional projects consistently with online collaboration and create a productive environment for your next project.
Focus on a goal
In many collaboration efforts there is actually a less clear concept of a goal. This is not normally the case in real world collaboration – which starts from the formulation of a goal, moves to the allocation of resources that can be justified in terms of their costs against the value of the goal – and then to the selection of the ideal team.
By contrast in the online version the actual collaborative focus might actually be to simply discuss a concept – to explore it – and not actually to execute anything at all. The effort was not less successful – it just did not lead to something that needed execution.
The effort might evolve from a single post – at Claromentis we have discussed for many years the concept of “shout > collaborate > execute” and have used it to get from a post in our internal social media feeds, through to a collaboration space, and finally into a project management area to produce a more defined outcome.
I feel that in many cases the goal is the outcome of the online collaboration – and not the starting point. This partly stems I think from the fact that the initial contributions from people across the extended organisation are not expensive.
People consume and interact online at times that are convenient to them and on subjects that interest them. Initial ideas extend, morph and become new ones in a very different way from real world projects that require coordinated physical attendance and consequently an agreement to adopt a project role and free up sufficient time to be successful in that role.
Fear of being wrong
There are many theories and best practices for dealing with different personality types that are trying to cooperate together in meetings and real world projects. We consider dominant people and how to ensure they do not drown out input from quieter team members. Certain personality types are hesitant to express views for fear of ridicule.
Many of these concerns are lacking in online collaboration tools – or at least expressed in more subtle ways. This allows us to benefit from a more even contribution according to each persons interest and skills – rather than biased by their personality type and confidence in physical meetings.
The nature of the team
In the real world we would pay close attention to who we get in our team in terms of their skills in order to make sure we stand the best chance of meeting our goals. In a great and well planned team each team member might be expected to be devoted to the idea and committed to each other’s success – and in return they would look to have a well defined role and clear success criteria for their part of the team effort.
Conversely we may find that some team members were allocated to the project against their will or natural interest – simply because their manager or PM allocated them and they were available.
Online we are much more likely to formulate an idea and receive input from anyone who notices and has a view. This basically reflects the lack of barriers – the workforce can utilise the many skills of their employees regardless of where they or the data may reside.
Even the fundamental nature of the way we select a project team is so different – in the physical world we use our understanding of each others skills to build that dream team – online we may be incredibly surprised by the hidden expertise of individuals who may be hardly known to us – and we may find that what appeared to be a specific functional problem has already been solved in a completely different function.
Online people who collaborate together can be wholly unexpected, have perspectives that can fundamentally change the project – and can come and go with much more fluidity.
Types of Online Collaboration
Online collaboration is generally categorized in two categories – synchronous and asynchronous.
1. Synchronous Online Collaboration
When the users work or do their tasks together really at the same time or in real-time, whether they are located at the same location or different locations, then it is known as synchronous online collaboration. They have to use online collaboration software for this purpose. This type of online collaboration allows two or more people to view and edit information or document in real-time, even if they are not located on the same location. For instance people can use a web-based platform to work collaboratively on a problem by sharing whiteboards. These shared whiteboards can also be used in sharing sophisticated communications like publishing applications or sharing collaborative graphic designs etc. The software options like Skype or ezTalks Cloud Meeting etc. used for synchronous collaboration also allow sharing of live videos between two and more participants in an online meeting if their communication systems have cameras to make videos instantly. Some of the chat systems also allow people to write and send messages in real-time to various people at a time. You can assign chat rooms to create chat groups to discuss topics with other participants. Similarly, certain decision support systems also help certain groups in their decision making process by using the tools for analysing ideas and finding possibilities of the alternatives.
2. Asynchronous Online Collaboration
When the users of collaboration software work together on the same project at different times, whether they are located at the same place or at different places, then it is known as asynchronous online collaboration. Email, one of the most commonly used asynchronous collaboration tool, is considered as the ancestor of the online collaboration software applications used these days. But today they have included several new features in the old Email so that it can file or forward messages, attach dozens of files or create mailing groups just in one message. Today it can also sort, process and route the messages automatically. Similar to email newspaper groups and mailing lists are the means of online collaboration between the groups of people, as they cannot communicate face-to-face. Likewise, workflow systems are also good example of asynchronous collaboration as they can route documents and files through organisations or groups on the basis of a fixed process. Group calendars can also be placed in this category of online collaboration as they also allow the management and scheduling of projects, scheduling of deadlines or deliverables and coordinating people.
How Can Online Collaboration Help Businesses?
Virtual collaboration is good for organizations of any size, as long as there is mutual interest in working remotely. Clients as well as colleagues stand to benefit from the tools provided by online collaboration tools.
More and more employers are going digital and enabling partially or completely remote workforces. Online collaboration effectively allows employees to shrink the distances between each other. They can work together on the same projects at the same time, as if they were all in the same room. This means that projects can be done much faster, as there is no need to send documents back and forth between offices.
Conclusion
Online Collaboration is a powerful set of features that greatly improve how team members work together on projects. You can share and edit documents, schedule online meetings and conference calls, and more.