“Internal Collaboration Tools” is a web-based tool that offers users the ability to present and publish information about an organization’s business processes. It enables online publishing of business process diagrams and flowcharts, and will be further developed over time. The goal is to help users develop and deliver their own business process training and education and share and exchange best practices.
“Internal Collaboration Tools” is a web-based tool that offers users the ability to present and publish information about an organization’s business processes. It enables online publishing of business process diagrams and flowcharts, and will be further developed over time. The goal is to help users develop and deliver their own business process training and education and share and exchange best practices.
Internal communication tools to consider
Slack
Because of its versatility as an instant messaging tool, Slack is our space for moment-to-moment communication. It’s one of the most flexible tools in the market, and team members can easily adapt it to their individual needs and roles. Slack conversations act like “rooms” for day-to-day conversations, from personal check-ins to requests for advice when a team member needs a quick sounding board.
It’s also an easy way to facilitate huddles, stand-up meetings, or monthly updates across distributed teams. Because Help Scout’s team works remotely across time zones, everyone posts these kinds of updates at all times during the day. When people start work in their time zone, they can check in on Slack and make sure they’re up on relevant updates.
Likewise, when team members log off for the day (particularly on a 24-hour support team), they can let each other know with a quick sign off. By formally passing the baton on outstanding issues, Slack helps with continuity and personal relationships. Sign-off chats are an opportunity for “What are you up to tonight? See you tomorrow!” — the way you would say goodbye in an on-site office.
Beyond its function as the shared meeting place for our day-to-day chats and weekly updates, Slack is a “hackable” tool that can create personal structure and accountability, too. You can remind yourself to take mindful breaks, set do not disturb (DND) hours for deep work, or create notes and to-do lists for yourself that set the agenda for your day.
Basecamp
Basecamp is the tried-and-true project management tool for a lot of teams. It’s not the newest or the most radical, but it’s an all-star, especially when you want to manage ongoing projects.
Our customer support team, for example, shares all their updates as a team in Basecamp. From product releases to upcoming days off, as well as daily roundups that dig into any bugs and fixes, this is where they post essential information that goes above the noise of Slack.
When you’re dealing with cross-team collaboration, Basecamp is also a go-to for companies with good internal communication. With built-in scheduling, docs storage, chat, to-do lists and an intuitive search option, this all-in-one tool can centralize project management that would otherwise be scattered across different teams or slip off course.
Dropbox
When you think about Dropbox, you probably imagine it as a secure storage space for sharing digital files. This tool certainly works that way, but it also helps ensure that teams can work collaboratively with the least amount of fuss.
There are endless ways to turn Dropbox Paper (simple blank pages) into living records that evolve as a project advances. You can use Paper docs for weekly updates or to track work-in-progress (WIP) for new creative projects.
Help Scout designers, for example, follow an intuitive formula: a header that looks like “🤓WIP: Project Name,” plus a daily entry every time a designer wants to share an update. Under the day’s heading, they can drop in screenshots, annotations, and a video walkthrough, all of which prompts comments from the team.
All of the important stuff for creative teams — images, feedback, notes from meetings — can live in Dropbox’s storage place. That’s also the case for a wider company too. It’s a great spot to save internal guides, instructions, and a handbook for employees in organized folders, too.
Asana
Another project management tool, Asana, helps teams coordinate with the flexibility to choose the view that works best for them. You can use lists, Kanban boards, calendar boards, or timelines to clearly outline steps that add up to concrete goals.
The timeline feature (which is only available to business accounts) enables you to map out dependencies and spot potential issues before they arise. A simple drag capability gives you the flexibility to see how moving one deadline affects the others and adjust accordingly.
Help Scout’s content team is experimenting with Asana, in part because its versatility means that everyone can test out different processes and formats until they pinpoint the best method for them.
Google Docs
We have used a plethora of software solutions to facilitate communications both internally and externally and, while this may sound pedestrian, we find ourselves continually returning to Google Docs like Sheets, Forms and Slides for simple projects or status updates. It’s simple, universal and accessible enough for anyone to use with little to no explanation needed. – Matthew Brown, ThumbStopper®
Invision
A great tool for collaborative design work is Invision. This app allows our clients to add comments directly over the designs we’ve created, making it easier to understand their requests. It also allows our designers to access feedback or changes remotely, which can save a lot of time. – Hannah Trivette, NUVEW Web Solutions
Skype
Skype is a great solution when it comes to collaboration. It allows you to call team members, who may be working remotely, while you’re on the go through their easy-to-use phone app. Being able to communicate through video chat makes working with clients and staff very easy. The screen share option, record button, voice recording feature, along with the ability to add documents and photos, are priceless. – Adrian Falk, Believe Advertising & PR
Workplace By Facebook
Our agency turns to Workplace by Facebook for easy collaboration, both internally and externally. The tool allows for seamless communication featuring chats, video calls, large file uploading capability, app integrations such as Google Drive and more. – Jonathan Durante, Expandify Marketing Inc
Microsoft Teams, Asana, G Suite
We use a variety of tools to support collaboration, especially during these unprecedented times. For internal communications, we use Microsoft Teams; and for project management and work back planning, we utilize Asana. For document collaboration, we typically use Google Suite, and finally, for breakout groups and brainstorms, we use Zoom. – Joey Hodges, Demonstrate
Troop Messenger
Troop Messenger has got all the functionalities that bring the interoffice teams to one single interface for extending great team communication along with managing work conversations. It has been developed to be used by small, medium, large enterprises alongside Government and Defence entities. Troop messenger never allows its users to switch between multiple applications to perform their daily work routines. Rather, it helps them with a whole range of integrations such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Mailtrim, and more.
SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is sold as part of the Microsoft Suite of Office 365 products. If you’re already invested in Microsoft then this can be a good choice, and it’s used by 75% of the Fortune 500. It’s highly customisable with a wide variety of use cases, and aimed at helping teams collaborate. It’s available through the cloud and starts at $5 per user per month.
Benefits of Internal Collaboration Tools
Many teams are large and distributed. It’s important to communicate instantly across time zones and to store that information for use at a later date. Many tools used as smartphone apps, allowing employees to collaborate on the move.
It’s much easier to work on documents and projects at the same time with multi-user access and version control. Teams can communicate with each other instead of relying on email chains and other bits of information scattered across different platforms.
It’s easier to search back on messaging history and everyone has access to messages. Conversations divided into channels on many platforms, helping to organise the workflow.
It’s also more secure to share sensitive documents in an internal collaboration tool rather than sending unsecured emails flying back and forth.
Features of Knowledge Base Software
A knowledge base is a complex information object that needs to be navigated. An internal collaboration tool tends to operate in real-time and facilitate team interactions. A knowledge base is relatively static while an internal collaboration platform is dynamic.
For this kind of static information, you need knowledge base software with Information Architecture.
This means it has features like:
- A homepage
- Custom domain
- Content pages
- Multi-level categories
- Tagging system
- Topic-based authoring
- Interlinking
- Authoring permissions
It’s more like a regular website than a collaboration tool is likely to be, along with pre-defined Information Architecture and categorising capabilities.
Conclusion
Intranet is an internal software system used by an organization to share information, provide learning opportunities, and build relationships between members of the community. Organizations use intranets to boost productivity by sharing information within the company, providing access to industry-specific training, reducing administrative costs by eliminating duplicate records management systems, increasing employee participation in decision making processes, increasing employee satisfaction by empowering employees to take greater control of their careers. Most importantly, intranets are key to fostering teamwork, improving communication among employees and departments, making 24/7 operation possible “( www.wikimages.org )