Technology has changed every aspect of the way businesses operate. It has improved the way teams communicate and has made team collaboration possible across time and space. Despite widespread agreement on the importance of workplace collaboration, some organizations have been slow to take steps that would facilitate greater collaboration across their project teams.
Team collaboration software is on the rise. From communication to project management, technology offers an abundance of options. More online collaboration tools spring up every year, while existing ones are constantly improving their features and functionality.
Here’s a list of 5 of the best collaboration tools that can help support your team’s collaboration efforts:
-
Slack
Slack is a popular and well-crafted platform offering instant messaging, file transfers and powerful message search. It has many features and dozens of integrations with other tools like Trello and Intercom.
-
Asana
One of the most well-known project management tools, Asana allows users to assign tasks to other members, add followers to projects and monitor deadlines. It’s very useful as a to-do list or calendar for strategic planning.
-
Google Docs
Google needs no introduction. Google’s collaboration tools include its Docs and Sheets services, which are designed to allow teams to edit files at the same time and save all their changes automatically.
-
Zoom
Zoom is an online video conferencing software that allows users to schedule meetings and share screens. It’s one of the most popular video tools with millions of users.
-
GitHub
GitHub is the most popular software repository on the web. GitHub is one of the top 100 most popular websites in the world and hosts 9 million software projects. GitHub wraps a version control system called a Git where developers can host their projects for free as well as exchange and talk “code” with other developers.
5 Benefits of using technology tools to improve team collaboration
Better Communication
One of the most significant risks to any project team is that team members might miss out on critical information during a project. At the enterprise level, where teams are typically large, complex and geographically distributed, it’s very easy for someone to miss an email or forget to include a remote team member on a meeting invitation. Collaboration tools help team members stay in closer contact throughout a project, reducing the chances that someone could miss out on an important update.
Reduced Downtime
Online collaboration tools eliminate unnecessary delays that can arise when team members have to wait for someone to update, send or move a document before work can continue. Collaboration tools provides a centralized location for all project documentation, allowing team members to see the most up-to-date project plans, requirements documents and other key information in real time.
Increased Engagement
People work harder when they feel good about what they’re doing. Employee engagement—the degree to which employees give extra effort in their work—typically increases after an organization implements an online collaboration solution. Collaboration tools improve workplace morale by bringing people closer together and eliminating factors that can alienate team members, like wasted effort and breakdowns in communication.
Improved Decision-Making
No one can make a good decision based on incomplete information. Unfortunately, project managers and team members are often asked to do exactly that, especially at critical moments when decisions need to be made quickly. Collaboration software allows project managers to base their decisions and recommendations on the most current information, and to gather input from team members who might otherwise have been unable to participate in the discussion.
Higher Quality Deliverables
The ultimate measure of a project team’s performance is the quality of its final deliverables. By facilitating better communication, more efficient work and more informed decisions, collaboration tools can dramatically increase the chances that a project team will achieve its objectives on time and on budget. Higher quality deliverables make for happier customers, more referrals and increased revenue, allowing an organization to see the return on its collaboration investment directly on its bottom line.
Having issues with Technology? Download our E-book on Business Challenges & Techs that Solve Them