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Collaboration tools – 5 questions you should ask

Teamwork is a vital part of any business. Making sure all employees can quickly and easily work together on projects is crucial for keeping your business moving. Given that there is now a growing focus on remote working and mobile usage it is likely that you’ll be looking at using a collaboration tool to help your team work more smoothly.

No doubt you will have encountered a range of options to choose from. Many different collaboration tools are available, with a variety of functions. With this in mind, it is important to ask yourself the following questions when choosing the right tool for you and your team.

1: “How does my team currently work?”

This is the first step. Do your team email each other documents? Do they update a whiteboard schedule in your office? Do they meet every morning to give project updates? And is there a way we could do this more efficiently?

2: “Are my team all in the same room?”

It is likely that your team will not always be in the same place together, at the same time. Given the movement towards remote working, remote access for team work is a  growing need. Voice-over-IP is a great cost-saving way for your team to keep in regular phone contact.

3: “Do my team need to see each other?”

Having face to face contact via video conferencing is also very useful in getting feedback or planning your next steps. People can show their assent with a nod, which often helps involve the quieter team members more in a meeting. This can also be very useful when it comes to knowing what a client thinks. Body language speaks volumes!

4: “What do I need to take from this meeting?”

Having the option to record what happens during a meeting can go beyond simply taking minutes. Recording ideas, virtual whiteboards and interactive task lists are all functions that can improve your meetings. It also allows those who have missed a meeting to catch up quickly.

5: “Will the features meet my all of my team’s and clients’ needs?”

The most important question: overall, will this offer the best solution for your team and clients too? You shouldn’t have to settle for collaboration tools which only allow you to address some of these issues.

What other things should SMEs look out for when it comes to teamworking tools? Please leave a comment below.

 

 

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