Workplace collaboration is no longer a buzzword or an emerging trend—it’s a critical element of project success and a vital necessity for every large organization. Collaboration breaks down silos between departments and business units, allowing ideas and information to flow more efficiently throughout the company. Each year, new tools and business processes emerge, allowing project teams to collaborate even more effectively than before. Let’s take a quick look at some of the most prominent workplace collaboration trends you can expect to see in 2016 and beyond.
The Move to the Cloud
Virtually all new workplace collaboration tools are cloud-based, and for good reason. Cloud technology is less expensive than on-premise solutions, it provides better support for mobile devices and it makes it easier for vendors or other outside parties to interact with a company’s core project team. Enterprise-level project teams are using cloud solutions for videoconferencing, screen sharing, instant messaging and editing shared documents, among other common tasks. Look for more and more companies to adopt the cloud-based collaboration model in years to come, especially as they shift other critical tasks like human resources and project management to the cloud as well.
Decentralization
The modern workplace is radically different from the workplace of previous decades. Remote employees and international team members are now the norm rather than the exception, especially at the enterprise level. More than any other cause, the decentralization of the workplace has been made possible by the continued evolution of collaboration tools. In past years, remote or offshore team members were often out of touch with the core team, leading to communication breakdowns and missed deliverables. Today, however, remote employees are able to work as closely with their colleagues as if they were sitting in the same office.
Shared Workspaces
Even when project teams work in the same physical location, their way of working together is changing. Many large organizations have moved away from traditional office-based workspaces and have adopted shared spaces that allow employees to gather together in more informal (and efficient) groupings. These shared spaces are often used in conjunction with videoconferencing technology, so that remote team members are able to interact with the team as a whole throughout the day.
Alternatives to Email
Almost as quickly as it replaced the fax machine and the interoffice memo, email began to fall out of favor with many organizations. While it was certainly an improvement over older forms of communication, email has become notorious for creating unmanageable volumes of messages that can consume vast amounts of time each day. Modern workplace collaboration tools allow project teams to communicate more directly and effectively, while still retaining the ability to share important documents or updates via email when necessary.
Explore Clarizen’s industry-leading project management software to learn more about how collaboration can help improve your project performance and bottom line.
