You managed to log in to your Teams meeting at the first attempt, then share your presentation without missing a beat. The one that you and 15 other people had worked on together in the cloud. You marked all your tasks completed for the day. But you still have a nagging feeling that you could have done more – or better.
Have you ever felt like this? If so, the reason might just be that you’re surrounded by so many productivity tools that they actually make you less productive. From cloud collaboration solutions to chat apps, remote work tools have positively taken over people’s screens, especially in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Is it any wonder we sometimes wish we were back in the good old times – and in the office?
What does the science say?
According to a 2021 survey by Deloitte, 75% of UK workers had been introduced to at least two new digital tools since the start of lockdown in May 2020. One-quarter of them said it got overwhelming to juggle all these tools at once. The study also found that while 61% of respondents preferred working remotely, one-third thought they could better collaborate in the office.
So does this mean that as intuitive and innovative these digital – and phygital – channels are, they’re more of an enemy than an ally?
Not in the slightest.
The right software, which fits an organization’s exact needs and its existing technology stack, can make a real difference in collaboration efficiency and team performance. Here are a few things to consider when you’re building a solutions ecosystem that stands the test of time.
Boxed solutions can only take you so far. Most of them will help you tackle the organizational challenges that many businesses face – but not necessarily the ones your teams do. Customizability and process optimization are key here.
Silos must go. No company can be truly successful if it can’t gather and leverage the knowledge generated across the organization. Or keep track of who’s working on what, and allow the people collaborating on the same project communicate efficiently. This requires clear communication channels, which can get easily clogged up as a result of rushed or misguided tool deployment projects.
Integration must take center stage. Information silos aside, many businesses are held back by the fact that each of their units has its own needs, workflows and preferences, not to mention technology stacks. Of course, most of today’s technology tools play well with each other and can receive data to process through APIs. But only if implementation is carried out with the right development and DevOps support. Specific demands require specific tools, and these will hardly be included in an out-of-the-box solution.
How much does all this cost?
If you’re a mid-size business or larger, pricing will be a key consideration. Software licenses are priced on a monthly or yearly basis and according to the number of users. For bigger teams and organizations, this usually amounts to $15 per month per seat. Following thorough assessment, we can help you with software license optimization and potentially save millions of forints annually on subscription fees in the process.
Smart tools start with smart choices
Hybrid work environments run on purpose-built tools that allow colleagues, both in and outside the office, to communicate and collaborate with impact. This means that no one should lose track of projects or miss out on resources just because they work from the comfort of their homes. We at ShiwaForce can guide you through the entire tool selection, deployment and integration process, from assessment to user training.