It’s no secret that two heads are better than one, and with collaboration software you can put the best minds in your business together. Online collaboration software helps you maximise efficiency with instant communication and a variety of streamlined processes.

So what should you take into consideration when moving across to a contemporary, online solution?

Determine what applications you need

Start by figuring out the needs of your business and then investigate what project management software contains the features to fulfil those needs. If your business operates from a variety of locations in different time zones, you may want a video-calling feature. A customer service team can benefit hugely from instant messaging programs, especially for contacting other departments for specific advice.

Look for features such as:

●          Instant Messaging

●          Online whiteboards

●          Document collaboration & sharing with version control

●          Project management capability

●          Intranets & extranets combined

●          Project workspaces

How secure is the software?

The primary issue with cloud-based programs is security. Meaning that if someone has access to the internet, theoretically they can hack into your system. This can mean serious problems for your business and your reputation. In the last 10 years numerous multinational corporations have had their clouds hacked and sensitive customer information stolen. If you’re dealing with sensitive information, especially bank or credit card details which are highly targeted by criminals, you need to make sure your software is as secure as it can be. Check out Glasscubes security management details here.

Many collaboration programs have the capacity for offline storage, exportation of documents and continual backing up of documents. These features are extremely important if your internet connection ever unexpectedly fails.

Think about employee training

Do you really want to take on a new management and collaboration system if it requires hours of training and consulting fees for optimum implementation?

Glasscubes is designed to be friendly. In fact, it is so friendly that it doesn’t require any training at all. Just think about that for a second. Once your business has moved over to a Glasscubes cloud solution, there’ll be no need for onsite servers, no technical training required, no laborious implementation process. If your business has until now required an IT team, you might wonder if an IT department is even necessary. Not all cloud computing solutions are equal, however, and some require huge input from technical staff for their installation, implementation and ongoing updates.

Nevertheless, whatever new solution you seek to implement in an organisation, it’s essential to have staff buy in. You may be looking to add cutting-edge tools and practices that will dramatically improve efficiency, improve communications, provide additional smart features and generally facilitate a happier, more motivated team. But if your staff can’t envision those results, your solution is handicapped.

So consider who your in-house champions are. Instead of a wide, sweeping change that takes place in a single instant, test new practices on a defined project with a small team of positive, forward-thinkers. Allow the projects and team to grow so that uptake is gradual but effective. Try to do it all at once and, depending on the makeup of your team, you might soon see staff going back to their outdated, cumbersome forms of communication, such as email and Skype. But focus on your champions, and you’ll see the right solution get the in-the-field investment it warrants.

Understand the Pricing

You have to ensure that the benefits of purchasing your software solution outweigh the cost. Make sure the pricing is completely transparent, and be aware of the hidden fees. Take note if any added applications or plug-ins that you may need will cost you extra and find out if a long-term arrangement is required. With Glasscubes, we guarantee complete transparency – that means no hidden costs or additional services required – what you see is what you get. And not only that, but unlike many of the online solutions out there, with Glasscubes there is no binding agreement.

This means that Glasscubes remains as flexible as your team, contracting and expanding according to its requirements, with no year-long contract to stick to should your business needs suddenly change so that our online collaboration solution is no longer required.

For more information on how to streamline and make efficient your business practices, call the friendly Glasscubes team today. 

Glasscubes is a user-friendly collaboration software for teams. Connect everyone that you work with in an online workspace that improves the way you share files, manage projects and communicate with each other.

For more information, contact us by calling +44 (0)20 3274 2310 or email us at enquiries@glasscubes.com

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more industry related news and topics.