How to develop digital collaborative work?

What is collaborative work?

It is a way of working that promotes collaboration between several people through use of information technology and communication tools.

What are the benefits of collaborative working?

• Saves time, in a group meeting it is easier for employees to get to the point. It avoids unnecessary meetings.
• Improves communication and collective intelligence.
• Provides better organisation, this method allows better coordination between stakeholders.
• Allows for greater transparency, as the progress of the project is known by all the employees involved.

How to set up a collaborative project?

• Choosing the right tools for your business needs.

It is wise to focus on document sharing. Documents stored on the company’s cloud offer the advantage of being remotely viewable and editable.

• To consider the human factor.

For collaborative work to be effective, employees must be motivated!

• Train employees.

It is important that the teams master the various tools available, as this will lead to a better experience.

• Determine the degree of openness.

The right tools should be chosen according to the audience you want to reach. If it is an employee-only project, the use of an intranet is recommended. The size of the working group will have an impact on the choice of tools to use.

• Collaborate throughout the project.

Stakeholders must establish a mutual analysis; information must be shared freely between teams.

• Establishment of a caring climate.

Since the health crisis, teleworking has been more developed. This has increased the need for collaborative tools and digital solutions have become indispensable within companies. Digital solutions have therefore become essential since 2020.

With the current situation, the digital transformation has intensified, notably with the creation of the digital Workplace. This connected environment allows employees to access all types of documents wherever they want because there are no fixed limits as there can be within a company. With this digital solution, collaboration between employees is simplified because documents are shared in real time.

What do digital tools bring?

• Increase the creativity of employees.

With these tools, communication, motivation and innovation are encouraged within the teams.

• Allow teams to be flexible.
• Avoid time wasting, especially in project management.

Documents are shared instantly, and all employees have access to them. Documents are better protected; they are hosted in the cloud or the company intranet. This always allows access to all documents and with all types of devices.

What is a collaborative platform?

• Centralizes the various tools, which prevents teams from wasting time and thus increases productivity.
• Allows for better communication and improves interactions between the various employees. Documents can be viewed simultaneously, thus optimising interactions within the various departments of the company.
• Skill sharing is simplified thanks to the multi-collaboration possible due to simultaneous consultation.
• Promotes adaptability and accessibility, employees adapt more easily to changes.
• Significantly reduces the time spent in meetings as they are mainly used as decision making spaces.
• Boosts creativity and innovation.

Despite digital innovations, the quality of working life is still at the top of the list. Digital transformation is therefore an ally for companies.

With this transformation, new working methods are emerging which allow employees to become more efficient and companies to improve internal communication via instant messaging or video conferencing.

Which tools should be used to optimise digital collaborative work?

It is important to use tools that allow collaboration in person but also remotely (videoconferencing, etc.).

These tools can be physical, but also digital, such as monitoring software to manage the company. SESAHUB is a support software that allows employees to have access to the various useful indicators during meetings at any time.

It makes sense to have different digital tools that use the same KPI monitoring software.

The digital meeting room allows presentations to be made to a large audience but also to interact with the presentation in real time. Any device can be connected, and all obstacles have been removed (cables…), allowing several people to connect simultaneously. This tool also allows access to the different indicators as the SESA HUB software is integrated. It can also be used for presentations, interactive demonstrations, etc.

To integrate the various digital tools as well as possible, it is important to communicate and train employees. This requires commitment, particularly from managers who will have to change their management methods. To optimise work, it is important to train employees in the various tools.