For the past few months I’ve been embarking on the daily cyber marathon of checking Hotmail, texts, Skype, and WhatsApp in order to communicate with my team. As a freelance writer working remotely, it’s easy to feel left out of the loop. The constant sprint between messaging applications turns communicating with co-workers into a tedious game of hide-and-seek.
Recently my boss has decided to embrace team collaboration software. The switch consolidated our many communication lines into a virtual workplace where I’m now able to communicate with my co-workers as if they were sitting across from me. The various benefits have mitigated the hurdles of working out of the office.
Communication Clarity
Leapfrogging from your email to a text back to email is like playing cyber tag. Never knowing where a message will come from means that you’re constantly having to connect the dots. Having a concrete understanding of my projects as well as their progress has never been more lucid. Direct communication is no longer necessary as I can now comment directly on a project without having to CC all my co-workers.
Time Efficient
The opening of tabs, phone checking, and inundation of notifications is the bane of any employer. Maximising actual work time is an art form as well as a necessity for any sustainable company. The time previously spent zig zagging through the annals of the internet are now minimised by the new all-in-one location of work-related information. Before it was all too easy to give in to enticing articles or non-work-related emails. Now I don’t have to flex my restraint when simply trying to receive an update from a co-worker. This new system has allowed me to stay focused, resulting in work being completed quicker and with more quality.
Working From Home
Freelancing is often thought of as a strictly at-home affair but, depending on your client, one-to-one time may be important for your professional relationship. Yet expeditions to the office can throw a wrench in your work schedule. With a better facility for online communication, however, journeying to the office becomes an antiquated practice. With the many capabilities of our online collaboration tools, anything that needs to be shared or conveyed can be done so online.
The effect of using an all-in-one software is a streamlined form of communication and, as a consequence, a more efficient business.