4 Essential Tools for Collaborating at Work

There’s a reason collaboration is the workplace buzzword for companies that want to grow successfully and keep employees engaged. According to the Harvard Business Review, 82% of people partner with others at some point during the day to get their work done. And the demand for better collaboration is on the rise. One study revealed that it’s such a priority among Millennials that 40% would pay out of pocket (!) for social collaboration tools they could use in their jobs. Plus, the Project Management Institute suggests that poor communication and collaboration is at the root of half of all failed projects.

It’s safe to say there is a clear business case for investing in collaborative tools.

So what should your company focus on to actually improve collaboration? Here are four categories, and their respective tools, to consider:

Real-time chat

Workers want insights from their peers—and the flexibility to speak directly with them—whether they’re brainstorming ideas for a creative project or delivering hard feedback. But in today’s global and virtual work environments, with different time zones and multiple locations, we often can’t just walk down to a colleague’s desk for feedback. Teams are dispersed across geographies as well as company boundaries. And the number of remote and virtual workers is on the rise.

As a result, having real-time chat tools that facilitate quick information exchanges and more intimate video discussions is important for both efficiency and building rapport. Options on the market range from chat and video apps like Skype, to hot new enterprise options like Slack.

Asset-level communications

Another important element of communications occurs at the asset-creation level. For example, envision sharing a file with peers or clients for feedback. You need the ability to comment right then and there, whether you’re making suggestions for a new color palette or offering an alternative tagline. Tools like Adobe Creative Cloud make it possible for teams to have in-document discussions about projects and notify participants when new comments appear—all in real-time.

One company, Nature’s Path, offers a powerful case study of why organizations are investing in tools like Creative Cloud. Producing the packaging for the world’s leading independent producer of organic foods is a team effort.  “We work closely with each other and our vendors to develop packaging we’re proud of,” says Jeff Deweerd, creative team lead at Nature’s Path. “We’re always sending files back and forth, which means that standardizing on the latest and greatest design software with Adobe Creative Cloud for teams streamlines workflows.” Collaboration is not only enhanced, it really becomes a core element, which drives success.

Shared Libraries

One component of successful collaboration is identifying essential and non-essential communications. When teams are bogged down in unnecessary or low value-add requests, high productivity levels and meatier discussions can suffer. A shared asset library helps minimize administrative work and repetitive requests for assets.

Creative Cloud lets teams share brand guidelines and the latest version of any creative asset across all users simultaneously. Logo changes, for example, can be burdensome as they impact everything from sales collateral to websites. A cloud-enabled asset library makes the latest file available to everyone at a click – and can even update documents automatically, adding a new dimension to file sharing. This real-time sharing defines collaboration.

Intelligence Sharing

Today’s fastest growing companies are fueled by ideas. But it’s impossible to digest all the books, blogs, videos and media articles that can inspire your team and help keep your thinking current on critical issues. Intelligence sharing tools can be as informal as an office social network, or a dedicated article-sharing tool like Point, which lets users share and discuss content with their colleagues. Promoting and rewarding collaboration, when it comes to intelligence sharing, sets the tone for a culture of innovation within teams. And encouraging teams to share breadth and depth of ideas facilitates the deepest levels of collaboration.

It’s clear that in today’s competitive environment, your company’s success depends on your team’s ability to collaborate. And collaboration starts with your culture and business processes. To assure that you are positioned for maximum success, your team needs the right tools to collaborate at maximum speed. Investing in collaboration-based technologies helps companies iterate faster, build stronger relationships and lay the foundations for long-term competitive success.