Collaboration Trends that are to rule in 2016

Social media, instant messaging and internet file sharing, have changed the way we share and use information. Internet and World Wide Web has enabled all of us to take part in virtual communities, connect with people in remote and distant areas and find solutions to questions in a blink of an eye. Data sharing tools are a boon for big firms and enterprises that have to deal with large amounts of data on daily basis. Collaborative data approach helps enterprises to share information quickly without facing the problem of data latency. Cloud computing vendors selling cloud based models have made the cloud based sharing and accessing an easier process.

Most business like to take a simple and secure way to share data but by inculcating a cloud based collaboration approach, enterprises can extend data sharing beyond document sharing. Companies should create knowledge sharing communities that can boost morale and productivity of internal employees and can also attract external collaborators. A social business approach is easily accessible by consumers because it encourages customers to modify product development by providing their own expertise. This kind of interactive platform is available on all social media channels.

Enterprise collaborations are usually welcomed by organizations with open hands due to its numerous benefits. Every enterprise wishes to establish good communication between employees and customers and cloud collaboration tools and technology can fulfil this requirement. Many business leaders want to modernize their enterprises through collaboration techniques but they face the problem of poor user adoption, security and governance issues.

In this blog we are going to tell you about few collaborative trends that are likely to rule 2016 and provide solution to hindrances faced by most business leaders, employees and end users.

1. Cloud Collaboration will keep you connected this 2016

Collaboration is no longer an in-person meeting and paper documentation process. Although, paper based documentation practices still exist in enterprises but business leaders are still looking for easier and newer approach.

Most organizations are looking forward to use cloud collaboration approach so that they are able to keep distant employees and external contributors connected. This approach is more information friendly and can easily streamline project work. Things like crowdsourcing and expertise sharing is no more a hard task to accomplish.

2. Organizations will follow Distributed Team Collaboration

In Distributed collaboration, employees work as an integrated team, although they are located at a distance, both in time and space. This new approach will help the employees to work in a coordinated manner towards a common goal. According to market surveys, an additional data point shows the growth of distributed collaboration in recent times which has also led to rapid growth of hybrid teams in enterprises. The surveys convey that no matter what the size of an organization is or what role it plays, most of the workers are part of two to three teams on an average. Almost 77.8 percent workers have reported to work on two to seven projects simultaneously.

3. Investment will flow to Enterprise Collaboration

In 2016, we are expecting business leaders to pay more attention on reporting and monitoring of enterprise collaborations. This reporting and monitoring routine will help organizations to track performance of employees and applications from time to time. Hence, they will be able to make adjustments accordingly and they will be able to make intelligent decisions regarding investment on social collaboration platforms.

4. A rise in Personal Analytics will be witnessed

Enterprises will be looking forward to using new measurement tools this year. These measurement tools will allow individual contributors to manipulate data accordingly. The old fashioned analytical tools only focused on high level reporting and visualization for executives. These new set of tools use detailed drill-down approach to assess personal reach and influence.

5. Enterprises will see a Gamification Boom

Researchers and market surveyors have concluded that more and more companies will adopt gamification tools to indulge employees and external customer communities in 2016. The gamification strategies which are already adopted by Waze, Opower and Khan Academy will encourage greater knowledge sharing and collaboration.

6. File sharing will no longer be a destination point

We are expecting people to access files from inside the applications rather than sharing them due to the new features being added. This approach was already in trend in 2015 and will further accelerate in 2016. Fewer people will use Box, Dropbox and SharePoint applications. Most people will be opting this for key integration point.

7. Mobiles will provide more Natural User Interactions

This year, mobile will become a more integrated part of daily life for most enterprises as well as common users. Till date most of the social management solutions are developed to fulfil the needs of “urgent users”, one who wants management solutions in an instant. These solutions were of no value to the “bored user”.

This year, mobile application solutions are made more naturally interactive. These enterprise mobile applications provide better discovery tools and will give users a reason to go beyond urgent needs.

8. Multi-Media content is likely to dominate the Market

It is expected that multi-media content such as videos, images and screencasts will give be an extravagant and satisfactory added feature to satisfy the end users. As people are becoming more and more obsessed with content these days, enterprises are tilting towards a multimedia approach to satisfy the customers.

9. More Enterprises will consider Software as a Service

Software as a service (SaaS) is capable of providing democratized solutions to IT processes. SaaS helps to make the software more affordable for teams and departments. You need not get a C-level purchasing approval for that. It is expected that in 2016, enterprises will start taking steps for implementing collaboration strategies in their organizations. Specific use cases will be used within teams and will be deployed broadly across the firewall.

10.“OEM-ing” Knowledge Platforms for a Stickier Client Experience

In 2016, most service providers are likely to build revenue channels across and around various knowledge management networks. Main target of any service provider is to scale and transfer knowledge efficiently. In order to deliver customized services, support and train tools to give a satisfactory client experience, consultancies have to value “OEM-ing” of knowledge management platforms. This trend was already very popular in 2015 and it is likely to boom among digital markets and financial service industries this year as well.

11.Collaboration Platforms will rule Market Share in 2016

Earlier enterprises used to focus a lot on learning about management system solutions. Learning these solutions provides a critical repository for administration and delivery of educational tools but they are rigid and complex in nature. These management tools do not provide greater openness and accessibility which is in great contrast with social collaboration. The lack of flexibility and usability in knowledge management platforms is drifting organization to use Collaboration strategies and tools.

12.Pinterest Approach will Prevail

Organizations usually face problems when it comes to engaging more volunteers, employees and donors. Many non-profits have already started following a Pintetest approach in order to engage more and more people and create a crowdsourcing environment. This approach gives a visually appealing platform which is easily searchable. This platform allows various virtual communities to create, share and store knowledge that is most relevant to them.

13.Behavioral Metrics are as Important as Technology

Business leaders face several problems during group meetings such as no advance information regarding the agenda of meeting, stakeholder absenteeism, late arrivals and rehashing of old decisions and agendas. That is why maintaining a good behavior and following a professional approach is as important as employing new technology. It is important that you determine a pre-set agenda before the advent of a meeting. Wrong communication and rash behavior is the root cause of many problems rising within an enterprise. Meetings where old topics and decisions are rehashed over and over again can be a big drain to productivity.

We always emphasize on the importance of good behavioral metrics. There should be healthy interpersonal relationship between employees on every level. Decisions that come out of the meeting should be rightly implemented and need not be repeated over and over again. Make sure that the meeting turns out to be productive and is not time consuming.

In this blog we are going to tell you about few collaborative trends that are likely to rule 2016 and provide solution to hindrances faced by most business leaders, employees and end users.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>1. <!–[endif]–>Cloud Collaboration will keep you connected this 2016

<!–[if !supportLists]–>2. <!–[endif]–>Organizations will follow Distributed Team Collaboration

<!–[if !supportLists]–>3. <!–[endif]–>Investment will flow to Enterprise Collaboration

<!–[if !supportLists]–>4. <!–[endif]–>A rise in Personal Analytics will be witnessed

<!–[if !supportLists]–>5. <!–[endif]–>Enterprises will see a Gamification Boom

<!–[if !supportLists]–>6. <!–[endif]–>File sharing will no longer be a destination point

<!–[if !supportLists]–>7. <!–[endif]–>Mobiles will provide more Natural User Interactions

<!–[if !supportLists]–>8. <!–[endif]–>Multi-Media content is likely to dominate the Market

<!–[if !supportLists]–>9. <!–[endif]–>More Enterprises will consider Software as a Service

<!–[if !supportLists]–>10.<!–[endif]–>“OEM-ing” Knowledge Platforms for a Stickier Client Experience

<!–[if !supportLists]–>11.<!–[endif]–>Collaboration Platforms will rule Market Share in 2016

<!–[if !supportLists]–>12.<!–[endif]–>Pinterest Approach will Prevail

<!–[if !supportLists]–>13.<!–[endif]–>Behavioral Metrics are as Important as Technology