Overcoming geographic barriers thanks to collaborative suites

Many businesses rely on the collaboration between multiple teams spread across different locations in order to achieve their goals. However, it is sometimes difficult to work together transparently because of geographical barriers.

To optimize processes and establish true collaboration, it may be a good idea to review working methods. This includes the use of collaborative suites. These centralize features and help teams stay connected and productive regardless of geographic location.

What is a collaborative suite?

A collaborative suite is software designed to help employees work together fluidly and efficiently. It should not be confused with the office suite, which generally combines word processing software, a spreadsheet and a presentation tool.

Specifically designed to facilitate collaboration and communication within a remote or distributed work environment, the collaborative work platform most often integrates many key functionalities:

• Communication tools: Instant messaging, video conferencing software and email management allow each user to be able to communicate effectively and simply with their peers;
• Shared calendars: Essential for monitoring the progress of projects, monitoring deadlines and managing team time;
• Task management: This feature makes it possible to assign tasks, monitor their resolution and meet deadlines;
• Document management: File sharing and cloud storage ensure that you always have essential documents at your fingertips;
• Analysis tools: Various dashboards can be used to track performance indicators and optimize workflow.

These collaboration technologies sometimes include a virtual whiteboard, screen sharing, a collaborative scheduling feature or even the management of access rights to documents. The important thing is to save time and provide users with the means to collaborate effectively, regardless of the distance between them.

What are the challenges of multi-site teams?

As part of business development, design, development or production teams may be spread over different geographical sites. These teams must therefore face unavoidable challenges if they want to provide quality teamwork.

Different time zones

The first difficulty for employees is to be located in different time zones. Seamless collaboration is more difficult when work schedules differ significantly. It is necessary to organize and use asynchronous communication tools.

Linguistic and cultural communication

In addition, collaborating with teams from other countries or even other continents is difficult, as linguistic and cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings. For this reason, communication should be smooth and crystal clear. In particular, video calls can help by providing non-verbal communication.

Remote collaboration

Finally, sharing information in real time and collaborating with various remote collaborators can be complex. It is essential to use collaborative software to stay connected and to be able to maintain team productivity and engagement.

How do collaborative suites overcome geographic barriers?

Fortunately, to face these numerous challenges, it is possible to set up shared tools. A collaborative solution provides essential functionalities for the coherence and effectiveness of teams.

Better accessibility

By using an online collaborative work tool, employees have the possibility to connect to a common workspace at any time, regardless of their geographical location. All it takes is a simple internet connection to connect with the team and simplify collaboration.

Real-time and asynchronous collaboration

Ideal for overcoming the problem of time zones, asynchronous collaboration features allow everyone to work on a shared document. If necessary, a video conference call is relevant to organize a brainstorming session or team meeting on the fly.

Integrated communication tools

It's becoming much easier to coordinate remotely with instant messaging. Information can be shared quickly, which ensures increased productivity and greater team responsiveness.

Document storage and sharing

In addition, collaborative suites ensure business continuity by offering cloud storage and document sharing solutions. You can then optimize the collaboration of employees who have the ability to quickly find the information they are looking for.

Optimized project management

Each project organized remotely between several collaborators can be managed via a collaborative platform. The remote task monitoring and scheduling functionalities ensure the coordination of all the teams concerned.

Best practices for overcoming geographic barriers

As we can see, collaborative suites are ideal for maintaining the performance of remote teams. To go further, you can also implement best practices to ensure the success of your strategy.

The importance of adaptability

Above all, it is necessary to always maintain a high degree of flexibility within the company. With the right resources, the right tools and a strong desire for adaptability, it is possible to transform the challenge represented by geographic barriers into opportunities.

Training in tools

In order to guarantee the success of your strategy, it is strongly recommended to set up training in the new tools. In this way, each collaborator will be able to acquire the practical skills necessary to take full advantage of the collaborative suite.

The selection of the collaborative suite

Of course, choosing a collaborative tool adapted to your needs is one of the conditions for success. The suite must therefore correspond to the size of your team, its communication preferences or even to the specific needs related to business processes.

Integration into the workflow

Once you have selected the right collaborative software, it is necessary to integrate it into existing workflows. For this reason, opt for a collaborative suite that is simple, intuitive and has numerous integrations with third-party applications.

Adapting to a changing world

Collaborative suites are an ideal choice in a fast-paced, increasingly digital world. By offering innovative and effective ways to share documents, communicate or manage projects, collaborative suites will facilitate collaborative work, regardless of the location of employees.