TMCnet News

Successful remote collaboration: tips from those in the know
[April 24, 2014]

Successful remote collaboration: tips from those in the know


(Guardian Web Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The latest developments in communications technology have enabled more and more firms to operate from a variety of locations, including from overseas.

When it's time to brainstorm or plan business strategy, that same technology enables key individuals in those various locations to collaborate effectively without incurring huge costs of long distance travel to meetings and subsequent lost productivity.



Voice and video communications have become increasingly important, thanks to remote working. Voice-over-IP (VOIP) is now frequently used via audio and video conferencing tools such as Skype or Google Hangouts, both of which work on almost any mobile device.

"With Google Hangouts, it is possible to conduct a 15-way video conference with team members across the globe, even those that are on the move," says IT expert Peter Chadha, CEO of Dr Pete and chairman of Steegle.com.


And the increased use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets has also been shaping the world of business collaboration, says Adam Landau, director of DeVono Property, which represents SMEs looking for office space in London.

He said: "We are seeing much less of a requirement on video conferencing facilities. This is due to the advent of tablets, improved cloud networks and more widely available Wi-Fi, so the need for physical meetings in remote locations has lessened." Staff or consultants with tablets, even within the same building, can have these meetings with greater efficiency, while the arrival of 4G has facilitated collaborative connectivity for those on the move.

O2's Pop Up Office provides an effective solution for business people using a range of mobile devices away from the office, and out of range of a Wi-Fi connection, by enabling them to hook up to a 4G network connection and create a mobile hotspot to work from.

"While virtual meetings will never replace face-to-face, we do know this technology will only increase efficiency and allow for more desk time minimising unnecessary travel," added Landau.

Improvements to online file storage and sharing, and the technology that allows access to them, have also lent themselves to more effective collaborative and remote working.

Evernote Business is an app that is almost perfectly designed for collaboration on the move, as Jimmy Cregan, founder of Dorset-based Jimmy's Iced Coffee, has discovered.

He uses Evernote on O2 to manage virtually every aspect of his business, including sharing notebooks with employees and new company information posted by different teams and managers.

He says: "It is ideal for small and fast-growth businesses as it allows everyone in the company, wherever they are, to access important company information, and store their own knowledge about the business." When Chris Niall set up his own business, specialist communications and policy consultancy Hyderus, in 2005, collaboration between remote virtual team members was his only option.

Based in south Wales, the company carries out international fieldwork in multiple markets, including areas of political unrest such as Egypt and Somaliland.

Travel to these areas from Wales is both costly and dangerous, yet on-the-ground research is essential to the success of the business. To get around the problem, he turned to online work platform Elance, through which he connects and collaborates with outsourced workers in locations around the world, creating a virtual global research team.

"The alternative would have been to employ full-time staff in multiple overseas markets, which would have significantly increased our overheads," says Niall.

"A virtual workforce has saved the business money, allowed us to grow faster and keep the UK team supplied with accurate research data that the company would otherwise be unable to function without." It isn't just business strategy and operations that SMEs are handling collaboratively. Key functions such as HR, accounting and CRM can also be managed remotely and collaboratively, when, for example, senior members of staff are away from the main HQ.

"Systems for all of these functions are available and accessible via the cloud through applications such as Vana, Xero and Salesforce," added Peter Chadha. "Having traditionally required in-house servers to support these systems, cloud removes the hardware and software responsibilities for SMEs, leaving only the data itself to be managed." If businesses are to remain competitive and achieve growth in regional, national and international markets, keeping their cost base at a manageable level is key. Investing in new technology and equipment and creating environments where services and knowledge are shared allows businesses to maximise growth opportunities, while keeping their cost base to a minimum.

Tips for successful online business collaboration 1. Ensure you have complete control of your business' web domain name and can transfer it whenever and wherever you want.

2. Audit the devices that will be used and ensure they will integrate with the cloud systems.

3. Audit the data that will need to be transferred and conduct a 'spring clean' before beginning migration.

4. Be clear on the level of risk your business is comfortable with. This will determine how much data and general activity you will want to place in the cloud.

This content has been paid for and produced to a brief agreed with O2 Business, whose brand it displays.

Sign up to become a member of the Guardian Small Business Network here for more advice, insight and best practice direct to your inbox.

(c) 2014 Guardian Newspapers Limited.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]