Is it time for your company to invest in next-generation collaboration? Most businesses know that effective collaboration is the key to success. The better your teams can work together, sharing ideas, insights, and knowledge, the more your company can thrive.
But as teams and work styles evolve, the way companies facilitate collaboration must also change. Relying on constant video meetings, essential chat tools, and email may work for some organizations. However, many have found that new, more innovative collaboration solutions greatly benefit their teams and bottom lines.
Next-generation collaboration solutions, such as all-in-one flexible communication platforms, extended reality ecosystems, and even AI, could transform your business. Here are some reasons you should consider investing in next-generation collaboration tools.
1. Prepare for the Future of Work
The initial rise of collaboration tools as the new “hub of work” began with the pandemic. Companies needed a way to unify distributed workforces without a traditional office environment. Even as the pandemic subsided, demand for hybrid and remote work remained high, driving the continued need for innovative collaboration platforms.
Although 90% of companies plan to implement return-to-office mandates in 2024, the desire for flexible work will unlikely subside. Some studies show that 77% of employees will consider leaving a company without flexible working policies.
Next-generation collaboration tools are crucial to ensuring companies can prepare for the future of work – whatever form it might take. Advanced video conferencing tools, metaverse office environments, and AI assistants are all valuable resources for connecting and supporting distributed teams. With innovative collaboration tools, companies can ensure they’re ready to support the various worker personas that emerge in the years to come.
2. Unlock Improved Efficiency
Next-generation collaboration tools can come in various forms, from AI-enhanced project management apps to software for creating VR offices. However, one of the simplest examples of a next generation collaboration tool is the flexible workplace platform.
Around the globe, companies rely on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Workspace to align, empower, and support their teams. These tools have grown increasingly advanced in recent years, introducing new communication options, powerful analytics, and even AI. However, they’ve also become more flexible, allowing companies to unify all the tools teams need into a single space.
Since context switching between projects, apps, tabs, and notifications harms employee productivity, investing in a unified, flexible platform can drive incredible business results. Additionally, companies can now use many of these tools to create automated workflows connecting different apps.
These automations save employees time, reduce mistakes and errors, and can even reduce operational costs in the business space.
3. Increase Productivity and Creativity
Flexible next generation collaboration platforms can boost productivity by reducing the time employees spend jumping between tools. However, there are other ways companies can use innovative collaboration solutions to enhance productivity and efficiency.
Generative AI tools, like Microsoft’s Copilot, can turbocharge team performance. These tools can summarize messages, meetings, and chat threads, helping staff stay aligned. They can automate content creation, support employees with basic tasks, and even take over repetitive processes.
AI tools can enhance creativity, helping teams devise new marketing and sales strategies or brainstorm ideas for business growth. Elsewhere, solutions like extended reality can enhance productivity and creativity in other ways.
AR, VR, and MR tools can help teams share data and guidance in immersive ways, leading to better collaborative sessions. Virtual reality environments can even allow teams to build virtual prototypes of products in real time and experiment with new concepts risk-free.
4. Next Generation Collaboration Enhances Inclusion
The rise of flexible working strategies like hybrid and remote work has introduced numerous benefits to businesses. However, there have been some challenges to overcome, too. Keeping team members engaged and creating an inclusive environment can be difficult in a distributed workplace.
Next-generation collaboration tools can help with that. For instance, AI tools in a team collaboration platform can enhance meetings in various ways. They can translate conversations into multiple languages, transcribe important information, and highlight action points from discussions.
Extended reality tools for immersive collaboration even offer an opportunity to ensure all employees can connect with colleagues on a more human level. Employees can use AR, VR, and MR tools within the metaverse to interact with people and content in a shared environment.
Solutions like Microsoft Teams’ Immersive Spaces are beginning to demonstrate how these technologies can enhance company culture and feelings of inclusion.
5. Better Employee Experiences
We’ve already discussed several ways next generation collaboration tools can improve the employee experience. Innovative solutions can eliminate the need for endless app switching, boost productivity, and enhance feelings of inclusion. However, they can drive better experiences in other ways too.
Some of the most powerful collaboration platforms available today make it easier for business leaders to address their teams’ major challenges at work. Microsoft Viva, aligned with Microsoft Teams, makes it easier to track engagement, deliver personalized support to employees, and share coaching and training materials.
Slack AI tools can send automated reminders to employees based on their to-do lists and deliver smart suggestions on which channels and conversations to catch up with. Cutting-edge collaboration tools even include useful dashboards, reports, and analytics that help companies intelligently optimize their teams’ experiences.
Companies can track how teams collaborate, gather insights and feedback automatically, and make more data-driven decisions about the tech stack.
Investing in Next-Generation Collaboration
The concept of next generation collaboration can mean different things for different companies. For some, futuristic collaboration will be all about embracing generative AI and automation. For others, the future of work will lie in the metaverse or in unified communication platforms.
Whatever next generation collaboration means for your company, investing in the right technology is a powerful way to take your business to the next level. The more empowered and engaged your teams are, the more successful your business will be.
from UC Today https://ift.tt/hpXD8KN
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