These are tools that help people in different locations work together on the same file in real time. They are also know as productivity tools.

Collaboration tools can make it easier for employees to access documents and emails while away from the office, and work with the same files in real time (rather than emailing attachments and versions back and forth).

What are the benefits?

Using cloud-based collaboration tools can provide a range of benefits for a business including:

• Easy to add new users - scale up or down depending on requirements
• Does not require IT staff
• Allows access from a location of choice (as long as there is an Internet connection/coverage)
• Often more cost effective than in-house solutions

What do I need to consider?

There is a wide range of cloud-based services and apps that can help you prepare business documentation - from complete suites of tools to single-function apps.

Consider the key requirements for your business, and research the available tools to suit. Collaboration tools range in scale, so choose a solution that reflects your expected usage, but also allows flexibility should your needs change.

Currently there are two market leaders in the the online collaboration tools area - Microsoft Office 365 and Google's G Suite.

Microsoft Office 365

This allows your employees to access the Microsoft Office software like Powerpoint, Word and Excel from any device and any location that has Internet access. Included within the bundle is Outlook email and One Drive storage for documents. You can pay per user, per month or, for a reduced rate pay per user, per year.

Google G Suite

Google's G Suite provides businesses with products like Gmail, Google Drive for storage and a range of applications similar to Microsoft's Word, Excel and PowerPoint etc. You can fully collaborate and share information through the services, and as with Microsoft, you can pay per user per month or annually.

Other comprehensive collaborative tool-boxes include iwork, Apple's work suite that now allows multi-platform access, and Zoho Docs. 

Team chat and task organisation

Online collaboration tools don't stop at document creation. Enable team chat with apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams, and task organisation with Evernote or Trello.

Find out more about project and task management collaboration software in our article 'Cloud-based Project Management Software'.

Want to know more or need some help?

If you have any questions or need advice, you can get in touch with the Digital Journey team at hello@digitaljourney.org.

Digital Journey works with individuals, businesses and organisations of all types across New Zealand. We provide FREE online digital assessments and resources, as well as training, coaching and project management services.

Our vision is to help everyone get the most out of the Internet, online tools and digital technology. Find out more at www.digitaljourney.org.