Collaboration in the cloud is a practical way to get the most out of your business whether by connecting with a colleague working from home or with a team working in another country.
In this article, we'll explore how collaboration in the cloud saves time, and mention some things you should do or avoid when working in the cloud.
Cloud collaboration saves time
As online businesses become more and more popular around the world, it is becoming more and more popular to connect people in different time zones or locations to work.
Cloud software allows you to collaborate with others on a task at the same time, whether they are sitting in the same room with you, or on another continent.
Cloud software benefits
Let's explore the benefits of working with cloud software, as well as some tips for what to avoid when using cloud software.
Cloud collaboration platforms like G Suite and Office 365 allow you to share, edit, and work with others on the same project at the same time.
Collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in the cloud allows you to add or edit content, and discuss with others as they work on the same document, all at the same time.
For example, imagine a team working on a space-related project with engineers from all over the world. Meeting face-to-face is useful, of course, but it's not always possible.
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That's why the team uses cloud collaboration to work on project documents, which saves them travel time and cost.
Each person can also be given the power to act on the document based on their role, such as restricting their authority to only previewing the document or Grant him full editing and modification permission.
Without the cloud, everyone would have to work on a document individually, and then pass it on to the next person when they're done, causing significant delays.
Or, each team member may create a new version of the document to edit, making it difficult to track changes and keep track of the latest version.
Both options make collaboration slower and less efficient, as problems take longer to resolve. On the other hand, working in the cloud can save time on a business, and therefore money as well, in addition to ensuring that everyone can work on the project.
Project members can access information via their computers, tablets, or even their smartphones whenever they want.
Some things to do or avoid when working in the cloud.
The benefits of cloud collaboration are obvious, but before you start working this way, let's show you some best practices to make sure you get the most out of those platforms.
- You must have a strong internet connection, this is essential in working on the cloud so that you do not have to be interrupted by connection problems.
- Remember that the feature of working offline is not always enabled automatically, so you have to activate it because it ensures that you do not lose your work progress if it is not saved, and it also allows you to keep working if you suddenly lose your connection.
- You should check everyone's permissions on files in the cloud to make sure that the work is smooth when everyone collaborates on it. Some may need the permission to completely edit the files, others may need only the permission to comment, while some are satisfied with the authority to preview the files only. Finally, it's important to agree on a standardized file naming method, so that everyone on the team can easily find files in the cloud.
Now that we've discussed the benefits of cloud collaboration, consider some best practices for working this way, and how the cloud can increase your productivity online.