Cloud Collaboration: What Is It and Why You Need It

Every professional services company is the sum total of not just the talented employees that make it up, but of the great work produced through their collaboration. The skills of each resource can come together to create great work and the shortcomings of any individual team member can be made up for through the skills and insights of other employees they work with. Clearly, collaboration is an essential part of success in the world of professional services, but there’s even more that’s possible in collaboration.

What Sets Cloud Collaboration Apart

Cloud collaboration is a form of team collaboration that provides a software platform where team members can work together on documents and projects stored within the cloud. By doing so, everyone has access to critical files and information and can edit them in real time simultaneously.

This form of modern collaboration works in concert with what collaboration has always been about – bringing together a group of people with complementary skills on a project that can only succeed by working together. Now, with the real time capabilities provided by the cloud, team collaboration can move past the limitations of downloaded files and work that limits team capacity. In addition, cloud storage allows this work to be done from anywhere, allowing organizations to embrace modern workplace flexibility and contract work. Plus, this real time collaboration prevents the need for creating multiple versions of the same document, preventing conflicting data and confusion that can compromise a project.

The Professional Services Benefits of Cloud Collaboration

Every professional services business has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, but improving collaboration will always strengthen an organization. Specifically, cloud collaboration supports team connection and work capabilities through several unique benefits, including:

• Streamlined Workflows – ​​Working within a cloud collaboration solution means that resources don’t need to jump into other software solutions or search for files in other databases to complete their work. The result is a streamlined workflow and a faster project that lets team members work at the true speed they’re capable of performing at.
• Improved Communication – Cloud collaboration ensures online communication exists within the context of larger projects and tasks, helping team members comment on work, message each other, and stay updated on everything they’re working on.
• File Accessibility – The easiest way to slow down a project is to prevent your team members from accessing the files they need to do work. Cloud collaboration allows fast but secure file access, letting your resources find what they need at any moment.
• Real-Time Updates – Fast-working teams need to work fast together. By having documents updated in real time, your resources can work together quickly knowing that the projects and files they are working on will always reflect the latest work being done, allowing them to move quickly and efficiently on every task.

When leveraged properly, teams will naturally become more efficient and better supported in their everyday work, leading to stronger outcomes for your company as a whole.

When Is Cloud Collaboration Right For You?

There comes a time when every professional services business must take a look at the way they’re doing things and consider whether or not those working practices are truly the best that they can be. Are your teams truly working together in the best way possible? Are old systems holding back your projects from their full potential? Are legacy software solutions not operating at the speed today’s business demands? Cloud collaboration could be the answer to these issues, unlocking the true potential of your teams today.

Collaborate and Accelerate With Kantata

Collaboration in the context of projects is just one of the many ways that Kantata is empowering professional services businesses through cutting edge technology. Learn more about the Kantata Professional Services Cloud today.