Collaboration is the Art of Working Together

Collaboration is the art of working together. The key to strong collaboration is utilizing the set of technologies-instant messaging, whiteboards, online meetings, email, etc.-that allow work to take place wherever and whenever needed. It's good business; groups can accomplish more than individuals. Collaboration allows individuals with complementary, or overlapping, areas of expertise to create better results faster than before.

With today's collaborative tools, business units and teams can work together anytime-whether in adjoining offices or a world apart. The technology can now address operational objectives like saving time, streamlining processes, cutting costs, and improving time to market. With the many different types of collaborative tools available, companies must be sure they select the correct tool for their business need.

Functionality can be broadly grouped into (1) communication channel facilitation, which enables short-lived interaction such as chat, instant messaging, white boarding, etc.; (2) content lifecycle management, which manages content objects involved in a business process; and (3) project facilitation, which organizes and simplifies the way that people work toward a common goal. However, there is a catch with collaboration. When using collaborative tools, you must be aware of records management, knowledge capture, and compliance requirements. For some industries, all customer communications must be kept. And, for a collaborative product design process, companies must be sure that the results are kept as business records.