Collaboration in the workplace is a concept that has been constantly changed by the introduction of technology. With the pace of work turning faster and demands from internal and external clients becoming more complex, employees are pressured to deliver high-quality results in the most efficient way possible. The knowledge economy requires that information is shared and made available anytime, anywhere. This is where a single cloud-based collaboration system, such as Office 365, comes in. Good news is, businesses in Australia are not alone in getting this technical system up and running for their teams. One can easily engage an IT Company based in Sydney for a no frills migration onto the cloud.
But before even considering Office 365 or any cloud-based system for that matter, any successful organization’s management should get the “buy-in” of the users, even before Office 365 migration takes place. Luckily, the benefits to employees are straightforward and easy to “sell”.
- Easy access to work files anytime, anywhere. – One of the key benefits of Office 365 migration is having office files readily available even outside the office. From the employee’s side, this means not worrying anymore about a file sitting on his/her “My Documents” folder when he’s about to give a presentation to his client off site. This also means having the flexibility to work outside the office, not necessarily being glued to his seat to access his files from his computer. This convenience, in many organizations, has become the springboard for introducing work-from-home schemes for their employees, saving time and effort for both the staff and business.
- File sharing made easy. – Sending large files as an attachment via email; Saving ten files with different versions; Getting confused about the last person to work on a file; Non-matching calculations and tabulations; All these are classic examples of the complexities of not having a single file sharing platform. With Office 365, file sharing becomes so much easier.
- Back-ups available, always. – If an employee for example, for one reason or another, accidentally deletes a file or a folder, back-ups will always be available in the cloud. This also provides a blanket security for teams, in cases where a team member is unavailable or turns rogue, intentionally altering documents or worse, wiping them out from the system. Having back-ups always prove to be beneficial for employees given the volatility of technology combined with user errors.
- Aligned with familiar office tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. – Since Office 365 works seamlessly with familiar office tools such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, employees will need less time getting familiar with the system. Other cloud-based platforms, such as Google Drive with Docs, Sheets, and Slides (counterparts of the Microsoft Office applications) do not have the same familiar functions. Successful migrations from the user’s standpoint could be as simple as having “no change” at all. This could be achieved by providing the same tools, offering familiarity and ease of use for the employees.
These are only some of the benefits offered to employees by Office 365. The decision to migrate and the investment of time and resources are on the management’s side. Ultimately, effective teams which effectively use top-class office systems deliver more for the business. Therefore, managers should consider these upgrades as a necessary investment not only for their employees, but for their business’ growth.
