Mid-Term
paper: Online collaboration
Bikram
prajapati
MS
530 Management Information System
Professor:
Scott Janke
Oct
10, 2013
Executive
Summary
This
paper presents a brief summary of the analysis, findings and recommendations
from the online Collaboration Work Practice Study on the various company. The
purpose of the study was to gain insights into the human behavior of
collaboration; how it affects employees’ productivity, workplace efficiency,
and business results. I try to explore the different aspect of collaboration.
What is challenges associated with collaboration? There are number of online collaboration
software using by many business company. Most of the company uses Google apps,
Google sites, Microsoft share point, web 2.0, team box Skype, trello and IBM’s
lotus connection and many more other tool to establish the relation with their
employee and consumer. This paper include all the benefit and challenge
associated with implementation of online collaboration in the company. It
include general overview of the online collaboration. I share some challenges
associated with online collaboration and recommendation that can apply to any team
or company looking to achieve results effectively through collaboration.
Introduction:
Online collaboration
Collaboration
means working together to reach a common goal. The number of the people will
work together to achieve common goal and objective. Online collaboration is
when we can utilize software to truly work on word processor
documents, Power Point presentations and even for brainstorming, all
without needing to be in the same room at the same time (Warren,
n.d.) .
Online collaboration include learning together sharing knowledge each other geography
is no longer a barrier. It helps to increase the success of teams as they
engage in collaborative problem solving. With True Online Collaboration, the
manager can makes quick decision with the help of their employee that is far
from the central offices. Online collaboration support blogs, project
management, online meeting, personal profiles, social bookmarks and online
communities. Online collaboration is taking your entire business and making
everything virtually accessible to your employees no matter where they are in
the world (Springer, 2013) . It allows us to
share our knowledge and skills to other which is far from us. In the prospectus
of business, the employee need to move from one place to another and they need
to be contact with the central office. In this case to share their contribution
on another project or to share the knowledge that they occur, online
collaboration tool is best method. Most of the business are using online
collaboration to increase their performance and to save the time. The employee
are allow to work together in the same document that is far from another. There
are number of online collaboration software using by many business company. Most
of the company uses Google apps, Google sites, Microsoft share point and IBM’s lotus
connection to establish the relation with their employee and consumer. Online Collaboration
helps to create new opportunities in business and decreases overhead, it will
increase productivity and provide flexibility on the work. It’s possible to
work on a single project with people from all over the world without ever
meeting or speaking to them. Indeed, the emergence of online collaboration tools
has revolutionized the way individuals and business work together. Best of all,
most online collaboration tools are simple, easy to use and inexpensive.
According to the Fox Business: The power to prosper (Feb 6, 2012) The Four Best
Web Collaboration Tools are:
Basecamp
Basecamp is
an extremely powerful and useful online project collaboration system designed
for entrepreneurs, small businesses, freelancers and business groups. The most
used online project management application in the world, the company claims
over 4 million users have used the program to collaborate all manner of
projects. The application allows you to upload, store, edit and share
documents and files online.
Skype
Online
video conference helping to cut down dramatically on travel costs and expensive
long distance phone calls. Apart from the standard face-to-face video
conference chat, It allows users to show others whatever is on their
screen, which is perfect for presenting slideshows or making visual
presentations.
Trello
Trello is
a simple and free online collaboration tool perfect for individual or smaller
group projects. Trello’s friendly interface allows users to create a project by
adding items and lists, and assigning people to specific tasks. The online tool
then provides real time updates on all actions and progress to members of the
project team.
Sync.in
Sync.in is
online collaboration in its simplest form. This web-based word processor
enables users to view and co-edit the same notes and documents in real time
from anywhere in the world. Numerous users can collectively plan projects,
brainstorm and compose documents, while color coded text allows people to
easily identify who made which edits. Sync.in is incredibly easy to use, the
basic service is free, and it requires no logging in or signing up.
Some of the other online
collaboration tools that is using by most of the company:
Teambox
Teambox
integrates disparate point solutions into a single cohesive platform - the
broadest in the industry - for simple, easy to use, yet robust collaboration. Teambox
integrates with Dropbox, Google Drive and Google Calendar and Box (Williams, 2012) . Teambox enables
group collaboration. Teambox allows you to join online project management with
social collaboration tools. People can communicate to delegate tasks,
collaborate on ideas, edit content and manage projects as a team instead of
constantly replying to different emails from individuals and doing the same
work twice. Toyota, Harvard medical school, HP, US Airways etc. are using
teambox.
Web 2.0
Web
2.0 is the term given to describe a second generation of the World Wide
Web that is focused on the ability for people to collaborate and share information
online (Webopedia,
n.d.) .
Web 2.0 includes open communication with an emphasis on Web-based communities
of users, and more open sharing of information. Blogs, wikis, and services
are all seen as components of Web 2.0.
Reason for selecting
the topic:
Due to the competitor market, the company are expanding
their business and services. Globalization is increasing in every business
sector. The people are moving from one place to another but they all have to
connect in to the central office. While the people move far from office they have
to connect with other employee and they need to share their file and progress
document i.e. online collaboration makes it easier and faster. The reason
behind selecting the topic online collaboration are:
It is interesting topic
as it is related with globalization and development of internet technology.
It defines the way of
exchanging information and working together from any part of the world
connecting through internet
I want to know how
online collaboration helps to company to get competitive and comparative advantage
in the market place. Without having the online collaboration software we are
not able to connect properly and cannot share knowledge and information as we
like to do. So I chose it to know about more on online collaboration.
Business Benefits:
There
are many benefits of collaboration. This form allows all knowledge as well as
resources and the skills of the team members to flourish. When there is collaboration
between team member there is an increase of productivity. By using the online
collaboration business can meet with clients and colleagues without the aspect
of any geographical borders causing a problem. Most corporate businesses are
grasping the ability to have video conferencing using the Internet connection.
It enables to share and discuss their plans, document or projects with one
another and enables to share documents in this live environment. The main
benefits of web conferencing include reduction in costs, more hours beneficial
to work, and more team engagement and interactivity. In a traditional business
people are need to move and must prepare a lot of the paper work to attain the
meeting. But by introducing online collaboration businesses can now save on
travel expenses and time. And it allows user to work more friendly and
effectively as it creates flexibility in the work place. Some of the important
business benefit that company get by using the online collaboration are:
- It helps to collaborate with anyone
globally - anywhere, anytime, on any device. It allows to work on same
document at same time.
- Increase productivity with an
engaging, interactive meeting experience. The information is shared more
effectively and securely. Business can implement for to create flexibility
and to increase their performance.
- It doesn’t need any cost to have
online collaboration after initialization it. People can improve
day-to-day efficiencies and streamline meeting activities by using
technology.
- It allows to have meeting online
from anywhere of the globe. People doesn’t need to move mile a far to
attend a single meeting. It save time and money by reducing the need to
travel.
Milestone in
Development on online collaboration:
Online
collaboration is jointly used as the virtual team work group. When
a group of people need a centralized online space to: plan, share documents,
track work, discuss and otherwise interact with each other we use online
collaboration. In the early day’s business require more planning and schedule
to work and they must follow as predetermine schedule but with introducing the
online collaboration it reduces overhead and planning time. It creates
flexibility in the work place. In early days people use to communicate each
other through meeting and conference. They used telephone and other media to
communicate each other, then they started to use video and audio conferencing
to interact other. But they are not able to communicate effectively with each
other. This application doesn’t allow them to work on same document from
different part of the world so online collaboration is developed. They first emerged when the US
military created ARPANET for collaboration between scientists and
universities. PLATO, developed by students at the University of Illinois,
was probably the first platform to include discussion forums (1973) followed by
the Electronic Information Exchange System (EIES) in 1977
specifically designed to support online group work (Online
Collaboration Tools, n.d.) . Online
collaboration allows to user to work through same document at the same time
from different part of the world. Collaboration is evolve from the beginning of
evolution of the human beings.
In
2001 Wikipedia launched, it crates revolution on collaboration because it
allows many user to edit the document. In 2002- 2003 many bit torrent sites
launched which allow users to share music, videos, games and other forms of
media. In 2005 Skype launched which enables a user to have video conference, it
makes easier to communicate with other. People uses for collaboration and to
work more effectively. Now a days more company are developing online
collaboration tool. Most of the company using the web 2.0 tool and WebEx tool.
They use Microsoft share point and IBM tools to share information. Now Cisco
Company develop a cisco Telepresence system which is latest technology in
online collaboration. It crates virtually the image of the people which is far
from us and they are able to communicate with us and contribute on project. It
is ongoing process and we expect more development on coming year too.
Example of business that
is using online collaboration:
As
we discuss online collaboration is essential for all the company in a present
day whatever the size of the company whether it is big or small. According to Clinked.com,
a UK-based business collaboration start-up, has just published an info graphic
which states that 75% of businesses say online collaboration tools
will be “important” or “somewhat important” to their business during the next
12 months (Brynley-Jones, 2012) . The
organization can use Google apps, Google sites and office share point to to
connect with each other for the purpose of sharing knowledge and information
online. The basic requirement for setting the online collaboration is internet.
Without out internet we can’t run the program and also we need to train how the
true collaboration will occur in the different field. As technology changes the
challenges with online collaboration also increase. Online collaboration must
be secure and the data and conferencing between employees should be safe
always. The true online collaboration always provide the good security feature.
Now a day’s most of the hospital are using the true
online collaboration. They are using the PureWeb® online collaboration tools. In
Nepal Patan Hospital launched SARRC Telemedicine e-Network that allows them to
share view on same disease and doctor from different country are able to analyze
the same disease at same time. Patan Hospital is running Rural Telemedicine
program that allows them to directly connect with patient or another doctor
that is located at another hospital through internet. A doctor treating a
stroke patient at a small rural hospital can collaborate with a radiologist in
another city who is on an iPhone. Using PureWeb® enabled software, the two
physicians can jointly view, analyze and manipulate a high resolution 3D
diagnostic image of the patient’s brain at the same time in a secure, private
session. The rural doctor can highlight areas of the image that require further
interpretation. Using the iPhone’s touch screen, the radiologist can zoom in
and rotate the image to identify the exact location of any blockages (Scientific,
2012) . Such
that online collaboration makes it possible to analyze the condition of
patient. It saves the time of the doctor and treatment will happen fast. If
there is no online collaboration the senior doctor are not able to communicate
with patient and remotely place doctor simultaneously and they will not able to
analyze the present situation of the patient. By using the online collaboration
the doctor can suggest the best recommendation things that patient have to do
and by seeing and checking them they can suggest about the medicine. So it is
most essential in the field of the medical.
Online
collaboration is enabling people across the globe to connect and engage in
meaningful work. Online collaboration should be meaningful and must be directed
to the common goal. By choosing the best online collaboration tool and maintaining
the good culture in the company they will able to achieve the objective. Online
collaboration changes the way of business. Cisco Company brings online
collaboration under the WebEx umbrella, and expanding the capabilities of its
enterprise social networking offering formerly known as Cisco Quad. It enables
workers to collaborate from wherever they are and on whatever device they
choose, and do so in a more dynamic forum than simply email. Cisco over the
past few years has aggressively expanded its online collaboration capabilities,
both through in-house development and via acquisitions. Cisco offer variety of
online conference for their employee and vendor. Cisco also is offering greater
email integration, enabling workers to stay in their email clients, including
Microsoft Outlook, while working in WebEx Social. The mobile experience also is
being enhanced, enabling users of Apples iPhone and iPad to easily transition
between the social software and real-time instant messaging, Web conferencing
and voice calls via their mobile application (Burt, 2012) . It increase the
interaction between the client and company. They are still expanding their
online collaboration through social media. They offer their employee to connect
each other and work through internet. It helps cisco to manage the information
fast and it is more secure that the email and chat. The cisco company focus on
online collaboration for B2B and for B2C purpose. It allows them to share their
experience on the same document from the different part of the country.
Another best example of the company that is using online
collaboration is IBM Company. In IBM, project team members’ uses wikis to store
information and share memos. Most of the employee have created blogs on the
company networks to work online. Web 2.0 are particularly valuable at IBM, where
42 percent of the workforce operate remotely, either from home or client
offices (Laudon & Laudon, 2010) . Most of the
employee were engage in same project from different places. It makes them to
work and share their views on project. IBM using these tools to share
information not within the internal employee also they are using IBM lotus
connection which provides social networking to another company. To obtain the
true online collaboration, IBM focus on the social networking sites. Company believes that it will helps to attract
and retain the employee towards the company. The biggest challenge that IBM
facing with collaboration tool is privacy on the information. IBM conduct rules
of privacy respect, code of the conduct to maintain secure environment.
Such
that most of the expanding small and big company are using the online
collaboration to make a good communication with employee and to create friendly
and trusty environment in the work place. It allows people who aren't in the
same location work together on a project. It is centralized data system it
helps to manage the information of the company. For example if the manager of
the company want to prepare annual report of the company which include information
of all the rest department like sales, marketing, human resources. If the
company is practicing the online collaboration, it makes very easy to collect
the information from respective department manager. And they can work form everywhere
such that it creates flexibility in the work and allows manager to interact,
that helps to create good culture environment in the company. It helps manager
to manage information fast and safely so most of the company are using online
collaboration tools.
Challenges on implementation
of the online collaboration in the business.
As
we discuss the advantage and the scope of online collaboration in the business.
It also creates challenge on implementation in company. As online in order to
coordinate and ensure the goal is achieved a number of factors have to be taken
into consideration. The people are communicate from different part of the world
and due to the difference in the culture and time background in every country
it creates difficulty on communicating each other. In the collaboration, people
have to share many vital information through the online and security is main
concern for them. Without proper security system company will not implement the
system. People will work together but the responsibility is not well define and
there is chance to be no one is control or everyone is on control.
Some of the challenges
the company facing are:
·
The trust is important factor. People
has to believe each other before sharing the information. It is challenging to
set up trust among the people who may never meet in face to face. So we have to
crate friendly and trustful environment among the related people.
·
The other challenges is in communication
process. People from different country have different verbal language and culture
so to adjust the collaboration they should develop same platform for all the
employee. They all need to use same version of online tool.
·
Time management is important factor in
online collaboration. People may work on different project and time management
for collaboration is most important. The time zone is different from different
country. So the employee or company must be flexible to work under different
time zone.
·
If the people is Eco logistic it impacts
on the effectiveness on the performance. It creates challenges in the business.
The employee have to think more broadly and must do work for company.
·
People have to accept modification on
their project and document. They have to work continuously on that. If employee
are not ready to accept comment on their project, online collaboration doesn’t
work effectively.
·
The last but not least challenges is the
size of the company. Depending upon the company they have to choose best
collaboration tool and they have to use and must train all the employee.
·
Security on the data and information is
main concern and it’s a big challenges for the company. The information is very
much important to the company. Before doing they have to accept challenges that
create by collaboration and they need to build secure system.
In
order for a collaboration project to be a success, the challenges should be
address timely. With the development of new technology challenges will come and
company need to updated their system. The necessary information should take to
run it more effectively.
Future trend or
development on online collaboration:
As
the emerging technology day by day the number of consumer using internet are
increasing so fast. And the company are expanding their business around the
globe. They are taking many project that need more human resources and
interaction. As people started to move from one place to another they need to
make good contact with other employee or co-worker to perform the work. They
need to work under same document at the same time to get best result. Effective
communication is required to have competitive advantage. They are launching
different online collaboration software like Google apps, wikis Glide,
Scribbler, Collabtive and many other tool that allows employee to work. In the
article "The Evolution of Computer Supported Cooperative Work—Past,
Present and Future Developments" (Crow, 1997) the
authors discussion between luminary technology pioneers from education and
industry and how development on IT infrastructure impact the business. The
future development of online collaboration is increasing so rapidly. With the
continuous improvement, development and innovation on IT sector, people are
more searching for interactive collaboration tool such that they can interact
and do business more effectively than before. Now most of the company started
to use Web 3.0 for collaboration. As further than online collaboration, Cisco
develop Cisco Telepresence system, Telepresence is an excellent way to foster
collaboration between employee across not just countries but continents. This
technology is accepted now by many big company like P & G Company and Cisco
itself and many big company so by looking on development on collaboration we
can say that company is developing and trying new friendly and more effective
collaboration tool
People
are started to using social media like Facebook, Twitter to maintain good
relationship online. Online collaboration replace the methodology of traditional
business. It allows to connect from anywhere of the globe. In traditional business
we need more physical space for conducting meeting but in online collaboration
we just need to sit on desk and we are able to connect with other through
internet . It save more resources and cost. As it helps to manage the
information more effectively, most of the business company are applying the
online collaboration in their company. As we discuss above most of the hospital
and universities are using online tools and the CISCO Company and IBM Company
are also using these online collaboration tools. Nokia and Frankfurt based
investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort, started wiki and blog to work online. When
they are seeing benefit from that technology they are adopting quickly. So by
seeing the development of online collaboration on few past year, it is
increasing so rapidly. Most of the company are using these tools and the
company which doesn’t yet use online collaboration they will also use the online
collaboration in coming days. Education institution, Business Company, hospital
and many other types of company are using online collaboration. Because recent
advances and the ever-developing tools for online collaboration becoming
available, the future looks bright for our means to collaborate and the
outcomes that may come from it.
Conclusion
Online
collaboration tools has revolutionized the way individuals and business work
together. Most of the company are starting to use consumer web technology such
as blogs and wikis and share PowerPoint and other means of online collaboration
to foster communication and information between. online collaboration allows to
connect through online from any part of the world, it allows multiple user to
work on same document, it helps to build good relationship with client and
vendor, it makes communication easy and faster, It helps to company to save the
resources and time to conduct meeting, by using the true online collaboration
tools it helps to company to share their views and knowledge more effectively
that will help to obtain objective of the company. Online collaboration have
some threat that is security concern, when the information is transfer via
online media, there is high chance of theft and losing of data. Employees
chatting and sharing their jobs could revel sensitivity information so to
provide security on the data company build code of conduct and privacy policy.
Successful
collaboration requires communication, co-operation between all parties as well
as an organized timeline of work. Online collaboration creates flexibility in
the work and helps to make good coordination and relationship with the co-worker,
employee and management team, which is most essential for every organization. Cisco
system and IBM Company are using these system effectively from the past many
years and most of the hospital, institutes and Business Company are using it. Hence
by analyzing the trend of online collaboration we can say that it is beneficial
to all the company whether it is big or small. It helps company for proper
planning and to transfer information more securely and effectively that will
helps to run business process smoothly. By running online collaboration, it
will helps a company to attain their goal and objective
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