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Although teams are encouraged to work collaboratively within many businesses, there seems to be a disconnect between this ideal and the way teams are actually working. Marketing teams, sales teams, operations teams, and product teams may all have the same goals in mind, but they are working in different ways and using different tools and sources of information.
This is more likely to be the case within larger businesses. The more teams, projects, and processes within a business, the harder it can be to ensure that all teams are aligned. Emails can get lost in the system, and communications can be missed. Furthermore, the message may not get to the right person at the right time. Instead of speed being increased, more time can be lost trying to align teams than actually doing the work.
This internal complexity is the area in which the internal platform offers a solution that brings order and simplicity to the chaos. It provides a common digital space for communication, tasks, and information sharing that allows teams to be connected and work better.
Collaboration is one of the key drivers for success of any business, and hence companies are looking for ways through which their teams can collaborate and share information better. Understanding how an internal platform can help achieve this allows companies to overcome barriers and become a connected and better work environment.
The Problem of Siloed Teams and Scattered Tools
Most teams in organizations operate in silos without being aware that they are doing so. This implies that most departments within an organization tend to create their own processes, use their own tools, and create their own data. While this may be acceptable in small organizations, as the organization grows, when teams are required to work with each other, this is a problem.
When teams are in silos, they are not sharing information in a natural way. This implies that the marketing team does not know what the sales team is doing, or the product team does not know what the customers are saying. This results in teams that are technically aligned towards the same goal but are not aligned in reality.
Scattered tools further add to this complexity. Most companies use various tools to manage their communications, tasks, sharing of files, and reporting. This creates a situation where employees are required to constantly toggle between all these tools, look for information, etc.
This does not only cause a hindrance in the pace of productivity, but chances of errors, repetition of work, and decision-making based on incomplete information are also created.
Finally, these issues may affect not only the efficiency but also the dynamics of the teams that are involved. In cases where the lines of communication are not clearly defined and where there is limited access to information, the teams tend to be more reactive than proactive. They tend to spend more time trying to understand and follow up than actually doing something productive.
The first step towards effective team collaborations is addressing the issue of silo teams and tools. Without a more connected and structured way of doing things, it is hard for teams, no matter how talented, to collaborate with each other.
What Internal Platforms Are
An internal platform is a digital technology used for facilitating the way teams work together in an organization. This is different from an external platform, which is used for customers or partners, as it is created for teams or employees, aiming to provide a shared space in which work can be managed in a better way.
An internal platform, in essence, is a means of integrating different aspects of the way things are done in an organization under one umbrella. These aspects could range from communication, task management, information sharing, reporting, as well as access to key business information, among others. In this regard, an employee may not need different tools for different activities, as they may be integrated under a single platform.
What makes this valuable, though, is that an internal platform has the ability to enable teams to be working towards the same process and the same goal. It makes it much simpler to maintain the consistency, the transparency, and the elimination of confusion when you know that all the teams are working in the same environment, and they are all aware of what the other teams are working on.
An internal platform may take different forms, depending on the needs of the business. It may either be developed as a custom solution, tailored specifically to the needs of the business, or built around an existing business application that has been integrated to meet the needs of the business. The objective remains the same: creating a connected digital workspace that enables teams to collaborate with each other.
How Centralized Platforms Improve Communication
The biggest challenge when dealing with other teams is not that communication is lacking, but that communication is not clear. The communication is everywhere, from emails, messages, meetings, and documents. This is not an easy situation to manage. However, with the availability of a central platform, this problem is eliminated since communication is brought together in one place.
If all communication is done within a single platform, it is easier to keep tabs on everything that is going on. Communication is task, project, or workflow-oriented. This implies that people don’t have to look all over the place in order to get clarity on everything that is going on. Everyone who is part of the communication has access to the information.
In addition, there is an improvement in transparency. The teams will be able to see all updates in real time and be informed about all changes. This way, communication is not reactive, as teams will be able to respond accordingly.
Another significant advantage of using a centralized platform is that there is consistency. Instead of each team having their own way of communicating, there is a single way of doing things. This improves how information is shared and how feedback is given.
Automation and Shared Visibility Across Teams
However, as the organization increases in size, it becomes hard to manage all the teams manually. There is also the need to allocate tasks, keep all the teams informed about the changes, and track the progress of the tasks across various departments within the organization. Without the right strategy to manage this effectively, there is always the possibility of delays, omissions, and constant reminders. This is one area where automation plays a significant role.
Internal platforms enable organizations to automate various processes that would otherwise require manual intervention. For example, tasks can be assigned automatically when a new request is made, notifications can be sent when there is a change in the status of the project, and approvals can be progressed through a series of steps without having to remind anyone.
However, with the shared visibility, all teams involved in the project would have access to the same information. This would enable the employees to have access to the status of all tasks at hand, as well as the teams responsible for each task, and even the possible bottlenecks in the processes in real-time. This would facilitate teamwork across all teams.
This would make the workflow more predictable and more efficient with the help of automation and the teams involved would not have to follow the status of the processes anymore. The platform will take care of the routine work, and the teams can concentrate on more important work.
Conclusion
Collaboration across teams is not just a nice-to-have but has become a necessity in terms of how organizations operate and grow as a business. When teams are not connected and are using various tools to operate, even basic processes can become laborious and inefficient. Internal platforms solve all these problems by bringing teams together under one umbrella.
With all information being housed in one location, basic processes being automated, and teams being given visibility, teams are able to work together in a cohesive manner, thus allowing for better business decisions. The teams are not required to waste time on coordination and clarifications but can focus on delivering results.
With our expertise in business application design and implementation, we help businesses design internal platforms that meet their business workflow needs, hence promoting connected, transparent, and productive teamwork across all departments of an organization. Contact us today and find out how we can help your team work collaboratively.
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