What is groupware or a collaboration tool like Zamadama?
Zamadama is a collaboration tool - but what exactly is it?
There is a grey area when it comes to defining collaboration tools. The simplest definition:
Collaboration tool is generally a collective term for all tools/applications that are shared by two or more people. These tools come in all kinds of variants and for all kinds of purposes. Ultimately, however, it is always about interaction between several people.
Examples of collaboration tools/groupware
- A chat app that several people can use to exchange ideas.
- A video conferencing tool that allows people to talk online.
- A file sharing programme that gives many people access to documents.
- Office programmes with sharing capabilities.
- A package that combines several of these individual tools, such as Zamadama from SpaceNet
These are all collaboration tools - just a few of the growing repertoire of apps and programmes designed to facilitate group work.
Regardless of the type of software or the purpose for which it is used, each makes collaboration easier in some way. Some benefits are common to all collaboration tools.
Full team visibility and accountability
It's essential for a team that every team member sees the big picture and knows how their work fits into it. Collaboration tools make this possible. For example, members of a group can work together on data in a central online repository and track changes together.
Another good example is the ability to view task schedules in a project management app. Everyone has the same level of knowledge and is working towards the same goal.
This visibility also goes hand in hand with accountability. Tasks that have not been completed can be easily assigned and those responsible can be supported if necessary. All team members can see when someone needs support and work together to keep the project on track.
Track progress in real time
Even the best laid plans sometimes go awry. If you structure a group project in a certain way, it doesn't have to be automatic. Business changes quickly - daily and sometimes even hourly. Teams need a way to adapt just as quickly; collaboration tools give you that opportunity.
Modern collaboration tools help to create dynamic workflows and team agility. For example, person A uploads customer feedback on a project to the Slack channel #Project-X, where person B can make changes and upload a new iteration to Dropbox without changing the shared link. Everyone has the new project status in real time.
The ability to (re)act and reallocate resources so quickly is important for teams to work efficiently.
Enable the full participation of the group
Because you are more than the sum of your parts - teams are always successful when everyone contributes their part to the whole. Only when the members of a group can work well together is it possible for them to realise their full potential and provide each other with ideal support. Individual group members who work off-site and do not have access to certain data, for example, can delay the progress of a project or, in the worst case, even jeopardise its success. If stakeholders are not informed of the details, this can have a negative impact on the work of other team members.
Collaborative tools enable full group participation and synergy so that everyone makes a meaningful contribution.
Collaborative tools help teams succeed
A team is only as good as its members and their ability to work together. Collaboration tools help leverage the responsibilities and talents of individuals for the greater success of the team. Any technology that helps teams work better together on larger tasks is a collaboration tool worth using.
Not all tools are suitable for all teams. The simpler and more coherent the tools are and the better they fit together, the easier, safer and more successful the projects are.
With Zamadama, the SpaceNet collaboration tool, this is exactly what we have focussed on:
- harmonised components
- ease of use
- security
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