Collaboration Matters
Workforce creativity is constantly ignited, and companies need to provide the spaces where it can be transformed into actions regardless of the time of the day or place. However, organizations sometimes struggle providing a consistent collaboration environment, and the lack of processes or tools forces people to find their particular way to get things done.
If the objective is to provide your workforce with tools to stay productive, you also need to make sure these are user-friendly, guaranteeing not only adoption across the entire organization but embedding these at the center of core business processes.
As the leader in collaboration technologies and as part of the Webex Cloud Collaboration strategy, Cisco launched Webex Teams, a collaboration hub where your workforce can default to for file sharing, co-authoring, scheduling meetings, calling or chatting with other team members.
How Webex Teams does it
As a cloud-based technology, Webex Teams is part of the Cisco Webex ecosystem, which means it offers your organization not only a consistent experience but also the ability to add new features such as Webex Meetings or even seamlessly connect Webex Devices.
In simple terms, Webex Teams combines a wide range of collaboration features, from file share and co-authoring to Video and chat, this central hub of collaboration provides a seamless experience for your teams to work in projects. Establishing a process of communication and collaboration that is cloud first not cloud only, this way collaboration becomes a streamlined process where employees no longer have to stop and think which channel to use and then move from one tool to another, but it all happens in the same platform with just a few clicks.
As a user of Webex Teams, here are some of the ways it has boosted my productivity:
- I can create different teams for projects or initiatives I'm currently working on. This facilitates cross-functional collaboration not only with my co-workers but also with vendors or partners who are Webex Teams users. We no longer have to meet for the sake of meeting to discuss x or y, these discussions take place at any given time in our chat window, which makes actual meetings much more efficient.
- It's designed to enhance our company's culture. Our marketing team is creative by nature, so having tools like emojis or GIFs when messaging each other takes out a layer of formality that's not proper to our team's culture making communication much more natural and personal.
- File sharing and co-authoring, this is key in moving projects forward. Those long meetings to all work in the same presentation or file together are over. Now, we can share the files that are needed, and each team member can complete their tasks providing visibility into their work without the need to meet in person. They can genuinely have a life-work balance without compromising their productivity.
- Call, Video, and share screen. This feature I love! In the past, I would've received an email from someone on my team, sharing a file, and asking for feedback. I will have to either look for that person in our office, or give them a phone call (dialing a phone number), or send them a link to a virtual meeting room; open up the email, download the file, make the changes, re-send the new file, etc. Making a simple decision, such as providing feedback, will take me a good hour or even more. Now, my co-worker shares the file on teams; I'm able to see it in the platform with no need of downloading anything, call him straight from Webex Teams, and share my screen so he can see the changes I suggest. It will take half the time I used to spend on feedback, which is huge when we are moving projects with tied deadlines.
Additionally when using Webex Devices such as the Webex Room Kit, kicking off a meeting is just a matter of selecting the device I want to connect with, and using proximity technology, my Webex Teams application will send the meeting to start from the Webex Devices providing an excellent experience for all users.
Check out this Video to see the experience it provides.
Webex Calling + Webex Teams Consistent Experience
Webex Teams is part of the Webex environment, so the real power of the tool comes together with Webex Calling, Webex Meetings, and Webex Devices to provide a fully collaborative ecosystem where user experience is consistent. A few weeks ago, Cisco announced its new cloud-based voice solution Webex Calling, which is integrated within Webex Teams and available to you as one solution. So if you are looking to migrate to a VoIP solution and you don't have a collaboration hub, this bundle would be an excellent fit for your business.
