Journeys of the Next Economy Hero

Working as One: Five Things You Should Know about Collaboration

Nothing fuels success like ensuring that everyone is on the same page

 

"Collaboration is the only business activity that every employee engages in every day," says Laurie McCabe, partner at the SMB Group, a consulting firm in Northborough, Massachusetts. "In an age of information overload, SMBs need better collaboration tools, integrated with daily workflow, to bring order to the chaos."

Here are five things you should know about collaboration:

  1. The need for collaboration is exploding. In just one example, the expanding use of outsourcing has resulted in highly distributed supply networks that require numerous direct and indirect partners to bring products and services to the global market. As a result, global supply networks have become highly complex, with many touch points that range from obtaining raw materials to delivering finished goods. These global supply networks need a high degree of adaptability, responsiveness, and collaborative capability (not just the willingness to collaborate but also the systems facilitation to be able to do so efficiently). Otherwise, the result can be poor service levels and higher inefficiency and costs.
  2. Don't expect anyone to use the word "collaboration." While the need for greater collaboration is increasing in an age of social media, global supply chains, and faster-time-to-market demands, the term "collaboration" might not be uttered at any business meeting. As McCabe puts it, "Collaboration is a nice umbrella term, but hardly any company ever says, 'We have a problem in that our people are not collaborating effectively.' They say, 'The customers are screaming at us, and we're not addressing their complaints fast enough.' "Poor collaboration can be expressed in everything from exceeding budgets to not knowing employees' schedules.
  3. Start with your pain points. Large companies, McCabe notes, have a CIO or other person directly responsible for developing a strategy of how collaboration tools will evolve to make the company stronger. Small- and medium-size companies often have no one looking at this proactively. "Fortunately, lots of solutions don't require you to have technical expertise, and you can deploy them on demand," she says. "The place to start is where you feel the greatest pain point, because that's where you're likely to get the most dramatic results." The benefits can be seen in reduced inventory and materials costs through improved visibility, collaboration, and strategic sourcing with suppliers.
  4. Consider network capacity. Collaboration, CRM and social media are converging at a rapid rate. One factor that's often overlooked but should be considered up front is the business's network bandwidth and capacity, says Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer of CompTIA, an association for the computer technology industry. "Businesses simply can't afford to make assumptions about their network's ability to handle higher volumes of traffic," Thibodeaux says. "Pre- and post-deployment network assessments are absolutely essential in successfully implementing new technology applications and solutions."
  5. Create a culture of collaboration. "At small companies, someone often naturally emerges as the evangelist for collaboration," McCabe says. "The question becomes whether the ultimate decision maker is open-minded, or whether he or she shuts it down on the grounds that 'We've never done it that way.' "