TABLE OF

CONTENTS_______________________________________________________
_____

COLLABORATION..
2
REASONS
WE
COLLABORATE
3-4
SelfAwareness
.3
Scale
.3
Creative
Abrasion..
3
The
long
view
3-4
Learning
...4
ADVANTAGES
AND
DISADVANTAGES
COLLABORATION4

OF

COLLABORATION
TOOLS
TECHNOLOGIES5-8

AND

Communication
..5-6
Coordination
.6-7
Collaboration
...7-8
COLLABORATIVE
SOFTWARE.
..8-10
BUSINESS
BENEFITS
OF
COLLABORATION....1013
REFERENCES..
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COLLABORATION:
Collaboration is the act of working with another person or group of
people to create or produce something.

REASONS WE COLLABORATE:

1. Self-awareness:
Nothing crystalizes what you bring to the table more
than when you're forced to articulate your competencies
Collaborating challenges you to articulate and distill what you
are great at, and what you do poorly. That honesty about your
strengths and weaknesses can force you to ask for help when
necessary and be brazen about how you can help others.

2. Scale:
The old adage, "two heads are better than one" has been
around for over four centuries for a reason. More effective
problem solving happens when you combine resources in
talent, experience, finances and infrastructure. Sharing and
leveraging those resources means that your reach to new
markets increases and re-energizes the connection you have
with established customers. Ecosystems rule, and as in nature,
our social organizations thrive where there are diverse and
complimentary systems that enhance the lives other firms.
Understand that your firm is part of a greater whole, and that
there is power in that.
3. Creative Abrasion:
This term was coined by Jerry Hirsch when he was an
executive designer at Nissan. "Abrasion" is a process of
wearing down through friction. We typically associate friction
with something negative, but friction in its purest form, is
energy. So why not convert that energy that comes from
working with people who are different from you, into something
positive? Leverage the differences and work to identify what
can be complementary about them.
4. The long view:
Sometimes things don't work out well when you
collaborate with others, no matter how hard you try, how
patient you are, and how well you listen. But does that
necessarily mean you never attempt again to work with that
organization? Take the long view about perceived failures, as
Dave Gloss from the creative agency Here's My Chance
reminded a group: While an initial project may not do well, the
partnership may still be salvageable.

5. Learning:
Collaborating propels your firm to become a learning
organization, a popular phrase right now that refers to
organizations which have cultures of ongoing learning, and
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structures that support that learning through safety nets for

failure, and opportunities for growth in all aspects of
employees' lives. Each time your firm collaborates with others
you optimize the capacity of your associates to extend beyond
their comfort zone, grow, and in turn, stretch the boundaries of
the organization.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF COLLABORATION:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Better division of labor

Conflicts in working styles

Greater Creative Input

Too many faux leaders

Combination of different
perspectives

The Incidence of Group Think

Synergies

Possible Ambiguity in Roles

and Responsibility

Workplace Collaboration
Brings Balance to Decision
Making

The Cost of Collaboration Can

Become High

Collaboration May Improve

Delivery Times

Collaboration Often Leads to

Longer Decision Times

COLLABORATION TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGIES:

A collaboration tool helps people to collaborate. The purpose of a
collaboration tool is to support a group of two or more individuals to
accomplish a common goal or objective they have set themselves.
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Main types of collaboration tools and technologies:

According to "The Kiel Approach to Collaborative Systems" there are
three viewpoints of collaboration - communication, coordination and
collaboration. These categories are often used to structure the
variety of collaboration tools available.

Communication:
Communication collaboration tools allow us to exchange information
between individuals.

E-mail

The invention of email as a

collaboration tool changed the
way we used to communicate in
the workplace. It is the easiest
method to make contact within
an organization and is well
established. Especially for
organizing daily correspondence,
email can reach various people
with just one click.

Voicemail

Voicemail as a collaboration tool

is more and more integrated in
services such as Google Voice. As
pointed out in an IBM future
scenario the role of voicemail
could be that of what email is for
us today.

Instant Messaging (IM)

Through instant messaging as a

collaboration tool we are able to

reach people within an

organization in real-time. In the
future instant messaging is not
stand-alone software anymore,
but very well integrated in bigger
solutions such as Unified
Communication.

VoIP / Video Call

Voice over IP as a collaboration

tool has quickly gained
popularity among companies and
is part of their communication
portfolio. As a report from Eclipse
Telecom is pointing out, the VoIP
is moving towards the state to
totally replace our telephones in
our offices and also integrate in
existing collaboration service
environments.

Coordination:
Coordination is defined as "the deliberate and orderly alignment or
adjustment of partners actions to achieve jointly determined goals".
Collaboration tools supporting this are the ones who allow you to set
up group activities, schedules and deliverables.

Online Calendars

You will not find an organization

that has no online calendar; they
are part of our professional
behavior at work and fully
integrated in other systems. As a
research paper from University of
Bath explains, online calendars

could in the future be much

closely linked to other data such
as social media and have even a
larger effect.

Time trackers

Time trackers are especially used

to measure the performance of
employees. Its effect on
productivity is discussed as being
controversial.

Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are like emails very

popular within the corporate
environment and as a
collaboration tool essential for
financial analysis or modelling.
Although very popular, several
studies found out that many
spreadsheets contain inaccurate
data and are therefore inefficient.

Collaboration:
Collaboration tools allow groups to have real-time discussions and to
shape an idea or thought together. Trends in terms of collaboration
target on helping to maintain the "main idea" within big
organizations and make connections visible and also the idea of
bringing people who are not working in a company on a regular
basis into the organization and making use of their knowledge.

Video conferencing

In most cases video conferencing

is part of the overall
communication and collaboration
strategy of organizations.

Especially now when all services

are cloud-based and therefore
implementation costs became
more affordable. The long-term
vision for video conferencing lies
in the correct usage of computer
processing power, data storage
or mobile bandwidth speeds to
further decrease the obstacles of
collaboration.

IM teleconferencing

Bringing teams, meetings or

events as close as possible is
what teleconferencing solutions
want to do. Apart from business
environments Teleconferencing is
currently used in a variety of
fields, such as telemedicine,
where they contribute
enormously to the efficiency and
productivity as distance and time
are limited factors.

COLLABORATIVE SOFTWARE:
Collaborative software or groupware is an application-software
designed to help people involved in a common task to achieve their
goals. One of the earliest definitions of collaborative software is
'intentional group processes plus software to support them.
The notable collaborative softwares are as follows:

10,000ft

A web-based tool for design

thinking and collaboration.

Asana

A web and mobile application

designed to improve the way
teams communicate and
collaborate.

Basecamp

Web-based project collaboration

and management.

CollaborateCloud

Cloud-based platform for data

collaboration & workflows.

eXo Platform

The open source enterprise

social platform.

Freedcamp

Free project management and

collaboration tool.

Google Apps

Web-based real-time
collaboration: document,
spreadsheet, presentation
editing and more.

Group-Office groupware and

CRM

An open source web-based

groupware and CRM application.

HighQ Collaborate

Secure document exchange,

enterprise social collaboration,
client extranets and knowledge
portals for organizations.

Huddle.net

Secure web-based content

management and content
collaboration platform for
enterprises and governments.

Hyperoffice

Web-based online collaboration,

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messaging and project

management; for small to
medium-sized firms.

IBM Connections

Provides online social networking

tools for people associated with a
company.

Kolab

Security-focused Open Source

groupware collaboration solution
with web client, caldav and
activesync and its own native
client.

LiquidPlanner

Wiki-like pages, document

sharing, Twitter-like commenting.

Mavenlink

Web-based project collaboration

and management.

Pivotal Tracker

Screen sharing capabilities to

increase collaboration in
meetings.

Podio

Web based collaborative platform

with workspaces, tasks per
community members and app
market.

Samepage

Web-based collaboration
software.

Slack

Cloud-based team collaboration

tool using a chat format with
multiple channels.

Smartsheet

Web-based workflow,
collaboration management.

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TeamWox

Web-based collaboration
software with file storage, email
client, contact book, bagtracking, IP PBX, chat and forum.

Teamwork.com

Cross-platform software,
integrates project management,
issue tracking, groupware.

Trello

Free web-based project

management application.

Wrike

Interactive, web-based tool for

project management and
collaboration.

Xaitporter

Web-based document
collaboration software with
integrated workflow, for
enterprises.

XWiki

A professional wiki that has

powerful extensibility features
such as scripting in pages,
extensions and a highly modular
architecture.

Zoho Projects

Web-based collaboration
software for project
management.

BUSINESS BENEFITS OF COLLABORATION:

Financial:

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The financial benefits of being part of a network can include an

increase in domestic or export sales, submitting a joint tender to win
larger contracts or a reduction in costs by sharing resources.

Human capital:
The benefits to staff can include developing employees' skills and
abilities, safe-guarding jobs, increasing employment and
encouraging staff motivation.

Physical capital:
The benefits of being part of a network can have an impact on the
physical capital of the business by supporting the sharing of
facilities, equipment and raw materials.

Intellectual capital:
The intellectual capital of a business can benefit through
information-sharing, engagement in collaborative research and
development, and design activities. They may avail of other
companies' complementary strengths, capabilities and also share
best practice.

Develop new processes:

Joining a network can support a business to develop new or
innovative products, processes or services. It may help increase
company knowledge of a marketplace to help them identify
potential new customers and allow them to compete more
effectively.

Networking:
No matter your industry or occupation, business is driven by
referrals and connections. A web designer recommends a copywriter
or SEO expert. A plumber suggests a carpenter. A mechanic
recommends a windshield repairman. The collaborative small
business is always on the lookout for opportunities to help fellow
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small businesses out. You can either join a formal referral group or
forge informal alliances with complementary companies. Whatever
method you choose, just remember that whatever you give out,
youll get back in return.

Inspiration and Support:

By seeking out a group of like-minded small businesses, you can
gain a valuable source of motivation, inspiration and support.
Beyond referrals, businesses can share challenges out to their
network in order to brainstorm solutions for all. These types of
communities can also help relieve the isolation felt by many
entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals. Consider joining an
online group, actively participating in online forums, finding a
weekly/monthly local meetup group or spending time in collocated
office space. Youll be amazed at just how inspired you can become
from the energy of others.

Symbiotic Selling:
What if your business had a circle of small businesses that shared
customers and participated in joint marketing opportunities? For
example, a local CPA whose clients are primarily entrepreneurs can
collaborate with other service providers to put on a small biz
bootcamp, where they offer a helpful mix of expertise on financial
planning, tax advising, advertising, web strategy, insurance, public
speaking, etc. to their combined pool of customers. These informal
alliances bring new value to current customers, as well as expand
your visibility into new audiences.

Shared Ownership:
All around us are examples of asset sharing that allow a business to
lower its costs. Think about a gas station/convenience store that
also includes a Subway or Pizza Hut. A shared storefront or office
space is an obvious example, but there are other creative ways that
small businesses can share ownership to lower their costs and risks.

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Economies of Scale:
By banding together during the purchasing or bargaining procedure,
small businesses can achieve greater economies of scale and begin
to enjoy some of the discounts typically reserved for larger
companies. In some states, health cooperatives create pools for
small businesses to obtain discounted rates on health insurance (of
course, health insurance policies will vary by state and are generally
in flux at the moment). Small businesses can also form alliances
with others that have similar purchasing needs to achieve volume
discounting on anything from paper supply to maintenance services
to health club memberships.

Other Business Benefits are:

Reduced costs associated with meetings, information sharing and
process coordination.
Creation of new opportunities particularly with customers and
suppliers.
Faster response when groups of information workers need to
collaborate.
Less likelihood of mistakes when collaboration supports well
defined processes.
Greater transparency and accountability.

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REFERENCES:

http://www.pleasetech.com/documents/Business%20value%20of
%20collaboration-white%20paper.pdf
http://mashable.com/2011/06/23/small-business-collaborationeconomy/#6Dxjoo8TPkqo
https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/benefits-businesscollaboration
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_collaborative_software
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/collaboration-tools-technologies/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaboration_tool
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collaboration/benefit.html
http://www.brighthub.com/office/collaboration/articles/73856.aspx
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantagescollaboration-workplace-20965.html
http://www.definitions.net/definition/collaboration
http://www.inc.com/natalie-nixon/5-reasons-why-collaboration-isessential-in-today-s-business-environment.html
http://collaboration.about.com/od/basics/a/Why-People-NeedCollaboration-Five-Reasons-That-May-Help-Or-Inhibit-Us.htm

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