Since the late 1990s/early 2000s, companies have been using extranet software to collaborate with clients and business partners on projects.
But what are the advantages of extranet use for collaboration? In this blog post, you will discover how an extranet portal can provide the perfect environment for you to implement specific actions and share important information with key stakeholders.
Increased security and privacy
When sharing sensitive information through online channels, it is understandable that you are concerned about how secure your data is. With losses linked to compromised business accounts totalling nearly £1 billion, you can also pay a heavy price for over relying on email to collaborate. Having the ability to control information shared with only authorized users is vital.
Extranet software allows you and your partners to work online in a safe and fully secure environment, away from prying eyes. Not only does it allow shared data to be encrypted to prevent security breaches, it also gives you full control over who can access sensitive information and who can’t with access control.
Utilise the benefits of the cloud
With cloud adoption rate in the UK standing at 84%, it is likely that your project extranet will also be hosted there.
There are good reasons why more and more organisations are choosing this method of working. The flexible nature of the cloud allows you and your fellow users to be able to work anytime, anywhere – all that’s needed is internet access and an internet browser, to stay ahead of the game.
This gives your users the freedom to access and give feedback on documentation at suitable times for them, rather than having to arrange meetings that might not suit everyone’s schedules.
Co-author and comment on documents
We have already discussed the potential security issues of sharing documents via email. Even if you put that aside, when multiple people are working on one document, it is incredibly difficult to track which is the latest one and who made the last changes.
Project extranet software allows you to see the edits that have been made to a document and when they took place without creating a large chain of emails. Most platforms will also be able to provide you with a complete audit of all the changes, which is useful for direct access when multiple people are editing the same document.
Improved communication with stakeholders
When working on a project with different organisations you want to make sure that you all work well together. This is not just for a great impression and the successful completion of the current project, but to ensure that they will choose to work with you again in future.
Good communication forms the basis of this. Because everyone is working together in the same online workspace, communicating with them is made much easier. Not only can you message individuals individually, but you can also create calendars and tasks so they don’t miss important deadlines, streamlining your project management strategy.
Not sure what to look for in an extranet project tool? Download our guide about extranet advantages now to get all of the answers that you require.
