When getting started with cloud collaboration, there’s one question you’ll need to answer before the real work can begin: which tools should your users have access to?
Some cloud collaboration platforms make the choice for you. They include a raft of different tools, but you can’t switch any of them off. This is a major drawback because you’re likely to get stuck with an unwieldy online workspace full of tools your users don’t actually need. Usability and context both suffer.
Workspace administration is important – and Kahootz puts you back in control. Whenever you set up a workspace for any purpose, you choose exactly which collaboration tools are available to users. You can even assign different tools to different teams within the same workspace, ensuring each team has only the functionality they really need.
So how do you create a purposeful collaboration workspace with the exact tools needed by each team member?
Firstly, you need an understanding of the different ways your software can be deployed. If you’ve chosen Kahootz, you’ll find plenty of examples here, including:
- Business file sharing
- Online task and project management
- Consultation software
- Stakeholder management software
- Project report software
Finding out how other organisations have put the cloud collaboration platform to work can also help. Check out the case studies we’ve recently shared on the Kahootz blog, including:
- The Department of Health (collaborates with Arm’s Length Bodies via Kahootz)
- Havant Borough Council (uses Kahootz for emergency planning, census research, a carers’ support network and more)
- Ministry of Justice (manages collaborative procurement and project resources with Kahootz)
Further examples of how different organisations use Kahootz can be found in our free guides, available to download here.
Inform, consult or collaborate?
Once you have a feel for the different tools, you can decide which of them should be available to teams in your online workspace.
You might want to start by drawing up a list of the stakeholders you plan to work with. You can then decide whether you need to inform, consult or collaborate with them – or a combination of all three. Use the diagram below to identify the tools that will help to achieve your aims.
Our guide Transforming Public Sector Stakeholder Engagement uses the example of a local authority that is planning to pedestrianise the high street in its town. Based on the level of interest and influence held by relevant stakeholders, a range of suitable tools for working with them are suggested.
These tools range from public web pages, RSS feeds and quick polls (to inform stakeholders) to shared team diaries, task assignment, document co-authoring and risk registers (for collaborating with key stakeholder groups).
By mapping stakeholders in this way, you can create online workspaces that contain only what is necessary. Choosing cloud collaboration software that allows you to add and remove tools means you can easily refine your workspaces. This keeps them agile, purposeful and intuitive as people work towards a common goal.
