How to choose the right online collaboration tool for your public sector organisation
When public sector organisations understand there’s a compelling business case for adopting online collaboration tools, their first step is often to ask a range of software providers searching questions about their products.
As the company behind the online collaboration suite Kahootz, we’re often on the receiving end of these questions. But because we have over a decade’s experience of working with the public sector we don’t recommend our own software unless we’re certain it’s right for the organisation in question.
That said, we’ve drawn on the same experience to shape our collaboration software to the needs of the public sector, so it’s frequently the best match for many of these organisations.
Ultimately, though, the choice is yours. And the best way of making sure you choose the right online collaboration tool is to create a checklist that:
- Lists what you need the software to do now
- Lists what you may need the software to do in the future
- Details what both internal and external stakeholders will require from an online collaboration system
- Examines costs, set-up costs and ongoing fees
- Determines the level of software and training support needed
- Projects how many users you will need now, and how much the numbers are likely to fluctuate
- Takes into account issues such as usability and — crucially — security.
There are other questions that will relate specifically to your own organisation, or to the projects you need the software for. We are of course happy to talk you through any of these queries, helping you to evaluate online collaboration tools in the most effective way.
To get you started, though, we’ve created a short guide specifically for public sector organisations.
Called ‘Choosing the right online collaboration tool for your public sector organisation’, we’ve used our public sector experience to create a checklist of seven key issues you face as you source online collaboration tools.
It’s a five-minute read, but it can help you avoid some potentially expensive mistakes. It’s also free.
Before you download it, there’s one final question you should take into consideration before sourcing online collaboration software: “Who else in the public sector is using this tool?”
By choosing a tool that is used across the sector, you can not only benefit from inter-organisational compatibility, but you also know that the software is up to the kind of real-world challenges you face.
One way you can ensure you choose a tool of this kind is by sourcing it via the G-Cloud Cloudstore. This directory of software gives you reassurance that the tools you choose meet Government standards of security and usability.
You can access the G-Cloud Cloudstore here and download our guide here. And if you would like a free trial of Kahootz online collaboration software, simply sign up here or call us today.
