Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Collaboration

Cross-team collaboration in the workplace is a critical aspect when it comes to performance and productivity on any project. It not only inspires innovative approaches to a project but also leads to quick decision making. With the growth of video conferencing systems and software,employees can now collaborate from anywhere at any time using minimal resources.

The use of such video conference software as ezTalks Cloud Meeting has really revolutionized the way businesses collaborate online. But just like any other office process out there,online collaboration comes with a set of advantages and disadvantages. Determining these pros and cons can help a business to draw an action plan to overcome the challenges and hurdles that may come up along the way.

Advantages of Online Collaboration

1. Convenience in Organizing MeetingsOne of the key advantages of online collaboration is that it makes it easier for people who aren't in the same location to work together. Most companies have branches and/or offices in multiple cities and countries. And to ensure those working on a given project are informed and engaged,the use of online collaboration software is important. For instance,ezTalks Cloud Meeting can allow up to 500 participants to join in a meeting and listen to the presenter at once. With such a huge meeting capacity,company employees can effectively call for a meeting and collaborate with one another,regardless of their geographical differences.2. Easier Management of ProjectsWith the ability to convene a meeting at anytime from anywhere,online collaboration makes it easier to manage team projects. For instance,when introducing or analyzing a new company product,the production team may need to work with other departments like Research & Development (RD),marketing and sales. Online collaboration software provides an ideal platform for all these players to engage in meaningful discussions about the proposed product. That means the person in charge of the product department can generate a report quite seamlessly and submit it to the bosses within the set timelines.3. Faster Completion of ProjectsWhen different stakeholders are involved in a given project,each of them is likely to give the best input in terms of expertise. A collaborative team that recognizes its synergies can have excellent viable solutions shared quickly and decisions reached in time. Once the conclusions have been tabled,presented to the bosses and approved,the next phase will obviously be implementation. Online collaboration can particularly fuel faster completion of projects since project stakeholders can meet and interact online without experiencing time constraints and inconveniences.4. Significant Cost SavingsIf those participating in a meeting are many,it can sometimes be a challenge to find a physical space that can accommodate everyone. Online collaboration software allows businesses to host online meetings in real time with hundreds of participants interacting simultaneously. Employees can actually call for urgent meetings and discuss important project issues using the minimal resources. It doesn't really matter whether one is at home,on the road or in the office.ezTalks Cloud Meeting provides users with innovative whiteboards and screen sharing options that make collaborative sessions even more engaging. The use of telepresence video conferencing particularly simulates the real-life meeting rooms,which makes mastering facial expressions and body language easy. With such robust online collaboration solutions,there's no need to book flights,hotel rooms or meeting spaces. Online meetings can simply be organized and disseminated instantly over a virtual meeting room. In the long run,a business utilizing online collaboration will experience improved performance and productivity while enjoying significant cost savings on communication.

Disadvantages of Online Collaboration

1. Lack of Face-To-Face Interaction

While online collaboration through video conferencing provides real-time communication between people,it lacks the aspect of face-to-face interaction. For instance,meeting participants cannot argue with one another simultaneously over the online platform because of longer lag times. That may sometimes limit the level of engagement of the employees in an online meeting. And when the quality of video stream is poor,it's difficult for meeting attendees to decipher faci