The pandemic saw many of us scampering to find the perfect collaboration platform.
After all, employees had to work from home, and now 43% of them want to continue working in workplaces that promote collaboration. So even before we could fully wrap our heads around ‘collaboration,’ we were collaborating.
Apps run the world
Today, most of our lives revolve around Zoom calls and snappy work notifications that wiggle into our lives through Slack, Trello, or JIRA. People even schedule fake meetings on Microsoft Teams just so that they can eat in peace.
Yep, apps rule our world.
And they were reaping the benefits too. Slack’s revenue rose to 80%. Zoom raked in $4 billion in revenue in 2021 and saw a 2900% increase in participants since inception. They are all under the flywheel effect that the global online collaboration market will be under, quickly seeing a $13.5 billion revenue influx by 2024.
Collaboration in the time of competition
The market is bullish, and the competition is fierce.
As a result, there is a scramble now to be more relevant than the other. That’s probably why many collaborative platforms are undergoing a pre- and post-pandemic makeover. From simple UI UX changes to a 360-degree flip in branding, collaborative platforms are forging ahead to embrace change.
Competition, though, isn’t a problem here. Integrations are critical to thriving. The Slack app offers 100 different integrations for instance. That’s because platforms like Slack value collaboration over competition. With their team huddles or calls, workspace, channels, easily searchable archives, and integrative attitude, they have become the preferred mode of communication, effectively replacing long, messy e-mails in many enterprises.
All this is great for working beyond time zone limits. But it could all feel a bit overwhelming.
Into the Future of Collaboration
Ever noticed exhaustion after attending back-to-back virtual meetings?
It’s a real thing known as “Zoom fatigue,” – where you are so mentally exhausted attending virtual meetings that your overall productivity reduces. Some even argue they can do without virtual meetings, especially those in technical and creative roles, such as design, software, or writing. They work rather well in flow states or the state where you are in a zone and work without distraction. That ‘ting’ from a collaborative app will be counterproductive, then.
Some platforms like the Get Things Done app respect the flow state. They have leveraged simplified tech to encourage people to work in deep focus. In this concept, you don’t overexert yourself. There is no FOMO or added stress. Instead, it is about setting your priorities and how you want to take on a project or task at your time.
Another level of platform evolution is in the harnessing of AI to facilitate asynchronous work. Teamwork apps such as Slack, Atlassian platforms, and Microsoft Teams are about “meet less, async more.” GitHub API and Jira can be considered pioneers as they employ Machine Learning to make integration with competitors seamless.
Jira also understands that work needs differ for various strata within the company. Through built-in templates they can promote flexible workflow automation without hindering synchronous work.
With distributed workforces being the possible norm, collaborative platforms are crucial for making sense of the world around us. At the core of these digital advancements is AI and the ability to automate where it can be. Only then can tech help us transcend traditional workspace boundaries.
In Conclusion
One thing is certain. No matter what lies in the future for these collaborative apps it is going to be hyper-connected and rooted to the cause of making communication seamless. You just need to find a platform that best matches your team’s needs and work style. Everything can and will be integrated with AI as the world takes confidently strides into automation and the Internet of Things.
Happy collaborating!
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