The workplace landscape has transformed, likely for good. According to global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, the "future workplace is flexible, without borders, and dispersed." Companies are now figuring out which work setup suits them best—whether it’s all in-office, entirely remote, or a hybrid mix. No matter their size, businesses can hire talent from anywhere across the globe.
However, this flexibility introduces challenges. Employees might work together but from different parts of the world, which can lead to slower productivity and affect company morale. This makes it crucial to have solutions that unite these distributed teams, and technology steps in to help. Frost & Sullivan notes that collaboration technologies act as the glue connecting remote and on-site teams.
They recently conducted a survey of IT decision-makers globally and highlighted some key findings: group chats and video conferencing are now indispensable tools for collaboration. The use of video meetings has skyrocketed by more than 350% since the pandemic, leading to more meetings for dispersed teams. Post-pandemic, video conferencing became the second highest priority for IT, only after cloud migration.
Frost & Sullivan emphasizes that with remote work becoming widespread, business leaders must quickly adopt a model that allows seamless connectivity and interaction among remote, in-office, and hybrid teams. Yet many companies face a plethora of communication tools that are not always compatible, necessitating simple yet effective solutions.
Fortunately, Zoho Corporation, a tech leader, has updated its collaboration platform to address these challenges. Now, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have access to crucial collaboration tools enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) and workflow automation. Plus, there are specialized solutions for various industries like construction, aviation, healthcare, and manufacturing.
These innovations are designed to promote unified project management and productive collaboration across differing schedules and time zones. Frost & Sullivan’s research shows that over 62% of businesses struggle to integrate multiple vendor solutions, and 66% have trouble aligning IT and communication investments with business strategies.
Raju Vegesna, Zoho’s Chief Evangelist, explains that companies are operating on numerous devices and networks, across varying time zones, making collaboration challenging. Zoho’s integrated suite of tools, supported by services like AI and unified search, aims to boost productivity, allowing teams to work together effortlessly regardless of time zone or device.
Robert Arnold from Frost & Sullivan agrees that Zoho’s recent advancements enhance seamless workflow collaboration, thereby improving user experiences and efficiency.
Let’s explore Zoho’s four main collaboration tools: Zoho Projects, Zoho Notebook, Zoho WorkDrive, and Zoho Sign, which come with new capabilities aimed at enhancing collaboration through AI, automation, and industry-specific customization.
Zoho Projects now features Natural Language Processing (NLP) powered by Zia, Zoho’s AI engine, allowing users to perform tasks like summarizing analytics using voice commands.
Zoho Notebook has been upgraded with AI for smart summarization, task management, and data analysis. It integrates seamlessly with Zoho Projects and WorkDrive, enabling users to take notes, share, and collaborate easily. Features like Whiteboard support real-time brainstorming sessions.
Zoho’s Blueprint, a visual workflow automation tool now part of Zoho Projects, WorkDrive, and Sign, helps create streamlined and repeatable project workflows.
WorkDrive, intended for file management, now includes features to map and automate content procedures, significantly reducing human error.
Zoho Sign offers a digital signature solution that speeds up document processes by 80%, saving an average of 50 hours per employee annually.
These tools are available now and are very cost-effective. As hybrid work becomes the norm, businesses face challenges and opportunities. Frost & Sullivan advises leaders to adopt new models that embrace the future of work, and Zoho’s tools support this transition efficiently.
