Share Ideas
Volumes have been written about effective ways to share ideas, gather input, provide feedback, and collaborate in business. So it should come
as no surprise that collaboration and information sharing are among the top benefits of PC technology to most
small businesses--evidenced in part by the massive growth of the Internet, e-mail, networking, and other technologies.
For a very small business, computer technology may seem like overkill if collaboration merely requires shouting over to the next desk. And yet,
research shows that 60 percent of word processing and spreadsheet documents are shared with others. However, more than half of this collaboration
takes place using hard copy print outs --- not the most efficient way to make changes.
There are easy ways to improve efficiency and reduce cost. Taking advantage of computer networking solutions and using collaborative features
built into your everyday software can greatly improve your employees' ability to work together.
Start with the basics. Microsoft® Word, for example, includes extensive editing features that make tracking changes to documents easy. Instead
of relying on the old red pencil, you (and multiple other reviewers) can just type on a document and Word automatically changes the color of
 text you add, or strikes out what you delete--all the while "recording" the changes for later review and approval. Word even enables you to add
a virtual "sticky note" to a document. Rather than handwriting a comment and sticking it on where it can get lost, you can use your software to
track important feedback. Other programs in the Microsoft® Office suite have similar editing features to make collaborating on everything from
your spreadsheets to presentations easier.
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Work Together - Collaborate, Communicate, Cooperate, Create
When you consider the alternative--printing a hard copy, passing around a copy for handwritten feedback, and, assuming handwriting is legible,
re-entering everyone's comments--the technology wins as an easier way to work together on documents.
Collaborative features are even more powerful when they are shared across a network. Even small businesses with as few as three or four PCs
can benefit from a network solution like Microsoft® Small Business Server that enables them to share common files, folders, and resources. Storing
a collaborative document on a network means you don't have to wait for someone to send you a document you need to review. Or, if you need
information, it's not stuck on someone else's PC, out of your reach.
Additionally, Microsoft® Small Business  Server allows for managing and provisioning of intranet portals, extranets and websites, document
management and file management, collaboration spaces, social networking tools, enterprise search, business intelligence tooling, process/information
integration, and third-party developed solutions. SharePoint can also be used as a web application development platform.
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Information Systems Associates (ISABIZ®) offers small businesses products and
services that greatly facilitate their document collaboration needs.
Just give us a call at 865-824-3308 or
Click Here to complete our Questionaire
to request an on-site or phone visit.
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