The national lockdown to flatten the infection rate of the COVID-19 pandemic brings along with it unique operational challenges for organisations to maintain ‘business as usual’.

However, business is anything but normal. The lockdown calls for the adoption of new ways of keeping those employees who are able to work from home connected. Organisations are under pressure to ensure operations continue while maintaining productivity. Increasingly, companies of all sizes would need to turn to virtual collaboration platforms as a solution.

For those modern, technologically switched on organisations, which have already adopted a remote or virtual approach to work in their operations, not much has changed. However, for employees in some organisations it might be the first time that they will be working from home. This leaves these organisations fearful at best for the number of changes that are required in a short space of time.

These organisations may not have the luxury of committing to, what we call, a change management strategy within a timeline or at a pace that is sustainable. Helping these employees transition successfully into working remotely and to adopt and navigate new digital collaboration platforms or tools are challenges that are currently keeping many business leaders up at night.

Does your organisation need to implement a virtual collaboration platform in a short space of time?

We’ve highlighted some of the best ‘off-the-shelf’ platforms and key factors to consider based on our collective consulting experience, while offering some dos and don’ts to help you navigate remote teamwork better:

This table has been updated on 2 April 2020 to reflect current events and news that pertain specifically to data security and privacy that may affect our opinion of the above platforms.

GOOGLE MEET & HANGOUTS

Easiest platform to get you up and running

With the high user rate of Google accounts around the world, Google Meet is by far the easiest platform to get employees to hit the road running as quickly as possible. Free video conferencing features come standard, and the ease of inviting attendees or people outside of the organisation securely is a strength of Google’s collaboration services. The platform is also easy to adopt and intuitive to navigate for users already familiar with Google services in their personal capacities.  

Google Hangouts is a natural choice for organisations that already make use of Google Cloud services and partner platforms.

Do:       

• consider investigating Google’s G-Suite for a more comprehensive cloud-based approach to virtual collaboration, including file collaboration, email and other services.
• involve employees in decision-making processes and get their input from the get-go so that they feel they also have a stake in the process. It is important from a change management perspective to maintain trust and get employee buy-in.

Don’t: 

• make the decision to expand into Google Cloud services too quickly without establishing adequate levels of security and privacy policies, as well as employees’ adoption and trust in the platform. We suggest you read: Working remotely in the age of COVID-19, why your team can’t just wing it.
• believe that the organisation can simply migrate to another platform at a later stage if this does not work out. Choosing the right platform from the start is therefore important.

FACEBOOK WORKPLACE & WHATSAPP

Resist the temptation

The reality is that Facebook’s services are consumer-orientated and social media-based, which have been adapted for business use. Whilst features are competitive, familiar, simple to use and easy to access, privacy and security concerns have come to the fore over the past couple of years. Should you wish to use WhatsApp video calling for a virtual meeting, it is recommended to manage documentation processes on another platform.

Do:

• keep WhatsApp and Facebook for personal use. Separate business from personal platforms to maintain professional boundaries while working from home.

Don’t:

• distribute sensitive information over Facebook-owned platforms. We suggest you read: Is doing business over WhatsApp really such a good idea?

ZOOM

Best video conferencing quality

Zoom is by far one of the most reliable and high-quality choices specifically for video conferencing. The streaming quality is superior – if your team is scattered around the world and access to reliable Internet connections are not always guaranteed, Zoom might be a good choice. Inviting external parties is also easy and straight-forward. Zoom is a good option for organisations that often collaborate with external parties or large groups of guests. Meetings can be recorded, and the file can automatically be shared with attendees at the end of each session. If the organisation already has an existing IM platform (such as Skype for Business) and seeks a more specific solution for video conferencing, Zoom might be a good fit in terms of interoperability.

Do:

• remember that the free offering of Zoom cuts video conferencing calls and sessions after 40 minutes. Budget for the Pro version.  

Don’t:

• expect Zoom to be a one-stop-shop for all your virtual collaboration needs. The platform is yet to be integrated with other cloud services for a complete virtual collaboration experience.

MICROSOFT TEAMS

Best long-term all-rounder

Microsoft Teams is a natural choice for organisations that already make use of Microsoft’s 365 cloud services, such as SharePoint and OneDrive, which augment existing document sharing via links for collaboration. Much of the platform’s strength lies in its intention and ability to integrate with its own cloud services, and the ability to integrate with numerous non-Microsoft services, e.g. DropBox. If Skype is a consideration, rather jump one step ahead as Skype for Business online is set to retire in July 2021.

Microsoft Teams’ video conferencing quality competes well with that of Zoom. It also offers additional features such as allowing participants to control a colleague’s shared screen for improved collaboration. Inviting external participants is easier than before, although not as straight-forward as Google’s offering with a lesser sense of familiarity.

Collaboration is further enhanced via the mobile app, which facilitates the same VOIP calling capabilities and access to all chats and groups. Handing over from desktop to mobile on MS Teams is one of the most seamless experiences on the market today.

Whilst Slack and Microsoft Teams share many similarities and are direct competitors, we believe Microsoft Teams to be the better choice for the long term. Microsoft is looking to enable even more integration of Teams into its products and services and includes Microsoft Teams within most of its main licence suites. It is one of the world’s safest and most reliable cloud services.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is the opinion of Kriel & Co and should not be construed as professional or business advice on any matter. We treat each client on a personal basis and tailor our solutions to fit the individual business’s needs. While reasonable care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the website’s content, we make no representations or warranties, expressed or implied, about the correctness thereof. Kriel & Co reserves its right to change or amend the information on the website at any time. To the extent that you wish to place reliance upon any information contained on this website, you do so strictly at your own risk.