The Role of Social Media in Project Collaboration and Document Management

There are several buzzwords flying around tech and specifically cloud-based industries at the moment, with ‘the cloud’ one of the most popular in all industries in fact. However, there are some industries such as project collaboration and document management that are proving to be more than just buzzwords and actually changing the way some businesses work in terms of their everyday processes and how they encourage their members of staff to learn and educate others.

Social Media in Project Collaboration and Document Management

Over the years certain programs have been developed with the initial intention of performing one job, making life simpler for those trying to use them, like the mclarensoftware.com document management systems that have undoubtedly transformed how essential files are shared, monitored and stored. However, as with all industries, the times change and it’s now important that these programs are able to perform a range of tasks and one such example is taking document management software and ensuring that it works alongside project collaboration systems as opposed to working as two separate packages.

While the aforementioned McLaren package DOES work well in unison, others don’t and still spend too much time focusing on one or the other. For example, the document management system might let users have access and edit the file, and the project collaboration system might let people share information, but the way they could link the two much more efficiently – in the future – is to incorporate a form of social collaboration.

The world is going social media crazy at present with sites like Facebook and Twitter appealing to millions (billions in Facebook’s case) around the world, with numerous other social networks growing in popularity all the time. The reason that social collaboration might be the answer is because it helps people to engage with each other. People can edit files, people can upload files, but they can’t discuss them – with many packages anyway, some have already started to roll out social aspects in their updated offerings.

When people upload files into the cloud to share with their colleagues, they do so in the most part to keep their colleagues informed on project progress, but they rarely utilize the potential to share genuinely interesting information. As mentioned, millions use social networks and regularly share news articles on their own accounts, and these platforms would be a great place to share information that is relevant to the industry or the specific project they’re working on, such as new innovations or updates to software that could make life easier, or an interesting article they’ve read by another person working in the industry.

Social media has opened a door, just like the cloud has, and it’s time that companies made the leap through them to utilize what is available. A lot of businesses are already on the way – like McLaren to use the same example again – and it will be interesting to see if any bring in a social-led approach in 2014.

This article was written by Amanda Walters, an experienced freelance writer and regular contributor to Huffington Post. Follow her here: @Amanda_W84