How digital collaboration tools are changing the workforce landscape

How digital collaboration tools are changing the workforce landscape

How digital collaboration tools are changing the workforce landscape

How digital collaboration tools are changing the workforce landscape

How digital collaboration tools are changing the workforce landscape

How digital collaboration tools are changing the workforce landscape

How digital collaboration tools are changing the workforce landscape

While digital collaboration tools may be an answer to an increase in remote working, they’re also driving a new way for teams to work. So, what can we expect?
Tessa Marano

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it an increase in remote working globally and a rise in the adoption of digital collaboration tools. These tools have helped to bring workers together, to communicate, collaborate and accomplish work in the absence of face-to-face meetings and on-site working. In fact, nearly 80% of workers were using digital collaboration tools in 2021, up from 44% at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, are digital collaboration tools here to stay?

It is estimated that by 2025, 70 percent of the workforce will be working remotely at least five days a month. This is likely due in part to digital collaboration tools helping to make remote working not only possible but preferable for many workers and workplaces. Workplaces are offering more remote working opportunities than ever before. Remote opportunities in high paying positions rose in North America from 9% at the end of 2020 to 15% at the end of 2021.

What are digital collaboration tools?

Digital collaboration tools are software tools that enable teams to communicate and collaborate on tasks and projects via one centralised online platform. These tools span across a range of industries and work functions including design, project management, education and way more. Drawboard PDF and Drawboad Projects, for example, are digital collaboration tools aimed at bringing teams together on tasks and projects, enabling real time document markups to drive workplace and on-site efficiencies.

While digital collaboration tools may be an answer to an increase in remote working, they’re also driving a new way for teams to work. So, what can we expect?

Minimised time in feedback loops

The ‘collaborate as you go’ model means that teams can be kept up to speed on where work tasks and projects are at in real time.

Digital collaboration tools can help to minimise time spent taking meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page. This is because everyone (quite literally) is on the same page when using these tools. A major benefit here is that embedded in these tools is the ability to run feedback loops entirely within the one platform.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it an increase in remote working globally and a rise in the adoption of digital collaboration tools. These tools have helped to bring workers together, to communicate, collaborate and accomplish work in the absence of face-to-face meetings and on-site working. In fact, nearly 80% of workers were using digital collaboration tools in 2021, up from 44% at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, are digital collaboration tools here to stay?

It is estimated that by 2025, 70 percent of the workforce will be working remotely at least five days a month. This is likely due in part to digital collaboration tools helping to make remote working not only possible but preferable for many workers and workplaces. Workplaces are offering more remote working opportunities than ever before. Remote opportunities in high paying positions rose in North America from 9% at the end of 2020 to 15% at the end of 2021.

What are digital collaboration tools?

Digital collaboration tools are software tools that enable teams to communicate and collaborate on tasks and projects via one centralised online platform. These tools span across a range of industries and work functions including design, project management, education and way more. Drawboard PDF and Drawboad Projects, for example, are digital collaboration tools aimed at bringing teams together on tasks and projects, enabling real time document markups to drive workplace and on-site efficiencies.

While digital collaboration tools may be an answer to an increase in remote working, they’re also driving a new way for teams to work. So, what can we expect?

Minimised time in feedback loops

The ‘collaborate as you go’ model means that teams can be kept up to speed on where work tasks and projects are at in real time.

Digital collaboration tools can help to minimise time spent taking meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page. This is because everyone (quite literally) is on the same page when using these tools. A major benefit here is that embedded in these tools is the ability to run feedback loops entirely within the one platform.

Efficiencies driven from real time oversight

Everyone on the same page every step of the way towards project or task completion means that projects and tasks are less likely to go off-track.

Having one source of truth also results in major efficiency gains and provides more accountability for workers. Gone are the days of trawling through email threads to understand when a task was completed, by whom and with which assets. Or risking doubling up on work because teams don’t have clarity over whether or not a task has been completed. This information is all baked in.

Better version control

Ever had to ask a colleague to save and close a document so that you could edit it? Or perhaps had to painfully merge changes that were made off-version. Digital collaboration tools like Drawboard PDF and Projects enable teams to view and mark up the same documents at the same time without the risk of overwriting changes. Live sync eliminates the need for cumbersome version control. With inbuilt version control, team members can work either at the same time or asynchronously on the same document from anywhere. And every modification is tracked, meaning there is a record of accountability for workers and timelines for projects in the one centralised location.

Input from more team members

Digital collaboration tools provide an avenue for team members to integrate and merge ideas. With all relevant parties involved through the development process of work tasks and projects, everyone gets a say.

Traditional software tools cater for the specialist worker; employees who work in silos to get their work tasks done. Digital collaboration tools invite the perspective and input of more team members, not just the specialist designer, the architect or videographer for instance.

And in the absence of in-person collaboration, these tools can help to keep team morale up by providing an opportunity for workers to connect without the in-person face-to-face time.

A more environmentally-friendly approach to working

In addition to driving efficiencies and providing more oversight for teams, digital collaboration has clear environmental benefits. For teachers, architects and engineers for instance, digital collaboration tools like Drawboard PDF and Drawboard Projects offer an alternative to paper through the delivery of digital PDF markup tools with the feel of pen on paper. These tools aim to reduce waste and emissions associated with cutting down trees and paper production. And with inbuilt feedback tools that enable teams to communicate on work in real time, these tools can help businesses to reduce the carbon emissions associated with transporting employees to in-person meetings via planes and other modes of transport.

Drawboard enables teams to do PDF markup and collaborate on documents to drive efficiencies, minimise the need for paper and accomplish tasks and projects more effectively and collaboratively.

Efficiencies driven from real time oversight

Everyone on the same page every step of the way towards project or task completion means that projects and tasks are less likely to go off-track.

Having one source of truth also results in major efficiency gains and provides more accountability for workers. Gone are the days of trawling through email threads to understand when a task was completed, by whom and with which assets. Or risking doubling up on work because teams don’t have clarity over whether or not a task has been completed. This information is all baked in.

Better version control

Ever had to ask a colleague to save and close a document so that you could edit it? Or perhaps had to painfully merge changes that were made off-version. Digital collaboration tools like Drawboard PDF and Projects enable teams to view and mark up the same documents at the same time without the risk of overwriting changes. Live sync eliminates the need for cumbersome version control. With inbuilt version control, team members can work either at the same time or asynchronously on the same document from anywhere. And every modification is tracked, meaning there is a record of accountability for workers and timelines for projects in the one centralised location.

Input from more team members

Digital collaboration tools provide an avenue for team members to integrate and merge ideas. With all relevant parties involved through the development process of work tasks and projects, everyone gets a say.

Traditional software tools cater for the specialist worker; employees who work in silos to get their work tasks done. Digital collaboration tools invite the perspective and input of more team members, not just the specialist designer, the architect or videographer for instance.

And in the absence of in-person collaboration, these tools can help to keep team morale up by providing an opportunity for workers to connect without the in-person face-to-face time.

A more environmentally-friendly approach to working

In addition to driving efficiencies and providing more oversight for teams, digital collaboration has clear environmental benefits. For teachers, architects and engineers for instance, digital collaboration tools like Drawboard PDF and Drawboard Projects offer an alternative to paper through the delivery of digital PDF markup tools with the feel of pen on paper. These tools aim to reduce waste and emissions associated with cutting down trees and paper production. And with inbuilt feedback tools that enable teams to communicate on work in real time, these tools can help businesses to reduce the carbon emissions associated with transporting employees to in-person meetings via planes and other modes of transport.

Drawboard enables teams to do PDF markup and collaborate on documents to drive efficiencies, minimise the need for paper and accomplish tasks and projects more effectively and collaboratively.

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About Drawboard

We are a PDF and collaboration company. We believe that creating more effective connections between people reduces waste.

Our best work has been overtaken by busywork. That’s why we’ve created ways to help people get back to working wonders without any paper in sight.

Drawboard PDF lets you mark up and share with ease, and Drawboard Projects brings collaborative design review to architecture and engineering teams.

At Drawboard, we work our magic so our customers can get back to working theirs.

About Drawboard

We are a PDF and collaboration company. We believe that creating more effective connections between people reduces waste.

Our best work has been overtaken by busywork. That’s why we’ve created ways to help people get back to working wonders without any paper in sight.

Drawboard PDF lets you mark up and share with ease, and Drawboard Projects brings collaborative design review to architecture and engineering teams.

At Drawboard, we work our magic so our customers can get back to working theirs.

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