Web-based platforms are steadily becoming increasingly popular throughout the country and UK MBEs, with those businesses that have moved from paper and manual-methods of project management citing a number of reasons for why they would not regress to their former systems and setups for collaboration, data storage and security.

Smart online workspaces are proving to be the platform of choice for those seeking an online project management solution, but for those businesses who are yet to make the switch, a number of questions remain.

How does an online workspace improve collaboration?

No more lengthy email chains that exclude anyone not copied into the conversation. No more traipsing from one department to another for those Monday morning face-to-face meetings. No more searching around for missing files, or working on old versions of documents because your colleague left you out of the loop. Online workspaces resolve all of these barriers to effective collaboration with a central online location for threaded discussion and version-controlled document exchange.

How does an online workspace improve project management?

Effective organisation and communication are essential features of successfu project managment. The best online workspaces have software for task assignment and approval, setting project milestones and tracking progress. Shared calendars help keep everyone in tune throughout the lifespan of a project, while discussions and files are all viewable and accessible in the workspace.

Is there a security issue?

While the level of security will vary according to your cloud provider, cloud-based platforms such as an online workspace are maintained with high-level expertise, by organisations with huge technical capability and resource. Software is continually upgraded, and security is invariably superior to what most companies could provide independently.

What does it cost?

Very little! A small business might even pay as little as £50 per month for a service that enables flexible hours, remotely based team members, a paper-free office and huge reductions to capital expenditure and operational costs.

The benefits of using a web-based workspace for your business’s office and project work are highly compelling and the price for such a service far from prohibitive.