Are online collaboration tools really effective?: Working alone, together with Google Workspace

A year in, it's time we take a step back and consider whether Google Workspace is worth it going forward.

2 years ago   •   3 min read

By Angelique Tzanakakis

Google Workspace is used by millions of people every month around the world. The online collaborative tools are known to be intuitive, user-friendly, and accessible to everyone. By putting people first, Google aims to provide users with tools that facilitate effective collaboration without additional and unnecessary barriers. This still begs the question: are online collaboration tools really that effective? In this post, I will discuss four points to consider when answering that question.

Save time and increase efficiency

One of my favourite features that Google offers is its AI-powered Smart Compose. It learns your writing style and suggests quick replies to emails - now there’s no excuse for spelling someone’s name wrong! It’s the same technology that provides writing suggestions in Google Docs. These personalised suggestions sound just like you, saving you time and effort.

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The .new shortcut has to be the best way to save time. You can use the .new domain to create new Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and even Sites. To start a new video call with Google Meet, all you need to do is type: meet.new into your browser’s address bar and press ”enter” - easy!

Improve organisation

Since Google Workspace is web-based, all your files are saved in one place. You won’t find yourself attaching the wrong version of a document or losing it in the mess that is your computer.

Recently, Google announced a new update to Google Tasks. Now you can add additional information to your personal tasks without opening the “Details” dialogue box. This will make it faster and easier to add descriptions, assign dates and times, and organise your tasks.

Google security

Google is known for taking security seriously and Google Workspace is no different. You can gain insights from the security centre and get actionable security recommendations. There is even an investigation tool that lets you act against threats.

A new feature that has been rolled out to help maintain security with Gmail. When you are sending an email to an external address, you will get both the regular orange banner which is displayed when responding to emails sent from outside of your organisation as well as a new “External” label to email threads.

Improve communication

Hear me out on this one. While we may be sick of video meetings, there are a couple of platforms that let you communicate with your colleagues. The obvious one being email - which is great since you can schedule meetings from your inbox, or discuss more complex or not time-sensitive topics. Google Chat, on the other hand, is perfect if you need to ask a quick question or address an urgent matter. With Chat, conversations are organised into different threads in rooms, so you can discuss multiple subjects at the same time without getting confused.

Is Google Workspace worth it?

If you and your team need a place to work that you can all access wherever you are, all you need is a browser? Then yes, Google Workspace is worth it. With online collaboration growing in popularity, it’s hard to ignore the positive impact it’s having on work culture. Google Workspace is your one-stop suite of online collaboration tools to suit your unique needs. Click here to find out more about Google Workspace and get a personalised report showing you how Workspace can empower your teams to be more agile, improve security, and grow revenue.

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