Document management for virtual teams
Added on Thursday January 05, 2012
The concept of a mobile worker once related to a distinct group of individuals responsible for remote consultations, however the rapid shift in technology has meant that it now refers to more than sales employees who were out on the road.
While cut off from the organization's amenities such as database access and high-end printing facilities, these stoic employees would have to rely on a range of material that had been prepared before they departed.
Because of the difficulties brought on by this mode of business, these workers were frequently afforded special consideration when it came to report filing and document requests.
However, these circumstances are no longer the norm - and businesses that fail to shift their internal frameworks to face the new opportunities may be left behind.
These days, staff members who are away from the office are just as capable of performing their usual tasks as those who operate from inside corporate headquarters.
While the opportunities afforded by these newly mobile workers have been recognized by many organizations, there remains the issue of how to best organize and lead such a virtual team.
For some it is a simple matter of tweaking existing frameworks to service external requests, while others may require more in-depth intervention from human resources and information specialists.
Content management systems like SharePoint 2010 can be set up to handle document creation requests, delivering high-quality reports, marketing collateral and other valuable files to individuals with extremely short notice.
This helps to ensure that the material delivered to virtual team-members is timely and accurate, while making the best use of a company's existing resources.
It also assists firms still using a highly centralized management structure to control elements such as branding and formatting - ensuring that they are consistent across the entire enterprise.
Not only can a control system handle the production and delivery of quality content, it can also be used to handle the collection and storage of a range of valuable information.
By easing the data entry process, a business will be able to streamline a number of internal and external client communications - producing a level of speed that is very much an essential part of the value afforded by mobile team members.
While the image of the remote salesman as the enigmatic road-warrior has been overshadowed by entire teams of remote workers performing their tasks away from the office, it remains the responsibility of IT executives to ensure that all staff members have the tools they need to remain efficient and productive, regardless of location.