Groupware
Introduction
Many benefits have been realized through the use of groupware in organizations. Owing to this fact, I do not think that implementing groupware in our organization will be more trouble than it would be worth. As a matter of fact, I think groupware will have tremendous benefits to our organization. Over the years, there has been increasing need for collaboration and teamwork as a result of the immediate demand for effectual coordination necessary for realizing organizational goals. Consequently, groupware has been used as one of the key interlinks required to effortlessly connect members of organizations in different locations. Globalization has been instrumental in linking people from diverse regions in the world hence prompting the use of collaborative technologies more than ever before. Nonetheless, a number of major concerns have been presented as regards the use of such technologies which makes it impractical to effectively manage and use them for the intended purposes.
In our organization, Groupware Application software would be beneficial in successfully managing the various integrations of data sharing and allowing employees of the organization to work in accordance with departmental rules and regulations. These applications will go a long way in helping employees of the organization to increase their productivity by working together and sharing information. Groupware will be particularly important for remote employees as well as professionals on the move, since they will be able to virtually collaborate with other team members in the organization. Additionally, groupware will significantly improve business functionality and productivity if used properly. By investing in groupware, our organization will be able to streamline the numerous project tasks that are important to the organization’s success.
The management and leadership of our organizations appreciate the need for changing their ways of operation by incorporating the ideas of staff and employee into management decisions. Consequently, a collaboration culture will make it easier to link and share perspectives and ideas. Effective collaboration through the use of groupware will hence give projects or assignments different views from different members.
Our organization carries out important business projects that typically require multiple employees to work on them. As a result, the organization can use groupware software to make the process of implementing the business projects as productive as possible. Groupware will allow several employees to work on a single business project from diverse locations, performing different, but interrelated tasks. Groupware will support this innovative way of working by providing well-organized tools to solve tasks that are collaboration oriented. It will further help in facilitating communication between team members. Most groupware products include the use of programs such as instant messaging, which allows members to create chat rooms and discuss aspects of a project[ CITATION Bor00 \l 1033 ].
Lack of structure has been a big problem with a number of business projects in our organization. Project groups often do not understand the purpose of projects since the goals and purpose of such projects are not explained at the onset. This has often led to the failure of projects due to lack of direction and accountability on the part of team members. With groupware products, employees will be able to view goals and purposes, as well as have established schedules in order that team members can keep on task[ CITATION Mar062 \l 1033 ]. Additionally, groupware will provide all team members with the information they need to get projects done, make changes, assess notes from other members, and leave notes that can be useful in advancing the project. Groupware will enable recording of; every task performed, useful data of various transactions and exceptional situations that might be required as audit trail. These records will also assist the management in preparing MIS reports.
Implementing groupware in our organizations might have a few disadvantages. The high cost of implementation, training programs, technical support and maintenance is a major disadvantage. Groupware products are also reliant on computer networks which may fail. Additionally, security is a serious issue with Groupware as there is a risk of unauthorized access by intruders[ CITATION Sto10 \l 1033 ]. Nonetheless, with proper management and leadership, proper training and constant evaluation, all these drawbacks can be addressed sufficiently to minimize their impact.
Conclusion
The benefits of groupware far outweigh its disadvantages. Implementing groupware in our organization would be more worth that it would be trouble. The harmonizing advantages of groupware will help team members to stay connected, share ideas and be more productive even when they are not able to meet physically. To alleviate the drawbacks of groupware, our organization will have to evaluate the different choices of groupware to determine the best prices, how to address security issues, how teams will communicate with each other and how team members will access the groupware. Ultimately, our organization will obtain competitive advantage by implementing groupware that helps to streamline its business processes and taking full advantage of all features that groupware products have to offer.
References
Borghoff, U. M., & Schlichter, J. H. (2000). Computer-supported cooperative work: introduction to distributed applications (illustrated ed.). New York, USA: Springer.
Marotta, L. (2006, October 3). Utilizing the full advantages of groupware applications to boost team collaboration. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from web-conferencing-zone: http://www.web-conferencing-zone.com/advantages-of-groupware-applications.htm
Stoy, A. (2010, July 21). Disadvantages of Collaborative Software. Retrieved May 16, 2011, from Bright Hub: http://www.brighthub.com/office/collaboration/articles/78665.aspx
