Companies that use social collaboration tools are having all the fun in today's business environment - or at least they're getting more work done at a lower cost. That's what researchers from the Aberdeen Group concluded after examining the growing trend to employ enterprise software programs that leverage social technology and communication tools to encourage employees to share information with one another.

The business intelligence research firm surveyed the collaborative nature of more than 600 businesses in 2013 and found that nearly half of the respondents have embraced new social technology in their daily operations. Because enterprises are constantly having to adapt to new innovations and keep up with growing competition, any opportunity to eliminate waste and strengthen teams will come as a major advantage in the long run. But what exactly are the benefits of these collaborative tools?

Advanced enterprise training resources can help companies incorporate collaborative software programs into their own operations. A recent article from ZDNet highlighted the many plans Microsoft has for further enhancing the social nature of its Office 365 software suite. For example, the company will integrate features of its Yammer social network for private businesses into its traditional programs to give employees even more options for communicating remotely with other colleagues.

Bringing isolated departments together
Businesses don't always have the convenience of having every single employee under the same roof. This dynamic can make it difficult for employees to communicate between different regional offices. However, enterprise social collaboration can eliminate these geographic barriers by making it possible for multiple users to access and edit documents in real time while using instant messaging to avoid the need to make phone calls or schedule meetings.

"Our collaboration environment has created connections among geographically dispersed employees, improved company-wide communication and provided opportunities for sharing information across the organization," one human resources director at a computer software company told the Aberdeen Group researchers.

Increased efficiency
The study also found collaboration helps employees meet more deadlines. In fact, 51 percent of respondents demonstrated the ability to complete projects on time during the three-month research period. Twenty-eight percent were able to successfully gather information within a previously planned time period.

This is an exciting time for enterprise technology. However, few businesses can reap the benefits of these innovative programs without investing in customized user training resources. Improving the software adoption process is the first step in achieving company-wide productivity improvements.

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