Real World Examples

Below we have provided a few examples of how web collaboration could benefit your organisation.

Example 1: Product Development

Consider your company has a team of 10 developers, working from three different locations, and working on an 18 month development cycle to complete a new product which once released is expected to generate a monthly profit of £150,000.

The team needs to work together closely. Using web conferencing allows them to collaborate on the project despite being geographically dispersed. If the use of web collaboration to enhance productivity and interaction enabled the team to release the product one month earlier, the organisation would enjoy an additional £150,000 of profit. Considering the cost of the web conferencing is perhaps £1,000 to £1,500 per seat, per year, the return on the investment in the web conferencing solution would be exceptional.

Example 2: Accelerated Information Exchange

An investment bank's merger & acquisition (M&A) team of 20 is located in six different offices in three countries. The team is working on a merger between two multinational firms which is worth many millions to the bank.

The client raises a very important issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Due to the complexity of the issue, all 20 members of the team must be involved in determining the the most appropriate course of action. Typically, this would require an all-hands brainstorming meeting.

Only half the team members are solely dedicated to this project, the other 10 are also working on other activities. The next time that all team members could travel and meet for an in-person brainstorming session is 14 days away. Traditionally, the firm would have a difficult choice to make: delay the discussion and disappoint the M&A client, force the multi-tasking employees to prioritise this issue and delay other business, or attempt to conduct the meeting via conferencing.

Instead of delaying the brainstorming session or negatively impacting other projects, the project lead used a web conferencing solution to hold several small meetings over the next few days. In addition, each meeting is recorded and made available for future playback. Within a few days the manager is able to solicit opinions and ideas from all of the globally deployed team members and consolidate the information into a single plan

This example highlights how web conferencing solutions can allow even busy executives to collaborate with teammates to work toward a common goal.

Example 3: Balancing Work and Home

A key member of a development team has been forced to take a personal leave of absence to take care of an ailing parent. While the firm wishes to be understanding and supportive of this person's situation, the impact on the development team's productivity (and the release of the final product) could be catastrophic. The employee is also frustrated by the inability to contribute to the project while at home – even though he has various periods of availability throughout the day.

The virtual office provides an ideal solution for this problem as it allows the employee to work from home effectively, without sacrificing the interaction with his fellow employees.

Example 4: Client Contact and Support

One of a law firm's most important clients has asked it to urgently review several legal documents relating to a pending legal situation. The client is uneasy about various aspects of the situation, and has asked the firm for help, guidance, and support. Traditionally, such a situation would have required a partner of the firm to leave the office immediately and travel to the client's location. In a best case scenario, and assuming that flights and hotel could be arranged, the client would be waiting several hours until help arrives.

Web Conferencing provides an excellent alternative to last-minute business travel. In this case, instead of travelling to the client, the partner simply invites the client to a secure web conference. Once signed-in, the client and partner can communicate face-to-face, which allows the partner to alleviate the clients concerns and stress. With a few mouse clicks the client brings the legal documents into the conference for the partner to review. Together, the two work through the documents, making changes and annotations as required.

While conducting the review, the partner comes across a topic that is beyond his area of expertise. Fortunately, the partner sees that a colleague who specialises in this area of the law is available. To answer the client's questions, the partner invites his colleague into the conference. A few minutes later, and with no delay or travel-related expenses, the client's questions have been answered. Note also that without web conferencing, the partner could not have had such immediate access to his colleague's expertise. This is an example of how web collaboration can allow an organisation to leverage resources more effectively.

If you would like to find out more about how web collaboration could benefit your business then please call us free on 0800 970 2750 and talk to one of our team.

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