Time to collaborate
Online collaboration is getting increased coverage in the media, and many are now realizing what it is and its’ benefits, both with regards to efficiency and savings. In spite of the financial crisis, generally increased travel fares, and even natural disasters, it could still be possible to prevent all work from coming to a standstill. Online collaboration and communication is said to be the next big thing – even big guys like Microsoft are entering the arena.
The future outlook for collaboration continues to look bright. The optimism in social media and online collaboration is spreading, not only in IT circles. Governments are showing great interest in the phenomena because the technology has an obvious savings aspect with regards to running costs, but also because collaboration has such a great efficiency potential. Within bureaucracy this has always been a challenge, but now collaboration can become a solution, according to predictions.
People discovering new technology leads to an understanding of how it can be utilized and improve efficiency. In these dire financial times, profitability and economy are emphasized rather than innovation and investment. Collaboration solutions are a great alternative since they neither require big investments nor are particularly costly.
Force majeure costs big time
Lately, collaboration solutions are finally making telecommuting possible, without the limitations of the 80’s, when the concept was introduced. In addition, other circumstances, such as natural disasters, strikes, pandemics i.e., can make it harder for people to travel. That’s when collaboration solutions can become a necessity to prevent businesses from halting completely.
In connection with the volcanic eruption on Iceland, the U.S. Travel Association estimated that the American economy suffered losses of up to 130 million USD every day. Also, the International Air Transport Association claimed that the airline companies have lost 200-250 million dollars daily, amounting to 10 billion Norwegian Crowns (March-April 2010). These losses are only related to airline activities. The costs related to lost work and reduced productivity comes on top of this.
Newspapers report of serious economic consequences for many airliners because of the no-fly rulings – redundancies, lay-offs and bankruptcies. This is a tragic reality for travel- and tourism businesses, as well as for medical transportation, but also other businesses that rely on logistics. However, for many companies, collaboration can be a solution that enable them to hold meetings and do work. Even politicians participate in video conferences, important tasks can be performed, and presentations can be held in online conferences.
From loss to savings
Even if the transportation industry and related businesses have suffered economic losses, it is nevertheless a warning of a possible future development. People might want to travel less, because it is both costly and time consuming. Business travelers will realize that many of their travels can be dropped thanks to new work tools, such as online collaboration and unified communication. Travel will to a greater degree be reserved for the most important meetings and tourism.
Much of the losses related to events, such as the Icelandic eruption, aren’t necessarily losses, but potential money saved for the businesses. The whole calculation includes travel expenses for air fares, food and lodging, but also the costs of lost working hours and productivity. This makes the losses even greater, unless you turn it around, saying that the savings can be even larger.
With even more weather, nature and other phenomena limiting our traveling, we may experience a paradigm shift in our travel and working habits. Both the ferry and train companies experienced a dramatic increase in their passenger numbers as a result of the volcanic ash cloud. Other lines of business will know their visiting hours and see opportunities rather than problems. The companies that anticipate that things might change will be able to adapt to changing circumstances and possibilities. And online collaboration is one of those possibilities.
References
- Social Computing Journal: The Government 2.0 Forecast for 2010: 7 Predictions, by Dion Hinchcliffe, Dec 16th 2009 (http://socialcomputingjournal.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=868)
- Executive Brief: Fearless Forecast 2010: What’s Ahead in IT Outsourcing? (http://www.executivebrief.com/blogs/forecast-2010-it-outsourcing/)
- Marketwatch.com: Stranded Travelers Conduct 'Business as Usual' thanks to Online Collaboration Technologies, by Citrix Online, Apr 20th 2010 (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/stranded-travelers-conduct-business-as-usual-thanks-to-online-collaboration-technologies-2010-04-20?reflink=MW_news_stmp)
- E24.no: Vulkanen gjør oss smartere, by Elin Ørjasæter, Apr 19th 2010 (http://e24.no/kommentar/e24-kommentar/article3612719.ece)
- Aftenposten.no: - Taper minst 200 millioner dollar om dagen, by Kristjan Molstad, Apr 19th 2010 (http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/uriks/article3612884.ece)
- Aftenposten.no: Toppmøter avlyses, by Per Anders Johansen, Apr 20th 2010 (http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article3613768.ece)
- Aftenposten.no: Widerøe vil permittere 600, Apr 20th 2010 (http://www.aftenposten.no/okonomi/innland/article3614088.ece)
- Aftenposten.no: Hoteller i krise ber om flere kurs, Apr 20th 2010 (http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article3613891.ece)
- E24.no: Flyselskapene har tapt 10 milliarder (http://e24.no/naeringsliv/article3616130.ece)
- eTurbonews.com: Minimising the impact of future volcanic eruptions on tourism, by David Beirman, Apr 21th 2010 (http://www.eturbonews.com/15679/minimising-impact-future-volcanic-eruptions-tourism)
For articles in Norwegian, a rudimentary translation using Google Translate can at least yield a basic understanding of their meaning. Simply paste in the URL of any web page.
