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Online Collaboration Done Right
by Jon Tzou on March 16th, 2007
It is almost certain, and historically proven, that success is not determined by a stellar individual, but rather a collection of collaborative efforts. If there is one thing I have learned in healthcare management and entrepreneurship, it is that financing (see interview with Seth Steinberg, co-founder of Meebo) and standout leaders are simply not enough to produce a successful business; a team of focused, passionate individuals is required for such an undertaking to stay afloat.
But what if half your dream team is on the other side of the globe…literally?
Here are a few of the online collaboration tools that I’ve found promising, most of which are not free but very worthwhile if you are serious about coordinating tasks, events, and goals at a distance:
Basecamp (37signals)
As the most established, well-developed collaboration tool out there, Basecamp embodies what the online collaboration experience should be. After users are invited to the group, work can officially begin as projects are created, modified, and organized in a logical, business-like fashion. Users can track the amount of time spent on tasks, make comments on other tasks at hand, and most importantly set milestones with estimated timelines for each. I personally love this feature because it helps keep people motivated, while the built-in live chat system (Campfire) ensures everyone is involved. BaseCamp is what I would call the leader in the online wiki/collaboration realm, but up-and-comers are innovating as well.
WorkSmart
If you are serious about launching a full-fledged business (and I mean dead serious), WorkSmart is for you. Streamlined specifically for departmental deployment, WorkSmart has tools for every subdivision imaginable: HR, Marketing and Sales, R&D, Finance and Management, etc. Within each department, there are a slew of features that are too long to list. Documentation is probably the strength of this web app, which keeps very close track of which user performed what function, keeping others in the group informed. The interface is rather Microsoft-esque in presentation, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is the most focused online collaboration tool out there to help launch a small to medium-sized business.
SocialText
SocialText is one of the cleaner-looking online collaboration sites in the bunch that boasts an impressive list of features, ranging from group-editable, private wikis and weblogs to IM integration and file storage. One feature that I particularly liked during my 30-day trial run is the categorization feature, where page creators can assign keywords to published pages, allowing other users to view all workspaces related to “research” or technology” on a single, blog-like view. Very cool.
JotSpot
JotSpot, a newly-acquired site by Google that is currently not in its public beta anymore, is a wiki-styled tool that I personally used, and enjoyed, while working at a startup. JotSpot does its job by organizing information in a nice, completely editable homepage where users can share/edit files, create different homepages, and comment on each others’ work. Different file formats are supported in JotSpot, which makes on-the-fly editing a breeze. The one feature that sets JotSpot apart from its competitors is the e-mail editing feature. Because each subpage within the JotSpot landing has its own e-mail address, users can e-mail modifications to that particular site’s e-mail address, invoking immediate changes and keeping everyone else up to speed. Keep an eye out for integration with Google Pages/Docs to complete the Google Apps package!
StikiPad
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Probably designed for a younger audience, StikiPad fuses online collaboration with customization to form what is the trendiest collaboration tool to date. Like the other applications mentioned above, StikiPad sports the conventional necessities: categorized “discussions,” page editing, attachments, and task lists.
The one unique feature I really like about StikiPad is the track changes view, which allows you to see who changed what when in a mode similar to that of ‘track changes’ in Microsoft word. Furthermore, the customizability of your group’s wiki comes into play when you want to add Google maps to your entries or change the look of your workspace through a collection of predesigned, yet modifiable templates. Though not quite as business-oriented as Basecamp, StikiPad really humanizes the collaborative experience better than its competition.
These tools were the standouts in my experience, but please offer commentary if worthy competitors were overlooked. So what are you waiting for? Get collaborating! Before hastily picking a service, however, here are some important things to consider:
- Does the service have all that you need to effectively run your business?
- How much are you willing to pay for the added internal communication? Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
- Once settled with a service, exactly how do you want to leverage the given tools? Set guidelines for your employees on use and standards.
If you’ve already tried one of these services, please do not hesitate to share your success (or horror) stories with us!
Helpful hints:
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on March 17th, 2007 at 6:51 am
Jon,
Just wanted to say thanks for the write-up from the Stikipad crew. =)
on March 17th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Always a pleasure to meet another Jon in the world!
Thank YOU for creating such a fine product and giving me something interesting to write about. Keep up the good work!
-JT
on March 19th, 2007 at 5:23 am
Great comparison! Two others are the recently-launched GoPlan and open-source activecollab.
on March 19th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Eli,
Thanks for the recommendations! GoPlan has a wonderful, no-nonsense layout that is somewhat lacking in the other sites.
ActiveCollab seems to be an effective, open-source alternative to BaseCamp, which I look forward to utilizing myself in the future.
-JT
on March 19th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
I’ve been doing some work recently with a few buddies via Pbwiki and Google Docs (spreadsheet for budget analyses).
Awesome first post Jon. You’re rockin Talkmatic.
on March 21st, 2007 at 3:42 pm
great post tony!!
on March 21st, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Lol…
on March 21st, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Sick!!
on March 23rd, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Thanks for the information. I was perusing the net for this info to help my new company work on stuff via the internet (we’re all over the world).
Great reference and shared it with my teammates.
on March 24th, 2007 at 9:53 am
Whoa, that guy must be my clone…