Successful work output depends on completing tasks as quickly and as efficiently as possible. However, businesses function at a much faster pace today than they did in the years preceding the internet. Where digital technology has made communication and information sharing much easier in a business context, it has also added more complexity to workflows. On one hand, you can ensure continued internet service with a few clicks using Cox bill pay. On the other, the multiple platforms, software systems, and tools that businesses use can make it hard to keep track of the billing due date.
In other words, despite access to such powerful technology, managing and organizing workflows have become more complicated. In many cases, the complication is a direct result of modern digital technology. It is, perhaps, the real-world equivalent of the Ancient Mariner:“water water everywhere, yet not a drop to drink”. However, it seems tech giant Google has been aware of this problem for some time now. Gmail the new integrated experience that Google just introduced adds a lot more value for users. Learn more about the enhanced experience below:
Integrating Multiple Communication Tools in a Single Place
Switching between different applications and platforms isn’t just annoying. It is also inefficient. And it increases the chances of a lapse in communication. To meet this gap, the new Gmail includes not just email, but instant direct messages, group and space messaging, and even audio/video conferencing. All communication channels come included in a single intuitive interface. So even if you have to make use of a different application, you don’t have to switch tabs or apps on your device.
New Collaborative Feature for Instant Communication
Workflows can be very fast-paced. And while communication methods continue to improve, workers still need clarity on tasks from time to time. In other cases, workers may need to collaborate to meet very tight deadlines efficiently. In both situations, fast and efficient communication is necessary. Moreover, in a remote working context, the communication needs to be even clearer and quicker. Building on these needs, Gmail’s new integrated features include an instant direct messaging option. This makes it very easy and simple to create a quick informal chat with a colleague, team, or even an entire workspace. You can also message different people at the same time.
Meeting Scheduling, Hosting, and Participation
Modern workplaces are not limited to business premises or even business hours. Many businesses have workforces spread all over the globe across different time zones. And with COVID-19 adding additional complexity, online video and audio conferencing are fast becoming the preferred meeting channel. Of course, meetings need to be quick and efficient so they don’t eat into productive working hours. And even virtual meetings can be inefficient while you switch tabs and open windows to find the material you need. Your new Gmail experience, however, makes a lot of effort to take up this slack. With integrated meeting features, you can schedule, host, and join meetings without ever leaving your Gmail interface. Moreover, you can access important emails and files for easy reference right in Gmail.
Easier Document Sharing with Teams in Workspaces for Collaboration
Digital documents and files offer unique ways for teams to collaborate on them. Efficient collaboration on a single task means it gets done much faster and with a greater degree of accuracy. But it can be difficult to keep track of who does what in conventional collaborative models. Therefore, the risks of duplicated workflows, redundant effort, and inefficiency rise. Gmail tackles this problem in its new integrated user interface. Now you can simply share documents with workers, teams, and even workspaces to both assign and monitor collaborative effort in real-time.
Workflow Management Tools to Assign and Share Team/Individual Tasks
Prioritizing, assigning, and ensuring the completion of tasks is a very important factor that contributes to productivity and efficiency. However, managing workflows can get very complex, especially in a remote working environment. To help solve this problem, Gmail has introduced a simple but effective way to assign and monitor progress on tasks. Managers can easily prioritize and assign tasks, and can also mark them as completed once reviewing the submitted work. This makes it far more efficient to assign tasks to workers as well as track tasks retrospectively. You can get a birds-eye view of what your team members are working on without leaving your Gmail application.
Conclusion
Google is not the only company that offers these enhanced workplace tools. But it is definitely one of the first to attempt to integrate all of them in a single email application. Thanks to Google’s widespread popularity and technological expertise, however, the adoption rate is reasonably high. And if successful, these new integrated features may soon become the norm in remote workplaces as well as conventional ones.
