Introduction
Technological progress has always been viewed as an integral and essential part of global development. However, it was not up until the recent breakthrough in digital and information technology (IT) that innovative tools revolutionized every domain of people’s lives, changing the way in which they interact. When considering the aspects of these innovations that made them especially astounding, one should mention the fact that they offered an entirely new way of managing data.
Among these tools, Office 365 should be mentioned as the software that managed to incorporate several tools into a single system, at the same time making these tools easily accessible from a variety of devices (Office 365 service descriptions 2018). As a result, the application has served its purpose of securing users’ data and improving information management. Specifically, Office 365 offers the support of its trust centers, while the expenses that one would usually take in order to sustain servers and provide regular maintenance are saved.
Among the benefits of Office 356, one should mention ample opportunities for creating, editing, and saving documents. In the past, the specified tasks were tedious to the point where they would take a significant portion of the time that employees could have otherwise spent on the management of work-related tasks (Conforto et al. 2014). Indeed, without a system of software tools that provide chances for working simultaneously with different types of files, including text, datasheets, and presentations, one had to switch from one type of media to another. The specified step could even require changing locations, thus costing employees and an organization a significant amount of time and money. With Office 356, however, the specified problem has vanished.
Main body
Similarly, Office 365 has simplified the process of editing and sharing information extensively. Before the specified technology, the management of data, including its dissemination and editing, involved rather complex actions that required the use of multiple types of software. Furthermore, the pre-existing tools did not allow making the information instantly accessible to all selected participants. Tracking down the changes made in the course of editing was also a significant challenge that was removed once the tools for data sharing and management offered by Office 365 were introduced.
In addition to the improved tools for handling the available information, Office 365 has also provided enhanced security of information with the help of its cloud service (Conforto et al. 2014). As a result, the identified innovation served as a major breakthrough in data management within a range of domains, including personal use, as well as public and private business domains. Consequently, Office 365 can be seen as a crucial improvement in the information management process.
The technology mentioned above also helped to make the transition from traditional to virtual business management smoother. By definition, virtual organizations imply the absence of face-to-face communication and use digital tools instead (Shekhar 2016). In addition, there are practically no elements of manual labor in virtual companies since most processes occur in the digital setting (Durcan 2016). As a result, organizational issues may appear quite often in the specified setting due to the lack of direct interpersonal communication. While the absence of face-to-face interactions can be addressed by deploying tools for a virtual conversation such as Skype Calls, the specified deficiency is still glaring (Bejleri & Fishta 2017).
Furthermore, a virtual organization is digital in its very nature and equipped with an array of IT tools that facilitate communication among its members. Although the presence of IT innovations is also a desirable component of a traditional company, it does not play the vital role that it does in the setting of a virtual firm (Villarrubia et al. 2017). Therefore, in a virtual organization, leaders invest in technology in order to prompt the improvement of crucial processes, including production, data management, communication, and organizational issues.
Furthermore, unlike traditional organizations, which have a specific physical setting, virtual ones are not restricted by their size. As a result, a single virtual organization may include an incredibly large number of people and allow them to maintain unceasing communication with each other, at the same time preventing the dialogue from becoming chaotic. Therefore, the companies that operate in the digital environment can avoid an array of expenses associated with renting a physical office building and arranging the workplace environment in a way that contributes to the best performance of the staff member.
Instead, digital offices help enhance the communication process in a way that will make the actions of the staff members cohesive and simplify the process of supervising their performance for managers. Although virtual organizations also have their problems, such as the inability to establish full control over the actions taken by staff members, they offer a plethora of advantages that outweigh some of the minor problems.
Among the most recent innovative technology that is likely to change the organizational landscape of global companies, one should also mention Sharepoint. Created to introduce users to the platform that allows for interactions and the active use of the Microsoft Office products, the specified software encourages users to share information and communicate actively. Thus, the process of acquiring knowledge becomes interactive and requires the involvement of team members, which is critical for building a positive organizational environment within the corporate setting of a digital firm. Therefore, Sharepoint should be seen as an inseparable constituent of a digital organization and a crucial element of managing the work of remote employees.
Conclusion
The Sharepoint system is comprised of several key elements that allow it to function perfectly in the environment of modern digital organizations. SharePoint Foundation is the core element of the system. It is represented by the program that enables users to communicate, share data, and build a community within the specified setting. The Sharepoint server, in turn, allows storing the acquired data. The system includes InfoPath Form Services, Excel tools, QL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) Integration, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Business Connectivity Services (BCS), and other tools that help collect, store, and arrange the information.
By using the proposed tools, one will be capable of manipulating the available information and increasing the amount of knowledge gathered by the community members. Herein lies the significance of Discussion Boards, which is another feature of Sharepoint. The boards encourage people to share information and build the knowledge base that will, later on, provide the foundation for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural communication. Therefore, it is critical to understand the significance of IT innovations in the context of virtual organizations. Office 365 allows simplifying a range of corporate processes and boosts communication, which means that it should be integrated into every workplace environment.
Reference List
Bejleri, E & Fishta, A 2017, ‘Toward virtual business’, Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 275-280.
Conforto, EC, Salum, F, Amaral, DC, da Silva, SL & de Almeida, LFM 2014, ‘Can agile project management be adopted by industries other than software development?’, Project Management Journal, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 21-34.
Durcan, J 2016, Outsourcing and the virtual organization: the incredible shrinking company, Random House, New York, NY.
Office 365 service descriptions 2018. Web.
Shekhar, S 2016, Managing the reality of virtual organizations, Springer, New York, NY.
Villarrubia, G, De Paz, JF, Pelki, D, de la Prieta, F & Omatu, S 2017, ‘Virtual organization with fusion knowledge in odor classification’, Neurocomputing, vol. 231, no. 1, pp. 3-10.