How Collaborations Help Business Operations
In the present day business world, it is almost impossible to operate without strong collaborations. Organizations that are focused on delivering quality for their customers find it convenient to work closely with others in order to improve effectiveness. Various reasons can be cited to justify the need for collaborations. First and foremost, collaborations compel organizations to work towards being their very best at what they do. Secondly, problems are solved better when organizations pull their expertise and resources together by way of collaboration. Clearly, this helps to create room for leveraging the strengths of others. Thirdly, the collaboration presents an opportunity for members of different organizations to learn from each other.
Undeniably, information systems play a vital role in helping to promote collaborations in organizations. With the help of social media platforms such as blogs, wikis, Facebook, and Twitter, members of different organizations are able to effectively collaborate on different tasks and share good practices. Organizations can also rely on email systems to collaborate with others. To improve service delivery to citizens, a number of civil society groups in the United Arab Emirates are in collaboration with government institutions.
Management, Organization, and Technology Issues for Using Social Media to Engage With Customer
With regard to the use of social media, it is important to realize that the adoption of technology is still a challenge for most countries and especially those in the developing world. While everything seems to be happening quite fast in developed nations, developing countries are still lagging behind. In addition, scores of people especially in the developing world need to be taught how to depend on technology to get things done.
In spite of the above challenge, it is imperative for organizations to embrace the use of technology in areas such as advertisement, marketing and supply chain management. Considering that most consumers are quickly turning to the use of technology to access important services, organizations are left with no option but to invest in modern technology. Unlike in the past, most consumers in modern-day society are enlightened and hence able to perform transactions using different means including cell phones and other mobile devices. Organizations must thus ensure that they are strategically positioned to take advantage of the numerous opportunities presented by technology.
Pros and Cons of Using Social Media
Among other benefits, social media permits organizations to strengthen their brands and this in turn helps to create healthy relationships with customers. Social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter also enable organizations to increase visibility and reach more customers. Social media also makes it possible for organizations to understand who their customers are and what their specific needs are. Web-based features such as cookies and weblogs permit Web servers to track activities of customers and this information can later be used to understand customers.
Social media can, however, be used negatively by competitors. For example, a competitor can clandestinely steal trade secrets from other organizations. In addition, disgruntled customers can quickly and easily spread negative information about organizations whose services or products they are unhappy with.
Should all companies use Facebook and Twitter for Customer Service and Marketing?
Despite the fact that social media are vital for customer service and marketing, not every business enterprise needs social media. Over the years, Facebook and Twitter have gained popularity among consumers and any organization that ignores these technologies risks losing business to competitors. In my opinion, companies that are most suited for platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are those that are in the business of selling digital products and services. Small companies with financial constraints can also benefit greatly from the use of social media since the cost of advertising and marketing online is affordable. It is, however, advisable for companies that choose to rely on social media to have an effective strategy that leads to great benefits being realized from the use of social media.