With orders to stay home and avoid all unnecessary travel, many organizations are increasingly relying on remote processes. Fortunately, there are many programs designed to facilitate remote collaboration—and we at FPW Media have a tried-and-true system of integrated programs that will ensure the optimization of a company’s operations even during COVID-19.
One such program is G Suite. At FPW, we have successfully implemented G Suite to integrate processes across our multiple divisions for over five years. G Suite offers a multitude of valuable foundational resources in a conveniently centralized program. G Suite includes a leading email platform, Gmail, through which an organization can set up professional email accounts through their business web address and also create group mailing lists (i.e. info@fpwmedia.com or web@fpwmedia.com).
G Suite also includes a calendar app, Hangouts chats and video meetings, and a drive system to organize and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, and more. When creating a calendar event, different team members or users outside the organization can be added, so that the event shows up on each person’s personal Google calendar. You can also set recurring meetings for routine check-ins and create custom notifications for the event to remind attendees when the meeting is approaching. Events with attendees automatically generate a Hangouts Meeting ID and PIN number so you can participate in a secure meeting from varying locations, with the option to video chat or screenshare.
G Suite offers 30 GB of online storage at the basic level or unlimited storage with advanced plans, allowing you to be sure that your files are safely stored in the cloud regardless of the reliability of your device. This also ensures that each team member, no matter where they are, can access the most recent version of a document. With Google Drive, individuals can simultaneously review and edit documents while retaining a history of changes made by each contributor. Google File Stream also allows team members to sync Google Drive to their device, for convenient off-line document editing when needed.
G Suite also offers a variety of security features, including 2-step verification and single-sign-on. Team members and external Google users, such as clients or vendors, can be given viewing, commenting, or editing permissions for individual files. At FPW, we have a folder structure that includes a folder for each client, containing subfolders for each division, with subsequent project categories, down to individual project folders containing project files, assets, proofs, etc. Google Drive allows us to ensure that the appropriate team members have access to the relevant files, keeping internal high-level content restricted to executives only. These permissions also allow us to share completed files with our clients without compromising the security of their materials. If that’s not enough, some advanced G Suite packages also offer insights on work patterns and efficiency so you can monitor the productivity of your team as experienced through G Suite.
The above tactics may be helpful for businesses seeking to streamline remote operations, but their value extends into traditional operations as well, making G Suite a worthwhile investment. We are pleased to offer you these strategies and are available for support in implementing any of these elements for your company in addition to our usual branding and marketing services. Let us know how we can serve you and assist your team in maximizing efficiency during the challenges of COVID-19.
