This blog will help you understand the advantages of using external file sharing solutions, important factors to keep in mind for choosing the right platform, and effective tips for boosting productivity with these platforms.
Advantages of External File Sharing Platforms:
Boosts collaboration among cross-functional teams:
These high-functionality tools help organization staff resort to collaborating efficiently, both internally and with external parties like clients. These tools offer centralized space for keeping files for facilitating real-time feedback, speed up tasks for meeting project deadlines, thereby streamlining productivity.
Improved security:
High-end external file sharing tools offer security functionalities, like end-to-end encryption method, access controls, and reviewing the audit logs timely. This, in turn, helps to secure confidential and sensitive information.
Improved efficiency:
External file sharing platforms foster simplifying different file-sharing tasks, thereby allowing department staff to concentrate on other strategic activities. Moreover, these solutions considerably decrease the use of email attachment features, sharing files manually, and version control problems.
Improves customer experience:
These tools are designed to help cross-functional teams to transfer secured files to clients with easy accessibility. This in turn helps industries to increase customer satisfaction, experience, and retention.
Important Factors to Keep in Mind While Selecting External File Sharing Platform:
While assessing the features of external file sharing tool, companies must keep in mind these important factors:
Tools must provide high security and compliance features:
It is mandatory to single out the solution that integrates security and compliance functionalities, like encrypting files with a key, restricting access to authorized personnel, and reviewing file sharing activities to find out any suspicious activity and take measures before they escalate.
Ease of usability:
Select a file sharing tool that has an eye-catching user interface that is quick to learn for the employees, clients, and partners. This in turn, decreases the learning curve.
Enhanced scalability and flexibility:
Select the future-ready file sharing tool that is easy to scale up as per the requirements of the companies. This in turn helps the company to manage the increasing requirement of storage space, optimize workflows, and integrate file sharing tools with various other solutions.
It must provide good customer support:
It is necessary to zero in on the external file sharing tool that offers good customer support which in turn allows team members to resolve any problems efficiently.
Different Ways to Enhance Productivity by External File Sharing Platforms:
For efficiently boosting productivity and efficiency, companies must consider the following:
Create a well-drafted file sharing policies:
It is crucial for industries to have a well-drafted file sharing policy in place. Moreover, these policies must include the detailed guidelines for transferring files internally or externally, along with access control section, data retention policy, and security measures.
It is important to provide training session to employees:
Another way to boost efficiency in an organization is to impart training to staff members on effective usage of file sharing tools, and ways to leverage solution proficiently and productively.
Regular monitoring and reviewing of file sharing activities:
Department heads must regularly review and monitor the audit logs generated through the tool. Time review of audit logs allows department members to identify any security threat, security incidents, thereby making sure the company is compliant with industry standards. It also helps organizations to focus on areas of improvement.
Easy to sync with other tools and solutions:
Companies tend to use a wide range of tools for simplifying their tasks. Therefore, for increasing the productivity with external file sharing tools, staff members must be able to connect them with other solutions. For example, file sharing tools must be connected to project management solutions, CRM tools, and marketing tools effortlessly.
Best Practices to Consider for External File Sharing Platforms:
For increasing the security of file sharing tools, it is important for companies to consider the following best practices:
Using encryption method:
It is a good practice to properly encrypt the confidential and sensitive files with a key. It is important to encrypt the data, both at rest and in transit, thereby helping to prevent files from unauthorized access.
Use access control feature while transferring file:
It is important to use access control features like user authentication, RBAC (role based access control). It further helps staff members to restrict access to authorized users as per their defined role in the organization.
Leverage secure file sharing protocols (SFTPs):
It is crucial to use SFTPs or HTTPS to efficiently secure confidential and sensitive data in transit.
Execute DLP (data loss prevention) methodology:
It is also important to leverage DLP technologies to trace and prevent any confidential information from being shared to clients, partners, third parties, etc.
Final Thoughts:
External file sharing tools must be an integral part of industries for boosting efficiency and productivity of employees, optimize the workflows, and boost collaboration. By following the best practices as mentioned above, it is easier for companies to increase the capability of external file sharing tools, thereby reducing risks and security threats.
By having clear external file sharing policies, companies can focus on increasing productivity of file sharing activities.