9 ways collaboration platforms can be your single source of truth

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Project management objectives are more or less impacted by teams' frequent reliance on several disconnected platforms, which creates information silos and lowers process visibility.

According to daa from Quickbase, 70% of workers seek information for more than 20 hours every week instead of concentrating on their main responsibilities.

In order to overcome this challenge, collaboration platforms have shifted their focus from basic messaging tools to unified digital workspaces. Within this environment, a Single Source of Truth (SSOT) guarantees that every team member obtains consistent, accurate, and current information from a single, reliable source.

In the next sections, we will discuss nine ways collaboration platforms can serve as your teams’ source of truth.

The problem with scattered communication and information silos

Enterprise teams, especially when distributed, often have to rely on a multitude of disconnected tools such as emails, spreadsheets, messaging apps, cloud storage, and project management platforms.

For example, Selectel used to rely on Google Talk and Jabber, but those platforms lacked group chat capabilities and integrations, which resulted in disconnected communication and missed updates.

This disconnected approach leads to a lot of issues:

Loss of critical information: Important information can be lost via several channels, leading to inefficiencies and misunderstanding.

Version control issues: Further complicating collaboration are several file versions, contradicting updates, and out-of-date information.

‍Recent data from Salesforce reveals that 86% of employees say poor collaboration and communication significantly impact their productivity.

The problem comes in centralizing this distributed information to promote team efficiency and ensure continuous communication.

The shift toward integrated collaboration platforms

Businesses are increasingly moving away from standalone tools and toward unified collaboration platforms. Here’s why:

Why businesses are moving to unified platforms

Streamlined operations: Unified platforms eliminate the inefficiencies associated with switching between multiple tools.

This reduces time wasted on app toggling, which can amount to hours per week, as the Harvard Business Review reported.

Enhanced collaboration: By integrating all communication channels, teams can collaborate more effectively, regardless of their location.

This is particularly important in today's hybrid work environment, where 76% of workplaces operate in a hybrid setup.

Benefits of centralizing communication and project tracking

Improved productivity: Centralizing communication and project tracking in a single workspace boosts productivity by ensuring that all team members have access to the latest information. This leads to better decision-making and reduced errors.

For example, Narayana Group, one of Asia's largest educational institutions, streamlined operations by adopting a unified platform, which simplified onboarding and reduced maintenance hours.

Enhanced visibility: Real-time visibility into project progress allows for better resource allocation and accountability, ensuring that projects are completed efficiently.

Companies like ZUS Coffee have benefited from centralized project tracking, which helped them scale while maintaining operational excellence.

The role of APIs and integrations

Connecting third-party apps: APIs and integrations enable businesses to connect third-party applications like CRM, DevOps tools, file storage services, and analytics platforms into a single hub.
Scalability and flexibility: With APIs, businesses can easily scale their collaboration platforms by integrating new tools as needed.

As per Harvard Business Review, 85% of organizations report that using integrated collaboration tools is a major area of focus.

It is clear that successful and efficient operations rely on integrated collaboration platforms.

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9 ways how collaboration platforms can become the single source of truth

Here are nine ways in which an integrated platform transforms the way teams work:

1. Real-time access to information

How often do you find yourself waiting for an email response or hunting down the latest project update?

These delays slow everything down. A collaboration platform eliminates that by giving instant access to messages, files, and status updates in one place.

As per LeadAngel, 78% of buyers choose the first company to respond to their inquiries, showing the importance of prompt communication in securing sales and opportunities.

2. Automated workflows and data syncing

Manual processes eat up valuable time and increase the risk of errors. With automation, teams don't have to waste hours on repetitive tasks like data entry or status updates—everything syncs seamlessly.

For example, workflow automation, such as digital assistants and chatbots, has been shown to reduce human errors by up to 90% in various industries.

3. Advanced search and knowledge management

Ever spent way too much time searching for an old conversation or a key document?

According to McKinsey, about a quarter of a workweek is spent answering work-related emails, and about a fifth is spent researching company policies or locating coworkers who can help.

A collaboration platform with smart search features makes retrieving past messages, files, and discussions effortless.

For example, a global pharmaceutical company implemented Sinequa's AI-driven search solution, resulting in a 50% improvement in information retrieval speed. This advancement allowed researchers to allocate more time to innovation rather than searching for data.

4. Transparency and accountability

When teams work in silos, it's easy for things to slip through the cracks. With a unified platform, everyone has access to the latest, verified information, fostering accountability.

AB-InBev is a leading beverage company that integrates interactive dashboards into its operations, resulting in a 40% reduction in analysis time and more streamlined decision-making processes.

5. Unified messaging and task management

Important project details often get lost in endless email chains or scattered chat platform apps. Collaboration platforms ensure that nothing falls through the cracks by linking conversations directly to tasks and projects.

For example, as per the Guardian, Palfinger, a global leader in crane and lifting solutions, adopted Smartsheet—a workflow software—to streamline project management and collaboration.

This integration reduced the reliance on emails and meetings by providing centralized data sharing and standardized reporting.

6. Integrated file sharing and document collaboration

Switching between multiple cloud storage platforms just to find a document is frustrating. A built-in file-sharing system allows teams to collaborate on documents in real time, reducing version control headaches.

For example, Fieldfisher, a European law firm, utilized Thomson Reuters' HighQ platform to streamline contract management.

This integration allowed clients to upload documents into a centralized system, enabling Fieldfisher's teams to extract relevant information efficiently.

7. Data security and compliance

Security is a major concern, especially for businesses handling sensitive information. Enterprise-grade security features, such as encryption, access controls, and compliance monitoring, ensure that data remains protected.

For instance, platforms like Rocket.Chat offer strong security measures, including end-to-end encryption and ISO 27001 certification, which are crucial for organizations handling confidential data.

Similarly, Bitrix24 provides customizable permission settings and integration with various third-party tools, making it suitable for businesses that require high levels of data protection.

8. Customizability and extensibility

Every business has unique workflows, and a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't always work. The best collaboration platforms allow custom integrations and tailored workflows to fit specific needs.

Platforms like Airtable provide customizable templates and integrations, enabling teams to adapt their workflows to fit unique business requirements.

9. The impact of effective communication tools

Here's a staggering fact: as per Bussinesswire, 74% of employees feel they miss out on key company updates due to ineffective communication tools.

A centralized platform ensures that important messages, announcements, and documents reach everyone instantly.

As per GMAT Club, after implementing a centralized communication system, a multinational corporation reported a 30% decrease in project completion times, attributing this acceleration to the elimination of previous communication silos.

Rocket.Chat: An encrypted collaboration platform offering a single source of truth for teams

Rocket.Chat is an open-source and highly secure collaboration platform designed to centralize team communication and workflows, providing a single source of truth for organizations.

Here are some key features that make it effective:

Omnichannel collaboration: It consolidates conversations, discussions, and workflows into one secure platform, ensuring seamless communication across various channels. This includes real-time messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing, ensuring that all team interactions are accessible from a single interface.
Robust integrations: The platform connects effortlessly with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, DevOps tools, project management applications, and cloud services, enhancing operational efficiency.
Flexible deployment options: Offering both on-premise and cloud deployment, Rocket.Chat provides organizations with full control over data security and compliance, catering to diverse security requirements.
Advanced search and knowledge retention: Its advanced search capabilities and knowledge retention features make past discussions and decisions easily accessible, promoting informed decision-making.

Rocket.Chat's reliability and security have earned the trust of over 12 million users across 150+ countries, including government agencies and enterprises handling sensitive data.

End note

Collaboration platforms must go beyond chat apps to serve as a single source of truth, ensuring secure, centralized, and automated workflows. Without integration, teams face miscommunication, inefficiencies, and security risks.

A unified platform improves efficiency by reducing search time, strengthens compliance with built-in security, enhances accountability with clear visibility, and scales to support evolving needs.

Organizations leveraging real-time access, automated workflows, and AI-powered search benefit from faster decision-making, stronger security, seamless communication, and higher productivity.

As a tried-and-tested tool, Rocket.Chat delivers omnichannel collaboration, powerful integrations, and enterprise-grade security.

Contact Rocket.Chat to learn more.