When collaborating with a team on a document that is constantly being modified, it’s difficult to keep track of all the different versions being emailed back and forth. For each email you get, time is spent opening each and reviewing what changes were made.  Do you have the latest version? Did someone include a comment in one that didn’t make it into another version? It becomes a headache that no one wants to solve, often having to merge all the versions together by hand.

Online collaboration sites help with merging changes in real time. With everyone working on a centralized document, new changes can show up immediately and allow others to adjust their parts accordingly. No one is left in the dark and no changes are lost.

Keeping the document in one place prevents an overload of email attachments that you have to open. Some offer version control so you can experiment with changes. If a paragraph doesn’t fit, you can roll the document back to a previous version.

Allowing a group to chat alongside the document allows further communications about the changes being made, or that need to be made.

Using a web service also allows greater accessibility and compatibility. No need for costly word processing software to be installed on every workstation. Using the browser and an internet connection, everyone can be equally involved. There isn’t a compatibility issue with all major browsers being supported equally.

With projects like accounting where there are spreadsheets, multiple people can check the formulas in realtime to avoid costly mistakes down the line. If a complex formula is needed, collaboration can be helpful to quickly construct the most efficient formula.

Lastly, you don’t have to be near your teammates to collaborate on a document. Whether you’re in the same conference room or the same office or across the world, you can work together and get things done.