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Now that computers are common in the workplace and companies have offices all across the globe, virtual teamwork has become the easiest and cheapest way of bringing people together to work on a project. While meeting together in person may be the best solution for teams who are located in the same office, virtual team meetings have many advantages for those located in different offices or who need to travel to various locations to gather information.

Bringing Colleagues Together

In the past, major team projects that required input from different locations were costly. Generally, the project would be split between the different offices. The teams at each office would work separately on their part without any input from the other teams. While this was fine when the project was outlined in detail, it did have some drawbacks. If the teams only met in person a few times, the end result may be pieces of the project that couldn’t be integrated into a seamless whole without some extra work. In some cases, this meant a delay of weeks or months while one part of the project was reworked. Virtual teams allow for constant contact, which means all teams are on the same page. There’s no fear of any disjointed segments of the final project since the teams update each other on their progress.

There’s little to No Cost

In the past, businesses conducted long-distance conference calls to keep their large projects under control; but these calls were very expensive. This was especially true if the partners were located in different countries. However, today, there are many different virtual meeting programs, with very little or even no cost, that a business can utilize. Many of these programs are free, and all an employee requires in order to make use of them is a computer and an internet connection. Some programs require, or may work at an optimum, when used with a webcam and microphone--but even those aren’t absolutely necessary. Employees can use UberConferenceandSkypefor conferencingright from their desks without any requirement for special equipment. Even if the business needs to purchase webcams for each employee, the cost is still much less than paying for long-distance phone calls in most cases. Team members can also make use of these online conferencing programs on a daily basis, and they’re in real-time. Daily, instantaneous communication allows teams to work on projects together just as if they were in the same room.

Performance of Virtual Teams Verses Traditional

Even though they have instantaneous communication, some may wonder how virtual teams fare when compared to traditional ones. Surely working together in person has an edge, right? However, surveys of employeeswho worked on virtual teams show they can be just as effective or, in some cases, even more effective than traditional teams. There are several reasons why this is the case. Virtual teams can combine the knowledge and talents of the entire company no matter where they’re located. This diversity also brings with it different worldviews; members can share ideas on how a new product will work in their country, making it easier to create products for a global market.

Different Environment, Same Problems

Of course, virtual teams have their issues, but they tend to be the same ones that traditional teams experience. Virtual teams that don’t have a process to follow, don’t communicate, don’t have a good team leader, and allow personal conflicts to get in the way, of course won’t perform very well. These are the same issues that can plague teams that meet every day in person, as well. Communication in a virtual environment is a little different, naturally, and employees must adjust their style of communication. For example, sending huge emails full of information may be too much for most teams, so employees have to learn how to send short, concise emails more frequently than one long email every few days. Higher quality communication is the key.

The Future of Global Meetings

Any time a business needs to bring employees together from various offices, the virtual team model is now almost exclusively being used. The fact that it costs very little, can be done in real time, and has no major drawbacks makes it a very appealing choice.