This article is condensed and originally appeared on BetaNews.
Now that so much of our workplace communication and collaboration has gone digital, businesses are taking steps to ensure that their teams are operating as efficiently as possible and that they’re able to serve customers’ needs. While many of the tech tools that companies have adopted or scaled up in the past couple of years have become essential lifelines to power productivity, there are potential risks that can arise if tools aren’t managed properly or if the business doesn’t have the right resources in place.
One specific challenge that poses a threat to productivity, customer experience and an organization’s bottom line is IT silos — roadblocks that crop up when different teams use separate tools or apps that don’t integrate with others. IT silos can crop up when different groups adopt systems, apps or tools that are duplicative or unable to integrate with other digital resources. The silos are problematic for teams that need to share information and can negatively impact the team’s efficiency and effectiveness. Employees can become frustrated and burned out by the additional challenge of trying to communicate and work together with others. In addition, IT silos prevent teams from accessing the most accurate data. IT silos can take several forms, but there are action steps companies can take to address them.
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