Despite the numerous modern technical possibilities that are available today, the basically "ancient" email is still the most widely used system of communication when contacting customers and partners.
This decentralized (collaborative) work via emails requires an unnecessarily high amount of time and effort, and efficiency is usually reduced. Not to forget how far productivity slides backwards as nerves get inflamed. Images, Excel spreadsheets, Word files, and PDFs are forwarded back and forth via inboxes. It's hard to keep track of who gets CC'd and who doesn't. Discussions with multiple participants are difficult to understand and often go undocumented.
It can all be much easier; the world's largest encyclopedia, Wikipedia, pioneered it.
Wiki-based collaboration
The big advantage of a wiki-based solution: multiple people can work together on documents independent from one another and in their own locations. For every employee, the most up-to-date version of common documents can be viewed at any time. An authorization concept defines who can view, comment, edit, and manage content. Working together is far more efficient and does not need so many intermediary steps blockading success.
Many companies however, only take advantage of this in an internal company wiki. They continue to operate without knowing that their information and collaboration platforms can be used as an extranet too. Why shouldn't these companies profit from the many advantages that centralized co-cooperation has to offer? Being in constant contact with customers, partners, suppliers, and many others is a must in corporations today.
With professional software, everything fits into a structured framework. For each customer, you can create one or more personal spaces with several sub-sites. Even collaboration with several customers or partners in one space is possible.
An extranet with Confluence
The possibilities of an extranet based on a wiki are essentially limitless. Here are just a few applications:
- Project portals with status overviews of projects and budgets.
- Schedules, invoices, and performance records.
- Collaboration on shared content.
- External collaboration on shared appointments, events, and meetings.
All of this is possible, and without the problems that arise from sending emails or data back and forth. The enterprise software Confluence from Atlassian is the most technologically advanced wiki system on the market today. The basic functions of Confluence are enhanced by add-ons with the precise applications and features that a company needs.
The main idea of a wiki is openness. Everyone should be able to communicate, collaborate, and share information with each other. This concept is very valuable when working with an internal wiki.
In an extranet, it is imperative that the customers and partners cannot see each other due to data protection reasons. It makes sense when you think about it: Was there ever a time when customer conversations were held in a large hall with all other business partners present?
Space Privacy for true protection
To satisfy this requirement, the Confluence add-on Space Privacy Extranet for Confluence was developed. Space Privacy makes it possible to easily create protected spaces. These spaces can be assigned to users or user groups who collaborate with each other. With Confluence and Space Privacy, separate customers or groups will not be able to see each other at any point.
The possibilities of using Space Privacy opens many doors. It can be used with internal and external project groups. Additional Confluence instances for each customer are no longer needed, significantly saving on licensing costs.
Administrators can also be specified and determine who manages which extranet spaces without being granted general Confluence administrator rights. Space Privacy administrators can also add or remove users or user groups. With Confluence and Space Privacy, separate project teams can manage themselves, react more flexibly, and relieve the burden on the company's global admins and IT department.
//SEIBERT/MEDIA has had years of experience with Confluence and all Confluence-based intranet and extranet solutions. We would be delighted to help your company build and establish a company-wide wiki either internally or externally. This gives your employees a wonderfully efficient tool to work with. Your company will benefit from higher productivity, and the transparency inherent in this solution will aid in knowing who has which tasks to complete. Contact us now!
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Further information
Space Privacy - Extranet for Confluence
Space Privacy - At the Atlassian Marketplace
