Collaboration: It doesn't have to be a foreign concept anymore.
Collaboration. Defined by the dictionary the word means "The act of working jointly together". For years WinTOTAL has supported collaboration in its simplest form via our e-mail delivery mechanism. Sharing files via the Internet so that two or more appraisers can work on a file together. The problem is that this method is quite outdated today, and e-mail as a whole has become somewhat unreliable as a delivery tool due to various issues like file size limitations, firewall restrictions, SPAM rules, and in general paranoia by users about what they get in e-mail.
Here in our labs we've been thinking of ways that we can solve this problem, as well as expand the concept of what collaboration can mean for appraisers. Enter the XSite Desktop for appraisers, with a plugin especially designed to aid you in sharing files and working more seamlessly with other appraisers (or customers for that matter!) in your office.
File sharing made easy
This is the core issue that many appraisers deal with daily when it comes to collaborating. Many of you do it already in one form or another, by sharing files via e-mail, SureReceipts, or by using the Vault. These methods are all well and good, but they're not specifically designed with file sharing in mind. This is the first thing that we wanted to address.
If you read Adam's article about Windows Live Messenger or if you use this product already in your business today, you may have learned about their built in "Sharing Folders". It's a pretty simple concept. Each party agrees to share files, and a dedicated folder is created on each end that links the users together. Any file a user on one end puts into the folder automatically appears in the same folder for the other user! Too cool!
Where we can build on this with our XSites Desktop product for appraisers is that we can automatically tie these folders in with WinTOTAL so that they appear as folders within your Appraisal Desktop file cabinet. This makes it really easy to share WinTOTAL reports with other appraiser from right within WinTOTAL. Just drag the file onto a sharing folder and voila, it appears in the same folder at the other end! Plus, since we're transferring files through an encrypted connection instead of in the open, the solution is fully GLB compliant!
Instant Messaging: It's not just for fun anymore
But file share is just a single aspect of what collaboration can be. There's so much more we can facilitate. How about communicating in real-time with other appraisers in a dedicated instant message environment? Many companies don't want to allow individual users to install 3rd party instant message applications like Windows Live Messenger or the AOL Instant Messenger because of the productivity loss that often-times occurs when users are allowed unrestricted access to all their friends. However, Instant Messaging is an effective communication tool when used appropriately.
The XSite Desktop product for appraisers will facilitate dedicated instant messaging via our chat utility with other appraiser contacts you setup on your XSite. This allows you to take advantage of the efficiencies that instant messaging allows, while still maintaining control over it. As a bonus, you can use the XSite Desktop chat tool to communicate with other preferred partners (including mortgage brokers or real estate agents) outside your company who use an XSite.
Leverage your website with new visitors
Lastly, you want to collaborate not only with your own associates and business partners but your clients too. Have you ever been to a site like HP.com that offers an opportunity to chat with an associate right then to answer your questions? Guess what... that's collaboration! The technology to offer dedicated chat for your XSite visitors is part of the collaborator plugin for the XSites Desktop. It's easy, and offers some really cool functionality.
When a user visits the order form on your XSite, you're notified in real-time that there is a visitor online! With your XSite Desktop, you can then chat instantly to find out how you can help them with their order or answer any questions they may have about your services.
Additionally, the user may want to initiate a chat session with you (or one of your designated chat associates. You're in control!) if they have questions. When that happens, you may want to direct a user to another page on your site that contains the answers to their questions. You have complete control when the user is on your site. Want to send them to the FAQ page? Click - It's done. Got a page that answers that question about fees and coverage area? Click again - There they are. Super slick.
Conclusion
To summarize. You want to collaborate. We know you do. Collaboration means so many things to so many people that it's hard to build a single product or feature that facilitates everything. We've talked through a bunch of different scenarios here with our labs fellows, and have narrowed it down to this list of features.
- Share files
- Communicate with associates
- Communicate with customers and site visitors
Tell us your thoughts on collaboration. Are we missing the boat? Right on track? Somewhere in the middle? Send ideas and feedback to labs@alamode.com and let us know.
Thanks,
Paul E. Stansberry, III
WinTOTAL Product Manager
a la mode, inc.
