The benefits of collaborative technologies to deliver increased productivity and cost savings for leading companies.

1. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
save time
collaboration reduce
costs
productivity
unified
carbon communications
footprint
reduce
travel
Collaborative
Technologies
Survey Report
The benefits of collaborative
technologies to deliver increased
productivity and cost savings for
leading companies
© Steljes Limited, 2011 all rights reserved

2. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
Executive Summary
In January 2011, Steljes Limited conducted research into the benefits of collaboration technologies to deliver
increased productivity and cost savings for leading companies.
The Steljes Collaboration Survey report is based on the findings of a ten question survey completed by over
200 business decision makers at leading companies.
This report seeks to reveal the current levels of knowledge, understanding and usage of collaborative
technologies in the workplace.
The full findings look at key areas of collaboration; from the starting point of strategy, and whether
organisations surveyed have in place strategies for unified communications, through to the uptake of the
already available technologies, as well as the perceived advantages and barriers to use in this fast-emerging
area of business.
The survey results give a valuable insight to organisations that are seeking new ways to implement
efficiency gains within the day-to-day of doing business, as well as those that want to keep up with the latest
trends and adoption strategies for collaboration within their workforce and in the wider marketplace.
In more detail, the survey results also identify the most popular methods for collaborative working in
current use, the most prominent collaborative software and the penetration of the related technologies in
the market.
On the key subject of Return on Investment, this survey reveals the levels that organisations are realising
with the use of collaborative technology, as well as the impact that can be made on business costs, such as
travel expenses, by integrating a collaborative approach to conduct both internal and external
company meetings.
Introduction
This is the first time that the survey has been conducted, to gauge the current use of collaborative
technologies in leading companies to develop and enhance staff productivity and company cost efficiency.
The results suggest that there appears to be an opening that the collaborative technology industry could
penetrate and, in doing so, bring improvements to the way that companies communicate and strategise in
the future – a key area that many companies seem keen to address.
Steljes is an authorised distributor for SMART Technologies, the leading provider of collaboration solutions
that transform the way you work. As the global leader in interactive whiteboards, SMART Technologies
brings more than two decades of collaboration research and development to a broad range of easy-to-use,
integrated solutions that free people from their desks and computer screens, so collaborating with digital
resources is more natural.
Lastly, thank you to everyone that has participated and we hope that by using this survey you can now
benchmark your own collaborative communication strategies.
1 © Steljes Limited, 2011 all rights reserved

3. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
Methodology
This survey is published by Steljes Limited.
There were more than 200 respondents to the survey, which took the form of an online
questionnaire. Information about the questionnaire, including the link, was emailed to a list of
pre-targeted senior business decision makers. The incentive for taking part was access to a
complimentary copy of this report and the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw.
Business sector
The survey was sent to senior decision
makers, who were all identified as working
within businesses employing more than 250
employees, within specific site locations
across multiple industry verticals. Examples
of specific business sectors include Financial
Services, Construction, Publishing, Real Estate
and Computing. The majority of company
respondents are UK based.
“This survey reveals the levels that organisations are realising with the
use of collaborative technology, as well as the impact that can be made
on business costs, such as travel expenses, by integrating a collaborative
approach to conduct both internal and external company meetings.”
2 © Steljes Limited, 2011 all rights reserved

4. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
Analysis
Does your organisation have a strategy for unified communications?
Yes
7.5
No
Don’t Know
32.1 Yes
No
60.4
Don't Know
Fig 1.0
With 60.4% of those surveyed stating that their organisation has a strategy for unified communications, there
still remains 32.1% who don’t, as well as 7.5% not even knowing. For almost a third of organisations surveyed
to lack a strategy for unified communications shows a gap in organisational time and space efficiency that
could be closed.
Does your organisation have a collaboration technology strategy for your meeting spaces?
49.5
%
42.4
50
45
40
35
30
%
25
20
15 8
10
5
0
Yes No Don't Know
Fig 2.0
Half of those surveyed (50.4%) said their organisation either doesn’t have a technology strategy for their
meeting spaces or they don’t know. This is a striking statistic indicating that there is much room for improvement.
Developing a strategy for the use of collaboration tools within meeting spaces offers the opportunity to increase
an organisation’s efficiency and productivity levels, alongside cutting costs. Overall, the statistic indicates that
the incentive is there to alter how companies go about organising their meeting spaces.
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5. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
What are/would be the biggest drivers for adopting SMART Meeting collaboration technologies?
6. Supporting remote working and new
6. Cuppor.ng remote working and new 6.6
flexible work styles styles
flexible work
Top Choice in %
5. Reducing carbon emissions
5. Reducing carbon emissions 3.3
4. Increasing communication and
4. :ncreasing communica.on and 28.8
collaboration across your organisation
collabora.on across your organisa.on
Top Choice in %
3. Increasing productivity for project
3. :ncreasing produc.5ity 1or pro@ect 6.6
management management
2. Increasing productivity to 15.1
2. :ncreasing produc.5ity to impro5e sales
improve sales
1. Reduction of travel & hotel costs
1. Reduc.on o1 tra5el 7 hotel costs 39.6
Fig 3.0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
28.8
6. Supporting remote working and new
6. Suppor.ng remote DorEing and neD FeGible DorE 14.2
styles flexible work styles 6.6
Third Choice
13.2
5.7 Second Choice
5. Reducing carbon emissions
5. Reducing carbon emissions
3.3 Top Choice
15.6
4. Increasing communication and
4. :ncreasing communica.on and collabora.on across 27.4
collaboration across your organisation
your organisa.on 28.8 Third Choice
Second Choice
18
3. Increasing productivity for 18.4 Top Choice
3. :ncreasing produc.5ity 1or pro@ect management
project management 6.6
2. Increasing productivity to 10.4
2. :ncreasing produc.5ity to impro5e sales 16.5
improve sales 15.1
13.7
1. Reduction of travel & hotel costs
1. Reduc.on o1 tra5el 7 hotel costs 17.5
39.6
Fig 3.1 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
The reduction of travel and hotel costs came top as the biggest driver for adopting SMART collaboration
technologies – unsurprising in the current economic climate. Increasing communication and collaboration
across an organisation was also high up there, as well as increasing productivity to improve sales. Interestingly
‘supporting remote working and new flexible work styles’ with 28.8% of respondents was the most chosen third
choice from the survey.
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6. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
What software do you use for collaboration today?
23.1 Webex
36.8
Webex Skype
12.7 Skype
M34roso8 So9u;ons
Microsoft Solutions
IBM Lotus Notes
IBM Lotus Notes
14.2
None
21.7
Other None
Other
42
Fig 4.0
With 42% of those surveyed voting Microsoft Solutions as the most used software for collaboration today, this
is not too far ahead of software competitors Webex, used by 36.8% of respondents. 12.7% of respondents said
that they didn’t use software for collaboration – a significant number that could be making more from engaging in
tools to enhance their company’s communication.
If you could remove one in three meetings with associated travel and time cost implications how much do you think
you can save for your company as a percentage of your expense bill?
%
Fig 5.0
As our respondents have echoed in other responses, the travel and cost implications of meetings can be
incredibly high, with the reduction of these as a strong factor to adopt collaborative technologies such as SMART.
If they could remove one in three meetings with the associated travel and time cost implications, 34.9% of those
surveyed said that they believed they could save 0-19% of their company expenses bill. Furthermore, 34.4%
believed they could save their company 20-39% (as a percentage of their expenses bill). Over a fifth surveyed
(22.2%) felt they didn’t know how much could be saved, indicating a potential absence of cost efficiency planning
or thorough strategy scrutiny within their company.
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7. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
How do you currently collaborate, present and distribute ideas/meeting notes as an organisation?
Writing up minutes after meeting
Flip charts
Post its
Dry Whiteboards
Interactive Whiteboards
Fig 6.0
Currently, 89.6% of respondents write up minutes at the end of meetings as their method to collaborate, present
and distribute ideas/meeting notes. Flip charts and dry whiteboards are also popular choices, being used by
54.2% and 49.6% of those surveyed respectively. At present, almost a third (31.1%), of survey respondents
use interactive whiteboards – yet, 86.39% of those surveyed requested a meeting to learn more about SMART
Meeting collaborative technologies (i.e. interactive whiteboards and data conferencing), therefore suggesting
that a lack of current use by more respondents is most likely due to lack of awareness/knowledge of the tool and
the benefits it can bring to their organisation.
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8. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
“With cuts to public services, fuel and food prices soaring and companies
forced to reduce budgets to keep afloat, many more are turning to the
advances of online interactive and organisational technologies to get
business done; meanwhile cutting the costs traditionally associated with
meetings such as travel, hotels, and food allowance.”
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9. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
How do you currently collaborate?
Video Voice Share and edit Online staff
conferencing conferencing documents training
Fig 7.0 collobaritively
online
A variety of collaboration tools are in use, with voice conferencing ranked as the top form of current
collaboration. The second most popular current collaborative tool was video conferencing, with 58.5% of those
surveyed utilising this. 55.7% said that they share and edit documents collaboratively online, meanwhile, least
popular, was online staff training.
Is your company looking to reduce or increase its business travel in the next year? (nb recent surveys suggest
that business travel has increased by 18%)?
14.6
Increase Travel
Reduce Travel
Increase Travel
Reduce Travel
85.4
Fig 8.0
Although recent surveys suggest that business travel has increased by 18%, 85.4% of survey respondents
said that their company is looking to reduce its business travel in the next year. This result is indicative of
the current economic, environmental and political climate. With cuts to public services, fuel and food prices
soaring and companies forced to reduce budgets to keep afloat, many more are turning to the advances
of online interactive and organisational technologies to get business done; meanwhile cutting the costs
traditionally associated with meetings such as travel, hotels, and food allowance.
8 © Steljes Limited, 2011 all rights reserved

10. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
Have you undertaken a business review (ROI model) of how using collaborative solutions in the last 12 months,
such as SMART, could benefit your business?
Yes
No
Fig 9.0
Return on Investment (ROI) is a key benefit associated with implementing collaborative tools and strategies.
80.2% of respondents said that they have not undertaken a business review (Return on Investment model) of
how using collaborative solutions such as SMART, in the last 12 months, could benefit their business. Without
undertaking such reviews it is difficult for companies to see the areas where massive savings could be made.
Would you be interested in having either an online or face-to-face meeting to discover more about the benefits
of SMART Meetings?
13.2 Yes - online meeting
9.4 Yes - face to face
NotYes ‐ on/0ne 1ee2n3
Interested
Yes‐face to face
77.4
Not Interested
Fig 10.0
With 86.8% of respondents requesting an online or face-to-face meeting to find out more about the benefits of
collaborative technologies such as SMART Meetings, this high statistic indicates the desire to increase company
productivity and cost savings through implementing such advanced interactive technologies.
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11. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
Conclusion
The survey findings indicate a certain amount of awareness or understanding lacking of not only the benefits –
increased productivity, cost savings, ROI – that collaborative technologies such as SMART Meetings can offer,
but also an evident lack of knowledge regarding what tools are currently being used at an organisational level
within some companies.
Companies are keen to discover more about the benefits that collaborative solutions such as SMART
technologies can offer them, with 86.8% of respondents requesting a meeting to find out more. With 85.4% of
respondents also planning to reduce their business travel, this indicates that many organisations would be drawn
towards the key benefits of SMART tools and software for conducting meetings without having to board a train,
plane or fork out for fuel at soaring prices.
The opportunity to move with the advances of technology and radically alter the way they interact within meetings
is available for companies to embrace, and the results of this survey serve in highlighting the need to build
awareness of this.
The room for improvement is clear, and the high response of those wanting to discover more about SMART
Meetings shows that many companies are aware of this and are keen to evolve with the development of
these technologies.
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12. Collaborative Technologies Survey Report
About Steljes Limited
Steljes Limited is an innovative technology distributor that sources products from around the world, working with manufacturers to customise
and bring their solutions to the UK market through its specialised channel network. The company’s innovative solutions enable people to
interact and communicate more effectively while working and learning.
The company has been sourcing products from around the world for over 20 years, introducing LCD panels, projectors, plasma displays and
interactive whiteboards to the UK market. The company has consistently been the UK’s number one supplier of interactive whiteboards and
recently increased its UK market segment share to 58.85% in first half of 2010 (source: Futuresouce Consulting).
Steljes Group is a privately owned company and has helped companies, such as SMART Technologies, to become market leaders in the UK.
About SMART Meetings
Every meeting should be a chance for your business to improve productivity and results. SMART Meetings give you those opportunities by
making meetings visual and interactive, so you can work with information in more meaningful, effective ways. You can quickly and easily share
information, concepts and plans or conduct discussions and brainstorming sessions. You can also effortlessly capture notes and distribute
them for future reference, ensuring that all participants have a record of the meeting’s results.
Interactive technologies enable stronger communication of ideas, goals and strategies, allowing collaboration to solve problems, whether with
others in the same meeting room or across distance. Create more effective face-to-face meetings, reduce the need for business travel and
enable collaborative, multi-location working within your business for stronger and more efficient teams.
Phone: 08450 724 800
Email: info@steljes.co.uk
Web: www.smartmeetings.co.uk
© Steljes Limited, 2011 all rights reserved