Gmail & G Suite
How to Cut Administration Costs with Google Docs Add-Ons
Aug 26, 2015
The use of Google apps for small business can be a remarkable tool for driving drastic cost savings throughout small and mid-sized organizations. According to Forrester Research, 93% of organizations making the switch to Google apps see impacts that drive ROI throughout the entire organization. Most significantly, these gains are typically related to end-user productivity.
Effective and affordable document storage solutions and tools for collaboration can both present significant challenges to companies of all sizes. Confusion around document versioning, storage, and transmission of documents needed for collaboration can lead to hours of lost work. In small or startup environments, confusion that leads to duplicated efforts can be difficult to recover from.
Google Docs is a powerful tool for cost savings, particularly if your organization invests in one of several available add-ons to streamline your experience and enhance the capabilities of Google’s built-in, free cloud storage and collaboration services for users:
Do individuals within your enterprise have a need to create process flow overviews, organizational charts, or other visual representations? Draw.io is among the simplest Google docs add-ons for visual communications. This free add-on offers many of the same features as Microsoft Visio, though it’s simpler to use and learn.
While this tool’s primary and most apparent functionality are process flows and working processes, it’s simple graphic design capabilities can be used for other projects, too. You can even mock up basic website wireframes in this tool.
Not every organization has a need for a fax machine, and trips to your local office support center can be time-consuming and costly. Faxing documents to clients and vendors who still rely on this methodology is simple as clicking “send” with HelloFax. Pricing is free for the first five documents sent, and costs a simple flat fee each month for organizations with a need for higher volume.
The closely-related cousin of HelloFax, this document is a powerful tool for companies with a need to perform (or collect) signatures on contracts and other documents that could be
considered legally-binding. While pricing is based on a flat fee per month, the productivity gains associated with no longer having to print and scan documents can certainly add up!
For organizations that focus on communications; style, tone, and voice are critical. It can be challenging to maintain control over stylistic standards, especially if you’re working with freelancers or a large volume of content contributors. Consistency Checker is a tool for finding stylistic inconsistencies in complex documents, including hyphenation and spelling preferences (such as “gray” or “grey”).
Did you know that Google Voice can replace the need for more traditional (and expensive) phone systems in many organizations? Check out our recent blog on Google Voice add-ons here!
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