Working together on a tender can be a hassle. Lots of different versions, and files being sent back an forth on e-mails. Getting an overview on how much work is left to be done and finally reviewing and approving the different parts of the tender document.
Wouldn’t it be easier if everybody logged on to one document? You and your team could work on different sections all at the same time? And never mix new and old versions? This is true tender collaboration. When we designed XaitPorter we did this with the needs of a tender-team in mind. The tender system should be designed for the process. That’s why your standard word-processor doesn’t do the job. It was not designed to be collaborative. It was designed to replace the typewriter.
Collaboration is all about two things: Flexibility and control.
The flexibility to work from different locations on one document. To have several people working on the same tender, all at the same time. Always having access to the tender and not having to wait for someone to send it over.
Control over the workflow. Always having professional layout. Never loose track of comments. Deadlines on the different sections. Meeting the deadlines with enhanced content.
Now that’s collaboration. No fancy chat-rooms or long discussion boards. Just the functionality you need to get the job done.