London School of Commerce Individual Report: CFPBUS006

This individual report, prepared for the London School of Commerce's CFPBUS006 module, delves into the critical aspects of modern business operations. It begins by exploring collaboration and communication tools, analyzing their importance in team management and interaction. The report then examines cloud storage and cloud computing, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages for organizations. Furthermore, it contrasts online and offline selling strategies, discussing their respective benefits and drawbacks. The report incorporates various sources to support its analysis of these technologies and business practices. The report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of key concepts relevant to integrated professional skills in the digital age, offering insights into how businesses can leverage technology for improved efficiency, communication, and sales performance.

Individual report

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Collaboration and communication tools......................................................................................3
Cloud storage and cloud computing...........................................................................................5
Online and offline selling.............................................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Collaborations and communication tools are simple form of tools which are helps in
improving the communication and management within a team. Collaboration tolls helps to fulfil
a lot of purposes but most importantly it helps in creating interactions between other people.
These tools provide the access to collaterals. Communication tools are necessary for the
companies to create team bonding and interaction between team members. They create a link
between the different cultures and society centric processes (Lim, 2017). Cloud computing and
cloud storage is important for the organisations to work along with technology, they exhibit
many pros as well as cons when used in an organisation. The application of cloud technology is
spread at wide levels. Many organisations prefer to work on online platforms while many choose
to stay offline. Both the methods hold some positive as well as negative effects.
MAIN BODY
Collaboration and communication tools
Collaboration tools
Collaboration tools are very important in the modern business world starting from
communication to project management. Technology offers wide range of options and online
collaboration tools are continuously increasing and improving in its features and functionality. It
helps the companies grow and thrive through difficult times with the help of a collaborative
management structure. Some of collaboration tools are:
Asana: It allows the users delegate different tasks to the employees and team members. It helps
in adding followers regarding the projects and monitor deadlines (Sun, and et.al., 2018). It is
used as a type of a to do list which helps in creating strategic planning.
Dapulse: This collaboration tool helps in increasing the communication and define certain
objectives with the delegation of tasks. This tools has a great visual design and thus makes it
easy to understand the assigned work.
Proof hub: This is a work management tool which handles the collaboration and project
management functions. It makes it easy to organise the files, plan and monitor the projects while
having a discussion with colleagues and stakeholders. Along with this, this tool also give access
to approve incoming files with the help of online proofing tool.
Communication tools

Communication among the team will lead to imperative success and better functioning of
the members. The lack in one's effort is due to the gaps in communication modes between team
members. Communication tools helps in bridging these gaps and making the collaboration better.
Different types of communication tools are:
Applications for messaging: The channels for messaging are replaced with emails as the main
source of communication in an organisation (Abu-Salma, and et.al., 2018). Tools like Microsoft
teams and Facebook in the organisation for group chat will provide more functions than the
email. Emails when pop up in the inbox can only be flagged and sort into different folders while
messenger and chat applications helps in organisation and interactivity within the team. The tool
slack helps in organising the conversations into threads which will make it easy to navigate.
Teams software will help in achieving a simple sharing options for large members of groups.
Such tools helps in bringing high level of interpersonal communication which is required for a
well functional team.
File sharing applications: Sharing the data and other assets between the team members can be a
job full of hassle. The option for cloud based sharing applications will allow the access to
required information when it is asked for without leaving any member of the team behind.
Applications like google drive, drop box and one drive are popular in the business clouds. Such
tools holds the infinite number of gigabytes related to the data present in the central system
where each members can have the access. When the file is updated, it is updated for every team
members. They also help in distributing the huge size files which can be too large to send via
Email.
Video conferencing tools: In an organisation where the teams are not centralised will not meet
in person and collaborate just using the tools have no substitute for face to face communication.
Zoom software is leading the communication tool which offers a platform for video
conferencing. Other software like Skype and go to meeting will offer their own features
including group chats, screen sharing and even the private chat screens. With the help of such
tools, group can meet the same way as would in a person (Sah, Singh and Sah, 2020). It helps in
filling the gaps created by mobile workforce.
Pandemic has changed the way of people communicating and collaborating with one
other. Most of companies shifted to work remotely because of the pandemic to keep the
employees safe meanwhile continuing the normal business services. Communication and

collaboration have undergone many shift due to the pandemic but has helped the organisations
survive the new working world. They offered more organised approach to the project
management along with the daily business tasks. It is very important for the businesses to move
forward with the concerns of pandemic (Khahro, and et. al., 2020). The meeting were holding
with the help of video conferencing tools which allowed the function of screen sharing to display
in real time. It helps in large number of people to collaborate with a lag free environment. Such
tools are making the business move forward with the rapid innovations and bringing skills and
knowledge together in this new normal business world. Such tools have redefined the lifestyle
and bring in the automation which lead to the offices being more phygital which is the
combination of physical and digital space. These tools help in making the applications move
faster and organised all under one roof. Collaboration and communication tools are here in the
business market to stay and grow.
Cloud storage and cloud computing
Cloud storage is an essential system which will allow its users to store data on the
internet which was before saved in a computer. It helps to upload the data with the help of
internet and cloud based services. When the data is stored on the cloud, any person which has the
access can move forward and receive it from many different types of devices using just the
internet as the main source. Loud storage is useful for the organisations to store the data and
documents which can be shared by others (Moore, 2018.). It offers the platform for preserving
the important forms of files and documents while having the opportunity to collaborate on the
project with other people by sharing it. It can be used to store media, files and emails by
providing ultimate data storage space. It is more cheaper and secure way of storing the files
when compared to the traditional methods.
The advantages of cloud storage is that there is no need to purchase the hardware and
store the files and data to provision. User can add or remove the capacity depending on the
demand as well can change the performance and retention characteristics. The user have to only
pay for the storage being used. There is an option where the data which used less can be moved
to the lower cost tiers with auditable rules and driving the scales of economy. In the conditions
where teams are ready to execute their project but being slowed down because of the
infrastructure is a bad thing. Here cloud storage helps in bringing in quick delivery with the exact

amount of storage which is required. It helps in solving complex problems related to the
applications rather than managing storage systems. It is suitable and applied where the data is
redundantly stored in an ideal way across multiple facilities and devices. Any form of natural
disaster will not lead to the loss of data (Balachandran, 2020). All the data is available with a
difference in production data and archives. It will give the right balance of times of retrieval and
costs. The data stored is encrypted in rest and transit both the modes. Access to the controls and
the permissions required are in cloud for the premises storage.
There are some disadvantages related to cloud storage as well which includes having the
risk of certain cyber attacks and related vulnerabilities. The data stored is under own secure
supervision. A cloud provider is more vulnerable to the different varieties of cyber crimes which
can penetrate into the cloud. It solely depends on the internet connection. If the connection is
slow and poor, it will result in having issues while accessing to the stored files. There are some
additional costs for uploading and downloading the files form the cloud and along with this there
is less amount of support provided during the time of difficulties.
Cloud computing is used when working on a specific project and is linked with the cloud
storage where the user have to move the data in to the cloud. When the data is moved to the
cloud where any one with the authority can access helps in processing more useful materials and
send it back to the owner. Here, the input data is transformed remotely with the help of interface
software which does not involve the use of computer. The centralised system of the cloud servers
results in increased number of end access points which raise the concerns related to various
cyber attacks. The advantages of cloud computing includes having less reduced costs of
information technology as the costs of upgrading the system and creating new hardware are all
included in the contract. The need for hiring expert staff is reduced along with the costs for
energy consumption (Kozłowska, 2018). There are less number of delays in the time. Cloud
computing allows the organisation to become more flexible to changes and there is no need to
purchase a installing device as the cloud service can handle this. Using the cloud computing can
free the time involved in running the business. Cloud computing gives the ability to
communicate with the practices outside the traditional methods. It helps in making an easy share
of records with the advisors.
Applications of cloud computing is that helps in storing the data on a cloud rather than
the use of physical storage systems which can be high costs and time taking process. The

security in the cloud helps in storing the data safe with a facility of backup. It helps in recovering
the application to make up for the lost data. The backup and restoring option of cloud computing
has made the running of files easy without the risk of losing data. It is used in testing and
development process which are done to check the readiness of product before delivering it to the
client. The antivirus application of cloud computing helps in cleaning away all the viruses
present in the cloud (Zhe, and et.al., 2017). It identifies the risks and fixes them. The
disadvantages of cloud computing includes, the risk of leakage of data and the chances of data
being stolen. There is a high risk of having a data and service hijacking along with insecure
interfaces. There are the denial of service attacks and the technological vulnerabilities which
comes during the shared environment. There is a minimal amount of control to manage the
applications which are being operated on the cloud.
Online and offline selling
Online selling
Internet has revolutionised the process of an individual doing a purchase. There are many
positive aspects of the online selling as the customers are more pivoted towards buying the
products online over the traditional methods of shopping from physical stores. Online selling
becomes more convenient as it reduces the boundaries which are developed due to the
geographical factors (Fu, and et.al., 2018). Online selling attracts more people with the help of
high promotional offers and coupons while offering better prices than in the physical stores.
There are more variety of products which can be showcased in the online platforms which is not
possible in the physical stores. There are people who are always trying to buy gifts for people
close to them. Buying from online is an easy process in such situations as the individual has to
just write the correct address and the gift will delivered to the desired person directly. There is
more control of the products and services when managing the selling process online along with
the easy access to comparison of prices. There is no pressure to handle the crowd and sales.
There is an option for privacy for some discreet purchases.
The negative impacts of selling the product online is that this process is causing harm to
the environment with the process of packaging and using the gas. There are many complaints
regarding the problems faced during shipping and has to deal with the delays. There is high risk
of fraud and related activities on the online site. The sellers has less amount of contact with the

community and the process of returns can be very complicated. The sellers have less idea of
what they are getting into. It can lead to providing more unfriendly services to the customers
with the chances of scam and complicated websites. There is no form of assistance provided
during the time of sales and support from local retailers.
Offline selling
This type of selling is based on the physical stores which offers a chance for the
customers to choose their potential assets and purchase the product at their own ease. Offline
business are traditional way of doing the business with the presence of a physical place which is
welcomed for the people coming to browse the product and buy them as per their wish. Offline
selling helps in providing better customer services when compared to any type of operation
structure. This method of selling brings the idea of visibility to the table and helps in building a
sense of trust while having the disadvantage of being way too costly. The positive aspects of
offline selling is that it helps on building trust and gaining the points for loyalty from the
customers to the business. It helps in making the business financially stable to run a physical
store. This helps in adding more points for professionalism which makes the company popular in
the market and within the target customers (Marwan, Kartit, and Ouahmane, 2018). Customers
are offered chance to feel and see the product before investing in that product. This aspect is very
important when buying some jewellery, electronics and even clothing.
Customer have the condition to try on the product and feel if that is appropriately suitable
or not. Customers can just walk in the store and purchase the item showcased if they like it or go
to some other store to look at the collection present there. Offline selling of products and services
helps in increasing the chances of customer walk ins which will lead to higher number of sales.
The negative aspects of offline stores is mainly that they are expensive. Owning a store in the
prime area is very costly along with the other parameters such as electricity and decoration of the
interior of store to make it more attractive. The cost of complete infrastructure and human
resources requires a lot of continuous supervision along with the salaries which are to be paid to
the staff members. Another negative aspect of offline selling is that it is limited by the locations.
Only customers living near and around the store can access to the products. This decreases the
range if customers when compared to other sources.

CONCLUSION
Every organisation must work with the help of collaborations and communication tools
which will make the management of the team and the organisation easy and easily controllable.
These tools helps in building the interactions and relations between each other which will result
in higher productivity. communication tools helps in providing a great platform for
communication especially during the time of this pandemic where the offices were working
remotely. Cloud storage is a best way to store data in this modern technological business world.
Cloud computing offers many advantages and applications but is comes with the risks of cyber
attacks and loss of data.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Abu-Salma, and et.al., 2018. Exploring user mental models of end-to-end encrypted
communication tools. In 8th {USENIX} Workshop on Free and Open Communications
on the Internet ({FOCI} 18).
Balachandran, V., 2020. September. On the need for automatic knowledge management in
modern collaboration tools to improve software maintenance. In 2020 IEEE
International Conference on Software Maintenance and Evolution (ICSME) (pp. 722-
722). IEEE.
Fu, and et.al., 2018. Large universe attribute based access control with efficient decryption in
cloud storage system. Journal of Systems and Software. 135. pp.157-164.
Khahro, S.H., and et. al., 2020. Post Pandemic Project Management Key Skills and Challenges.
Talent Development & Excellence. 12.
Kozłowska, E., 2018. Interdisciplinary e-collaboration tools.
Lim, F.P., 2017. An analysis of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools in e-
learning. Advanced Science and Technology Letters. 143(46). pp.230-234.
Marwan, M., Kartit, A. and Ouahmane, H., 2018. A framework to secure medical image storage
in cloud computing environment. Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations
(JECO). 16(1). pp.1-16.
Moore, J.A., 2018. Exploring five online collaboration tools to facilitate a professional learning
community. TechTrends. 62(6). pp.612-617.
Sah, L.K., Singh, D.R. and Sah, R.K., 2020. Conducting Qualitative Interviews using Virtual
Communication Tools amid COVID-19 Pandemic: A Learning Opportunity for Future
Research. Journal of the Nepal Medical Association. 58(232).
Sun, and et.al., 2018. A tale of two communication tools: Discussion‐forum and mobile instant‐
messaging apps in collaborative learning. British Journal of Educational Technology.
49(2). pp.248-261.
Zhe, and et.al., 2017. May. Study on data security policy based on cloud storage. In 2017 ieee
3rd international conference on big data security on cloud (bigdatasecurity), ieee
international conference on high performance and smart computing (hpsc), and ieee
international conference on intelligent data and security (ids)(pp. 145-149). IEEE.