Understanding how to utilize technology to your advantage can help improve your relationship with other businesses. To protect B2B relationships, you must be able to protect each other’s secure and private documents. Likewise, you must be able to communicate with one another in a more convenient way than through email messaging. Having shared file storage provides you with an opportunity to share documents and agreements with business clients.
Shared File Storage Basics
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The more organized your network folders and email, the more streamlined your digital environment. It is important that shared document storage has consistent naming conventions for the same reasons. For business clients and employees that need duplicated records or use their organization systems, it’s far easier to locate important files and collaborate when you utilize a secure, shared file storage platform that works for both in-house and remote processes without compromising security.
When you have a formal process, digital clutter is rarely a problem. These platforms also allow you to use up less storage space because you reduce the risk of duplicate files in the system.
In B2B document sharing, a platform such as this automates the processes and policies you have in place that make it easier, and safer, to share information.
Evolution of Shared File Storage
Over the last few decades, technology has changed how businesses share files. In the past, businesses shared physical copies with one another. If you were in a long-distance partnership, you had to send sensitive information through the mail. However, as email became more popular, businesses began using it to send and share documents. While people still use email to share files, there are various problems with using email.
Large files are difficult to send, slowing the network or causing the download to time out. In addition, the variety of standard file types makes it difficult to determine whether the recipient can open or view the file. Cloud storage allows people to store and share documents across different geographies.
Advantages of Shared File Storage
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Investing in a B2B document storage platform can improve your relationship with business clients. The various benefits make collaboration and data exchange more convenient. Without shared file storage, you may be putting your business clients at risk.
Speed and Security
When you have online document storage, you will likely have more speed and efficiency in storing and accessing documents. Likewise, it gives your clients the impression that you take security seriously. When businesses enter into an agreement or relationship with one another, they need some guarantee that their sensitive data isn’t at risk. No one should have excessive concerns about private documents ending up in the wrong hands. Showing the other company that you have a secure, shared document platform can make your business look more trustworthy.
Access to Signatures
When it comes to business contracts, you have to sign a lot of documents and in turn gather a lot of signatures. International and global companies cannot always meet up to exchange contracts or to sign documents together. One of the main advantages of shared file storage is the ability to gather signatures.
Shared storage allows users to access and sign documents on the cloud. Additionally, if you need multiple people to sign a document, you can edit the permissions to allow access only to those who need to sign the document.
Improved Workflow
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No one wants to have to play email tag to obtain required files. Not only are back-and-forth emails inconvenient but it increases the risk that files may become lost. However, when you have cloud-based storage, you will have the option to automize your workflow. Additionally, you can set up notifications to track documents and receive alerts when a file is finished. Intuitive interfaces also make it easy to tell which documents you still need to submit. If there are files holding up one of your company’s processes, then you can easily notify others about the missing documents.
Best Practices for Secure Shared File Storage
When it comes to B2B file sharing, security should be a top priority for any organization. Here are some of the best practices to ensure secure shared file storage:
User Access Controls
User access controls are a critical aspect of secure shared file storage, as they help ensure that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive data. Access controls can help you manage and enforce policies that limit access to files and data, reducing the risk of data breaches and unauthorized disclosures.
Encryption
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Encryption is a critical aspect of secure shared file storage, as it helps protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. Encryption is the process of converting plaintext (clear text) into ciphertext (coded text) using an encryption algorithm, which requires a key to decrypt the ciphertext back into plaintext.
Regular Backups
Regular backups are an essential part of secure shared file storage. Backups ensure that in the event of a system failure, data loss, or a cyber attack, you can quickly and easily restore your files and data to their previous state.
Employee Training
Employee training is a critical aspect of secure shared file storage. While technology and security measures are important, employees also play a key role in protecting sensitive data from cyber attacks and data breaches. Employee training helps ensure that employees are aware of security risks and understand their role in maintaining a secure environment.
Use Cloud Storage as a B2B Strategy
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To keep your relationship with your B2B clients strong, you have to show that you care about not only your business’s security but sensitive client data too. A fair document storage solution is efficient, secure and easy to use. You should have no trouble monitoring and understanding how the platform works and if you do run into trouble, you should have a support system to call on. You need to control what clients can access, what they can download and put into the system. While people used to use email to transfer documents, it is far more effective to use cloud storage.
