Collaboration of Files

Question

In order to manage Collaboration of Files, I am really confused about whether to use google drive or dropbox or anything else with salesforce.

My needs are admin will upload documents, word document or spreadsheet in the salesforce system.

The document has to be shared with all users.

Simultaneously all the users should be able to edit the document similar to how google drive does it

So my Questions are: 1. Is this facility of Collaboration of files available in salesforce (inbuilt). 2. If not is there any free app where admin can upload files on google drive and same will be shared on salesforce 3. Does that admin have to login always on google drive to upload files and share? 4. Dropbox or google drive can be used for simultaneously editing the files?

Answer 1

Collaboration on files is available in salesforce as salesforce files but at this point it lacks the ability of real time editing like google drive .You can set workflow around salesforce content files and get the security you are looking for with salesforce content .

If you enable features like File Connect thats being offered by salesforce at certain price ,you should be pretty close to doing following

1.The entire document folder will appear inside salesforce chatter files without any actual set up

2.The security that you are looking for can be achieved

3.Since the documents are in google drive real time edit is possible

4.Admin need not login in each time and the experience is seamless .

Check below blogpost just to get an idea of how the integration would behave and look like

http://cloudyworlds.blogspot.com/2015/05/integrating-google-drive-with.html

Answer 2

You are perfectly able to use Documents:

1. create a public documents folder
   • granting read/write access
   • selecting This folder is accessible by all users
2. add documents to that folder

Likewise you can use Files:

1. upload a file
2. set its sharing for Any user in your company to Collaborators
3. you can use Salesforce File Sync to automatically keep selected files in sync with your device

Considerations

• be sure to read:
  • Differences Between Files, Salesforce CRM Content, Salesforce Knowledge, Documents, and Attachments
• seeing as how there are at least two ways above to do it, what did you actually try?
• anyhow, to me this sounds like a problematic proposition / workflow with plenty potential for conflicts