Collaboration tools are a strong base for every modern business. Whether you run an online company or work from an office, team and coworker collaboration is an integral part of every work task. Therefore, if your employees are spending too much time syncing their data and calling each other back and forth, it might be the ideal time to upgrade your collaboration tools.
As you already know, the internet and the market are filled with offers from different companies who claim they have developed the best tools for your company. However, before you choose the exact tools to use, you need to know what types of tools are necessary for your business.
1. Messaging and emailing
Daily communication with colleagues is usually done via email or text messages. If you need to send plain information, email or text message might be the best option to do so. Therefore, ensure everyone in your team has installed such programs on their computers, laptops, and phones.
To quickly and easily reach your colleagues, install emailing programs with push notifications that will be seen right away. The best tool that falls under this category is Microsoft Outlook which enables you to email your coworkers, create mailing lists as well schedule meetings and organize your day.
2. Video calls and meetings
Believe it or not, Covid-19 has some good sides as well. It has brought recognition to remote work, which resulted in a more flexible workplace and happier employees. Due to that, entrepreneurs had to adapt their ways of doing business, which made them start having online meetings.
Conference calls and video meetings have become very popular in the last two years. That’s why you need to stay up to date with trends and get tools and equipment that will make that possible. Apps like Skype or Zoom are ideal for online meetings with colleagues, as well as with clients and other business partners.
3. Content creation
No matter the industry you operate in, content creation and marketing are essential parts of every company. Even though digital marketing may not be your main focus and field of work, your marketing team still needs to collaborate on projects and have adequate tools for work. So, introduce new content creation tools that will make the entire creative process much easier.
Depending on the type of content you want to create, you can choose from text, video, and image tools that will help you achieve your goals. For instance, you can suggest Canva for your creative team or invest in the Adobe package for more serious projects.
4. Project management
Each business and team has a certain set of tasks and goals they need to complete during their working hours. Since managers and team leaders can’t be available non-stop, introducing project management tools for your business is crucial. What do project management tools do?
Except for keeping track of the project, you can delegate tasks and give feedback information through such tools. It’s a great way for managers to create a better connection with their employees. Since there is a wide variety of tools to choose from, pick one that suits your business the most. Besides simple task delegating, many of those tools provide you with features that measure results and help you track progress.
5. Time tracking
One of the biggest concerns many managers had when starting remote work is whether their employees will actually do work from home. That’s why many employers struggle to allow their teams to work remotely even today. Luckily, technology has advanced and we have numerous tools available to overcome this issue.
Keeping an eye on your employees is possible with time tracking apps. Using time tracking and screen recording tools enables you to maintain control over your employees. Since they know they are being monitored, they are more likely to work harder and focus solely on their tasks. Additionally, these tools also measure progress and results, which gives you insight into team productivity.
6. Communication and engagement
Teams that are more engaged in their work tend to achieve better results and are generally more satisfied and motivated to work. To make that happen, open and honest communication is essential. To successfully collaborate as a team, you need to stay in touch no matter where you’re located. So, think about implementing tools that make communication much easier.
Even though emails are crucial, teams also need an informal channel to communicate and stay informed. That’s why the best solution for employee communication is the tools that provide your employees with a safe space to chat, share updates and stay informed.
7. File sharing and storing
Collaboration isn’t only based on communication. In some cases, many teams or employees need to work on the same project at the same time, which may result in confusion. Besides clearly delegating tasks among your coworkers, you also need a place where finished pieces of the project will be uploaded.
Instead of mailing your finished assignments and disturbing others, use file-sharing tools such as Google Docs and Clouds, that will sync in all parts of the project. On top of that, all colleagues will be able to access the needed information no matter where they are and change the existing according to the updates.
8. Calendar
Time management is one of the most important skills of every employee. Since not everyone is great at remembering everything they need to do, having a workplace calendar may be a lifesaver. The calendar will help your team organize their tasks according to urgency and priority, as well as keep track of meetings.
One of the best collaborative calendars is offered by the Microsoft Outlook program. You can schedule meetings, add participants or simply create reminders that will keep you up to date with all the tasks you need to do. You’ll experience headaches no more once you organize your days properly.
Final thoughts
Whether you’re just starting a business or you already have a well-developed firm, these tools are a must-have for every company. Besides making your work progress easier and more organized, they help you collaborate better within the team as well as with clients and stakeholders. So, don’t waste time anymore and implement the needed tools to achieve wanted results faster!
Author bio:
Stella van Lane is a Sydney based mom and a passionate writer in love with coffee, chocolate, music, books and good vibes. Her top interests are business, technology, health etc.
