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6 Best Remote Work Tools to Improve Team Productivity

Team Productivity: Best 6 Remote Work Tools
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Nowadays, IT industries can enjoy flourishing global outreach from a single location by capitalizing on remote services. But when it comes to remote working for employees, most enterprises keep it somewhat limited to Tech Support Executives and Freelancers, considering it the last alternative to onsite working. But that was before COVID-19. In the wake of this Global Pandemic and associated lockdowns across the world, Remote Working capabilities have become pivotal for businesses big and small, with enterprises increasingly suiting up to the new reforms of delegation de facto. That raises the demand for dynamic Remote Work Tools that are significantly useful for setting up a cohesive and consistent working environment, anytime and everywhere. So here are some cool stuff to watch out.

How Can Remote Work Tools Improve Team Productivity

Many organizations go by the “work is more important” ideology while operating remotely, giving methodological factors like remote team collaboration secondary importance - be good to go with primitive requisites of emails and phone calls. The entrepreneurs seem to spend unnecessary expenditures and additional hassle. Especially for those who download multiple remote working tools, spend time to learn their usage plus train the employees to learn it too, moreover, to spend money on them with an ongoing crisis already on the table.

But does emails and phone calls guarantee cohesive communication over teams? Does it help maintain work databases? Or allow time tracking? Does it ensure fidelity of production? No. For such deficiencies, email dependent teams are at an increasing risk of facing a multitude of operational backfires, communication gaps, and ultimately the failure of projects.

Software and tools that are specifically designed to create specific work protocols can be a valuable asset here. The features, like automated time tracking, in-built applications for task making, designing, communicating, file sharing along with precise metric systems, are bent on directing an entire workforce to be more productive by redefining tasks and workflows with better time management, precise objectivity, curb communication gaps and have more significant management resources, without giving up on independence. That’s what the below-mentioned software and applications are.

6 Best Remote Working Tools

It is NOT obvious that without the help of advanced remote working software and tools, organizations will struggle to operate. The point is that if a particular organization indeed has any certain difficulties, then these tools are most likely to fix them. Based on that significance, here are the top suites that can be ideal for organizations in general, owing to all industry verticals and business scales.

1. EdrawMind

6 Best Remote Work Tools to Improve Team Productivity Edraw EdrawMind

Source: EdrawMind

By nature, the Edraw EdrawMind software is a mind-mapping and brainstorming tool that can be used for creating dynamic content, presentations, designs, reports, and much more. But what makes this designer’s tool significantly useful for remote working is it’s excellent Online Collaboration feature that enables an entire team to work on a given project collaboratively with a group editorial mechanism. There are facilities to create virtual groups, invite team members via link share or email invitation, update projects, and allow others to edit the contents.

Advice: this application has both online and download versions, but if you are using it for remote working, you will have better communion with the online version.

Key Features
  • Ready-To-Use Templates for Flowcharts, MindMapping, Presentation, Project Planning, and Creative Graphical Content.
  • Allows team members to collaborate on multiple projects exclusively, edit and share in real-time.
  • Get Dropbox Integration with the click of a button.
  • You can drag-and-drop hyperlinks and attachments into the interface at ease.
Pros
Smart Layout
Ease of Use
Free Version Available
One-click Sharing in Anytime and Anywhere
Awesome Customer Support
Cons
Nothing As Such
Platform Online Version, Mobile Version, Windows/Mac/Linux Desktops
Price Basic Plan for Individuals starts from $29
Score on Capterra 4.7 out of 5

2. Slack

6 Best Remote Work Tools to Improve Team Productivity Slack

Source: G2 - Slack

Slack is a messaging tool that aims to make internal communication a breeze for organizations without jumbling things up, especially while working remotely. Its primary mechanism is to bunch different communication apps into one interface, enabling the user to segregate different conversations and projects into separate “Channels.” Not only can you communicate with your team members using this wonderful tool, but also connect with Vendors, Customers, Associates, and everyone else related to your organization. They can email you, Skype you, call you, or use text messages, share files, you won’t need to shuffle between apps, you’ll get the message under the Channels that supports a multitude of apps, file formats, as well as video conferencing. Nothing gets missed.

Key Features
  • Channels - enables you to segregate projects, customers, and teams in separate groups.
  • Share files in the same chat thread.
  • Video Conferencing.
Pros
One tap access to all your messages and information
Better time management
Cons
Messages can get buried in long chat threads
Platform Windows, macOS, Linus, iOS, Android
Price Standard version starts from $2.67/month per user
Score on Capterra 4.5 out of 5

3. Wrike

6 Best Remote Work Tools to Improve Team Productivity Wrike

Source: G2 - Wrike

Wrike is a collaborative project management tool that is among the most flexible remote work tools for marketing teams, designers, and overall resource management for dispersed workforces. With this software in place, it is possible for teams to align remote teams with streamlined project plans, work progress tracking, create dynamic content, share diverse files, and give away real-time reports.

Key Features
  • In-built time-tracker automates the billing-by-hour system.
  • Ready-to-Use templates for Gantt Сhart and other content development tools.
  • Task tool to monitor progress of individual team members.
  • Discussion Board enables better communication among remove teams.
  • Wide-ranging app integration capabilities enable seamless data migration.
  • Audit Reporting tools cover diverse aspects of resource management.
Pros
Supports multitude of sharable file formats
A one-step solution for entire project management needs
Enterprise-level security
Provides native mobile app
Cons
Sometimes gets slow while uploading large files
Dose not have time allocation feature
Platform Online version, iOS, Android
Price Offers a free version (online); Professional package starts from $9.80 per user per month.
Score on Capterra 4.2 out of 5

4. Zoom

6 Best Remote Work Tools to Improve Team Productivity Zoom

Source: G2 - Zoom

Zoom is a web conferencing software that takes all the responsibility to functionalize remote meetings, online classes, and webinars with fast HD quality video and audio streaming. It is specifically designed to align group meetings, where large groups can connect and share thoughts without much ado. There is a chat window integrated with the video screen, so others can text their opinions without interrupting the current speakers.

Key Features
  • Full-screen gallery view of attendees.
  • HD video and audio quality.
  • Meeting scheduling.
  • chat while video conferencing.
  • Content sharing.
Pros
Excellent quality of calls
Supports multiple platforms in a single call
Facility to turn off video and switch to listen-only mode
Cons
System crash between sessions which needs users to sign in again
Platform Windows, MacOS, Online version, iOS, Android
Price Basic plan is Free; Pro package starts from $14.99 per month, per host; and $12.49 Annually per host
Score on Capterra 4.5 out of 5

5. Hubstaff

6 Best Remote Work Tools to Improve Team Productivity Hubstaff

Source: G2 - Hubstaff

Hubstaff is a productivity monitoring application that is among the must-have tools for remote teams. It helps employers gain clarity of employee activity, allows time-tracking, shows browsing history, creates timesheets, and generates automated payrolls. This one suite is powerful enough to manage all the dispensaries of a remote workforce and streamline production fidelity.

Key Features
  • In-Depth Employee Activity Monitoring with screenshots, time-tracking, URL tracking and lots more.
  • Geofencing gives you detailed info about time and location specifics of your team members.
  • Automated payroll software.
  • Online invoicing helps users save time and money.
  • Project budgeting.
Pros
Proper and accurate time-tracking
Provides insights in all the variables of a remote working team
Easy of Use
Provides widespread project management integrations with other apps
Cons
Hard to set up for beginners
Platform Online version
Price There is a free version for single use, the basic version starts with $7/per month per user, and must start with at least 2 users
Score on Capterra 4.6 out of 5

6. Evernote

6 Best Remote Work Tools to Improve Team Productivity Evernote

Source: https://evernote.s3.amazonaws.com/support-assets/en/web-spaces-overview.jpg

Evernote, promoted as a ‘note-taking app,’ is much like an online journal designed to strut up the jargon of notes, design mockups, drafts, to-do-lists, and all the document-oriented loose ends of the information under one simplified interface. Its feature Space is particularly helpful in bringing inputs from an entire team. Use the inbuilt templates to create content, take scans of hard copy, interpret handwriting, share via different platforms. Nothing gets lost here.

Key Features
  • Evernote Business Spaces allows inputs from multiple people.
  • Web Clipper saves entire Webpages, like a bookmark.
  • Ability to scan hard copies.
  • Ability to decode handwriting text.
  • Supports Doc and PDFs.
  • Snyc with different devices remotely.
  • Integrate with apps like Outlook, Google Drive, Salesforce, Slack and lots more.
Pros
Simple to Use
Pro-version (paid) can search text in images
Supports offline access
Supports speech-to-text transcription
Cloud based access
Cons
No password protection for individual notes
Platform Online version, Android, iOS, Windows
Price Basic version is free, Evernote Business costs $14.99 per month per user
Score on Capterra 4.4 out of 5

A Word of Advice

While we have lined up some of the best remote working tools that attend to the core needs of teams in general, it is recommended that you do your research and about your needs and problem areas before investing either of your time or money on new software. Review the capabilities of your existing tools and how user friendly they are.

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