As part of our COVID-19 preparation, I want to provide some tips for creating an efficient and effective remote work environment.
At COLLAB, remote work is part of our weekly habit. We recognize the importance of flexibility and it’s amazing what a change of scenery can do for your creative juices. It turns out this infrastructure will now be a critical tool for us to maintain business continuity during this time of uncertainty. Here are some tips and tools that may help your business weather this storm in a seamless fashion:
1. Make an effort to communicate. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
All company activities are built on the foundation of communication. Our employees require technologies that allow for quick internal communication. This is especially true when visiting someone’s desk or entering a meeting room is no longer an option. Remote collaboration and messaging technologies are a terrific way to stay connected and productive in place of in-person connection. Here are some of the technologies we use at COLLAB to make communication easier.
- Slack is a secure messaging app that connects all of your work tools and allows you to communicate with your coworkers. That means you can interact and cooperate with your team from a single location without missing a beat.
- Twilio is a cloud communications platform that enables software developers to carry out a variety of communication tasks. Developers can make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and conduct other communication tasks via their APIs.
- When a phone call isn’t enough, video conferencing and chat are the way to go. We love using Slack video conferencing, Google Hangouts, and Zoom since nuance and body language can be missed when we can’t see each other.
2. Make use of cloud storage to facilitate distant cooperation.
The best way to access and share data is through cloud storage. This enables for concurrent work and communication without the need to send files back and forth via email. This is especially important while working on a website design and development project.
- Google Drive offers features such as documents, sheets, and slides, all on a secure cloud-based platform that makes sharing, storing, and accessing data simple.
- Microsoft 365 combines Microsoft Office tools with cloud services, device management, and superior security to provide a more connected, productive, and collaborative workplace.
- Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive are similar cloud fileservers that allow team members to share files and collaborate on projects. They keep everyone’s files in sync at all times, ensuring productivity even when team members are separated by considerable distances.
3. Take control of your group remotely.
There are a number of apps that allow for smooth communication with your team, even if you aren’t in the office with them, whether it’s work assignment/tracking or time management. While we employ software development tools, there are many others that serve a wide range of businesses. Here are a few to think about:
- Trello is a web-based program that allows you to create lists, organize and manage tasks, and collaborate with others. Notes, files, tasks, and projects can all be organized and shared in one spot.
- Jira aids the efficiency of agile software development teams. This isn’t an easy program, but it does a fantastic job at software management. A term of remote work could be the ideal impetus for you to give it a shot.
- Asana is a project management tool that lets users delegate tasks to other team members, add project followers, and track deadlines.
- Monday.com is a work operating system that allows businesses to create bespoke workflow apps in a code-free environment, allowing them to manage projects, procedures, and day-to-day tasks.
- Justworks is a payroll, benefits, HR, and compliance management platform for small businesses. This makes it easier for HR specialists, supervisors, and team members to communicate. Collaboration, policy consistency, and communication are all simplified.
- Workable is a recruiting and candidate tracking solution that helps companies streamline their vetting and hiring processes. Keep track of hiring teams, collaborative notes, a tiered pipeline, and previous activity.
Our team is ready to help you with these or any other digital tools in any capacity you require. COLLAB is here to help you and your company succeed. Contact us at hello@collab71.com.