- Working from home has increased significantly in the past number of years and while it has many benefits, from increased work-life balance to fewer overhead costs for employers, it’s not without it challenges.
- There are a number of tools available to address the pitfalls of remote teams, including project management, communication, file sharing and time tracking.
- While price is important, ease of use and accessibility are two of the most important considerations when you team is remote and without onsite IT help.
Remote working or working from home has become the new norm. While there are definite advantages to the switch from office-based work, managers and team leaders often have a hard time keeping their teams motivated and their projects running smoothly. Having the right remote working tools can increase communication, boost morale, ease admin issues and keep important projects on track.
Let’s look at some of the best remote working tools businesses are using today.
ShutterstockTrello
Job: Project Management
Trello is widely regarded as versatile and easy to use. The platform uses a card-based system for project management, which allows users to break down complex projects into separate tasks. Each project is assigned to a board, and each task, a card on the project board. It also offers the ability to assign tasks to individual team members, who can then mark the task as complete. Trello is compatible with web, android and iOS.
They offer a range of monthly subscription plans, as follows:
- Basic: $0/month (personal use only)
- Standard: $5/month (for personal use and small businesses)
- Premium: $10/month (for teams of up to 100)
- Enterprise: $17.50/month (for organizations with greater security needs)
Key Benefits:
- 2-factor authentication
- Set task and project due dates
- Assign tasks to specific team members
- No individual user fees
Screenshot: TrelloProofHub
Job: Project Management
ProofHub is marketed as an all-in-one, remote project management solution. Like Trello, it allows users to break complex projects down into tasks and assign them to individual team members. ProofHub also offers features for time-tracking, file sharing, and team chat. The platform is available for iOS, Android and web. It’s a great solution for remote teams looking to manage all aspects of their remote working environment with one, easy to use platform.
ProofHub’s Ultimate Control Plan costs $89/month, with no individual user fees.
Key Benefits:
- All-in-one remote work management
- No individual user fees
- Set task and project due dates
- Simple and easy to use
Screenshot: ProofHubWrike
Job: Project Management
Wrike is a great platform for managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders. It offers a collaborative proofing feature which lets various contributors leave comments on documents. Wrike is known for its user-friendly, minimalist design and intuitive interface. Like Trello and ProofHub, Wrike can be used to create custom workflows, assign tasks, and set deadlines. The platform is compatible with Android, iOS and web.
Wrike’s Business Plan package costs $24.80 per user, per month.
Key Benefits:
- User-friendly interface
- Minimalist design
- Collaborative proofing facility
- Assign tasks and set deadlines
ShutterstockSlack
Job: Communication
Slack is the remote communication platform of choice for many well-known brands. The platform allows users to create dedicated channels for projects and teams, to avoid repeat communication over via direct messenger. However, it does offer a direct messaging facility for times when this is more appropriate. Slack is available on Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS. It can also be integrated with many popular third party apps like Salesforce Chatter and Google Drive.
Slack’s Plus Plan costs $6 per user, per month.
Key Benefits:
- Integrates with third-party apps
- Create dedicated project channels
- Affordable for small businesses
- Direct messaging facility
ShutterstockMicrosoft Teams
Job: Communication
Microsoft teams is one of the world’s most popular remote communication tools which allows for direct messaging, group chats, and reliable video conferencing. This tool facilitates all necessary one-on-one, group-based and face-to-face communication, making it the ideal communication solution. It also allows team members to enhance messages with emojis, gifs, and stickers – all of which are workplace friendly. Microsoft Teams is available on Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android.
Teams is available as part of Microsoft’s Office 365 Home Plan, which costs $9.99 per month for up to 6 users.
Key Benefits:
- Monthly fee includes all Office 365 products
- Video chat facility
- One-on-one and group messages
- Workplace friendly emojis, stickers and gifs
ShutterstockKrisp
Job: Communication
Krips is the ideal communication tool for teams who engage in regular business meetings and value great sound quality. It comes with intelligent noise-reduction software which automatically detects and cancels out background noise. The platform is affordable, user-friendly and easy to install, though it is not compatible with Android or iOS. Unlike Microsoft Teams and Slack, Krisp does not include a text-messaging facility and can only be used for audio and video communication.
Krisp offer a free version and a paid plan which starts at $3.33/month.
Key Benefits:
- Noise-reduction software
- Ideal for teams which only communicate via audio or video
- Affordable
- Easy to use
Screenshot: KrispGoogle Drive
Job: File Sharing
Google Drive is one of the most widely used file sharing platforms. This highly versatile platform allows teams to share videos, audio files, documents, presentations and images. Users can choose to share via a link or by adding specific team members to a file. Preferences are easy to change and customizable, in that files can be set as editable, or view only. Google Drive works with Web, Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS.
The basic version of Google Drive is free to use. They also offer an Enterprise version for $8 per user, per month. However, the Enterprise version costs an additional $1 per 25GB of storage.
Key Benefits:
- Free version suitable for most SMEs
- Customizable permission preferences
- Very user friendly
- Compatible with all file types
- Cloud-based storage
ShutterstockMicrosoft OneDrive
Job: File sharing
OneDrive is the ideal platform for flexible, reliable file sharing. In addition to sharing documents, presentations, videos and audio files saved in OneDrive, users can choose to access files offline. The sharing facility is intuitive and easy to use. Simply add users to a document or copy and send a shareable link. OneDrive is available on Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android and web.
OneDrive is available as part of Microsoft’s Office 365 Home Plan, which costs $9.99 per month for up to 6 users and includes 1TB of storage space.
Key Benefits:
- Choose files to access offline
- Cloud-based storage
- Compatible with all file types
- Easy, intuitive interface
ShutterstockTimeCamp
Job: Time Tracking
TimeCamp allows managers to quickly and easily view what each team member is currently doing. The time tracking facility can be activated or deactivated at 10-minute intervals, making it the perfect platform for accurate tracking of hours worked. TimeCamp also includes analytics features which show how much time was spent on different tasks for each project, or by day. It is available on Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS and web.
TimeCamp’s Pro Plan costs $10 per user, per month.
Key Benefits:
- Handy analytics tools
- Accurate time tracking
- Affordable
Screenshot: TimeCampTimeDoctor
Job: Time Tracking
TimeDoctor is an advanced and versatile piece of time management software, trusted by large corporations and SMEs alike. In addition to time tracking, TimeDoctor includes convenient project management and employee monitoring tools. It allows users to distinguish between employees and freelance workers, making it easy to track project progress and manage billable hours. This platform also comes with a pay slip generation feature, which can be set to either weekly or monthly pay slips. Unlike other time management apps, TimeDoctor also monitors time spent in meetings, on calls and using the internet. Unfortunately, it is only compatible with Android and iOS – there are no web or desktop versions.
TimeDoctor’s paid plans start at $7 per user, per month.
Key Benefits:
- Free trial option
- Track meeting and call time separately
- Pay slip generation feature
- Accurate time tracking
Screenshot: Time DoctorWhat to look for in remote working tools
Nothing kills morale and productivity quite like slow or uncooperative software. Choosing tools that are accessible and easy to use is now even more important, as your team members do not necessarily have the safety net of the office environment and onsite IT help while working through challenges or familiarizing themselves with new software. Though affordability is important, most companies should prioritize ease of use and accessibility. You might ensure the latter by choosing cloud-based programs and tools that are available on both mobile and desktop.
