Remote work is on the rise like never before as companies are pressured to sustain operations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. But even before massive business disruptions, remote working has been a growing trend. Many have been enjoying work-from-home setups with the help of the right tools. We shared our 4 step checklist for working from home in a previous article, in this article we share a list of our favorite tools and tips working from home.
In the face of natural calamities, outages, and the ongoing pandemic, a distributed workforce becomes a necessary business continuity measure — a means to protect employees and keep productivity up, even as normal facilities remain unavailable.
But all of this was only possible because we have the technologies to support remote work. Barriers to remote working have been brought down by the advancement of remote working tools. With a plethora of software to choose from, we’ve selected the ones that help your remote teams thrive.
Remote desktop applications
Accessing your work computer while on the go or out of the office was once unheard of. Remote desktop apps have made it possible, allowing users to work remotely on a computer through another device and from any location.
Our pick: LogMeIn
LogMeIn has capabilities such as screen sharing, file transfer, remote printing, and clipboard transfer. The app is easy to set up and is available for Windows and macOS.
Real-time communication and collaboration software
Every successful organization needs to communicate. When communication breaks down, productivity and engagement suffer. Given the lack of face-to-face contact, regular, real-time communication is arguably more critical for remote teams and their managers. The following apps make it possible, seamless, and simple.
Our picks: Microsoft Teams, Datto Workplace, Slack, and Zoom
Deemed the alternative to email, Microsoft Teams is the leader of the pack. As a full collaboration and communication suite. It allows VoIP, direct and group messages, and integration with all the Office 365 apps including file sharing. Watch the video below to see the power of Microsoft Teams!
Microsoft Teams Intro Video
Microsoft Teams Quick Start Guide
Microsoft Teams Training Videos
Datto Workplace is a great enhancement for Microsoft Teams providing enterprise level file sync & share services to allow your team to collaborate and maintain a full audit trail of file activity.
Slack and Zoom are an alternative to Teams if your organization isn't using Office 365.
IMPORTANT: If using Zoom be sure to follow Best Practices to Prevent Zoom Bombing
Project management essentials
When you’re managing a team of dozens located in different parts of the globe, things can start to fall apart quickly. Time differences and distance can create significant complexity if you lack the right tools. These two apps can help you overcome the challenges and streamline project organization and collaboration.
Our picks: Basecamp and Trello
Basecamp is a web-based management tool for planning and collaboration on projects. There’s no installation needed, just your regular web browser to access its powerful core functions that include task management, messaging, collaboration, file sharing, scheduling, quick search, and reporting.
Trello’s overall shining feature is its simplicity. The web-based tool’s approach to project management is built around one concept: the bulletin board. Users can create boards that represent projects and each board can be populated with cards assigned to specific members and customized with deadlines, comments, and attachments
WORK FROM HOME TIPS
We found two articles we felt stood out as great work from home tips. The Muse article is a shorter high level list while the Inc. article goes more in depth with specifics. Click the below links to read the articles we found are great work from home tips to stay productive and maintain a healthy work/life balance.
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