Finding Remote Work Tools That Are Easy to Start Using

There is no time like the present to find and implement the right remote work tools to aid your company’s shift toward working online. If one or more of your competitors are already there, transitioning your team is likely long overdue. It’s important to maintain an edge, even when things are running smoothly. And it’s equally critical to equip all team members with the right resources when coming into the office isn’t ideal. 

So you may be thinking, can we expect a steep learning curve once we roll out these remote tools? Honestly, that will depend on which ones you choose. Some are simply more intuitive than others. And we suggest that you start with those easy-to-learn options.

Intuitive Remote Work Tools to Help Your Team Thrive

One of the drawbacks of working remotely is that it can unintentionally create a sense of disconnection, especially for people who enjoy coming into an office precisely for some regular face time.  That could be why some companies resist moving their work online. You want your team members to thrive, and it’s true that not everyone excels at working from home.

Fortunately, remote work tools and their advantages have evolved over the years. In fact, many of these tools benefit team collaboration and increase engagement in ways that weren’t possible before. So, if you want to move your marketing, finance, or product team online (or are forced to in order to stay ahead of—or keep up with—the curve), below are some of the best tools for remote work that won’t take much time or effort to implement:

Cloud-based File Storage

File storage and sharing have been available via cloud technology for years, making it easy to access  documents from anywhere. Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint, and Box are some of the more well-known applications. In addition, cloud-based storage is oftentimes better at keeping content safe than on-site servers. 

Time Tracking Software

Time tracking softwares, like Harvest, let your team members record their total hours as well as the time spent on individual projects and tasks. It also lets you track productivity, determine where things can be improved, create and send invoices, and generate reports on your expenses. 

Internal Chat Tool

Since most people are familiar with instant messaging, getting your team to use an internal chat tool should be a simple transition. Similar to social apps, sharing updates and file links is fast and the learning curve is minimal. But internal chat tools take efficiency a step further by letting you create project channels, tag team members, and perform searches. Slack is one of the best internal chat tools on the market today. Plus, it works well with other remote tools and more robust collaborative workspaces.

Video Conferencing Platform

Many internal chat tools also provide some form of video chat. For large group discussions, though, it helps to have a video conferencing platform. WebEx and Zoom are two options commonly used. And both make department meetings, company training, and face-to-face client calls accessible from home. They’re also plug-and-play, so they’re simple to set up and learn.

Task Management App

When working remotely, a task management app can help your team stay on top of key milestones and help with managing time. Instagantt and Todoist are both good examples. And their simplistic designs make getting up-to-speed straightforward. But the best apps for managing tasks will be a little less niche, providing one seamless platform for managing all content, project timelines, and team communication.

In fact, the easiest way to get your teams comfortable with working from home or another off-site location is to use a single platform designed to handle every aspect of your company’s collaboration.

Redefine Work with One Collaborative Space

On their own, some of the best remote work tools are easy to learn and use. But relying on multiple disconnected apps can, ultimately, waste a lot of time.

Using one workspace that provides all the functionality of the best tools out there will give you and your team a better chance of keeping workloads manageable. In addition, choosing a tool that integrates with other essential tools and that offers single sign on for all of your managed accounts can help to minimize the learning curve further.

Implementing multiple tools that aren’t guaranteed to be compatible can be time consuming and costly. With Flow, you’ll have access to a comprehensive project management platform that is simple and easy to use. Start your free trial today!