For many businesses, the flexibility to work-from-home (WFH) is a great perk for employees. Studies even show that employees that have the option to work remote show higher productivity and job satisfaction.  

There are many benefits to remote workforce but there can also be struggles/challenges for leaders and managers trying to maintain culture, productivity and a team environment.  

We’ve put together a list of our favorite tools to help us get the job done in house or from home. 
 

Our Favorite 7 Collaboration Tools to Help Your Remote Team Stay Engaged, Productive and Motivated from Anywhere

1 Microsoft Office 365 for Business

This stack of Software as a Service (SaaS) products allows your team to utilize classic programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more in new ways.  

Office 365 also opens the doors for your team to utilize cloud storage/collab tools like OneDrive and SharePoint. Files saved to this software can be accessed at home, on the go, in the office or anywhere with an internet connection.

2 Microsoft Teams

This product is included with Office 365 but deserves its own section because of all the different things it sets your team up to do including:

• Individual and team-based IMs  
• Live collaboration with Microsoft documents inside of the Teams tool  
• Audio & Video calls  
• Screen share  
• Add on apps for even more productivity boosts  

3 Zoom Video & Web Conferencing

Zoom is one of the leading web/video conferencing tools on the market. With free and multiple paid options, it is likely you can find a solution to fit the needs of your organization and your business.  

Some of our favorite features in Zoom include:  

• Personal meeting room to start a meeting any time  
• Outlook integrations for easy schedule  
• Webinar capabilities with panel, hosts, Q&A, chat etc.  
• Video and/or Audio calls  
• Mobile App

4 Slack

Slack is one of the leading direct communication tools for business. You can message teammates directly; create group chats and you can also communicate in channels. With seemingly endless add-ons and extensions, Slack is a leader when it comes to connecting teams.  

Andromeda Technology Solutions recently transitioned from Slack to Microsoft Teams for our own internal communications but some of the features we loved in Slack include:  

• Direct messaging 
• Audio/Video calling  
• Channels for group needs
• Easy integration of apps  
• Custom emojis for fun  

5 Trello

Trello is a neat tool that helps with project management and tracking. You can use it for personal projects or teams to manage workflows, status and many things in between. This is also another tool you can use with a free version to test out and see what works for your team.  

Our favorite Trello features:  

• Easy to user interface with drag & drop ‘cards’ 
• Easy upload multiple types of media – docs, links, photos etc.  
• Individual/Group task assignment  
• Mobile application  
• Labels and tags for organization
   

6 Basecamp

Basecamp is a project and team management tool used by all kinds of organizations and teams globally. This one tool can help you organize, communicate and collaborate on multiple projects while keeping all the info you need in one space. You can even give clients access to Basecamp so that they can communicate and keep up to date on status of your team.  

Our Web Design team uses Basecamp daily to move projects along.  

Some of their favorite features include:  

• To-do Lists 
• Message Boards 
• Scheduling tool  
• Document & File storage  
• Group chat  

7 Zapier

Zapier is one of the industry leaders in connecting web apps for automation. And since you’re team is getting tons done on-the-go, you’ll want to check out all the ways this tool can simplify your workflows and help your team work more efficiently. Zapier connects the apps you use every day and helps cut down busy work.  

Additionally, Zapier knows what it means to work remote, they boast a 100% remote workforce with over 200 teammates working all over the globe.  

A connection from one software to another via Zapier is called a Zap. You can check out 2000+ zaps and the tool here
 

Finding the right mix of tools is as individualized as the job. We hope these suggestions help you to create an environment that is productive and satisfying. If you would like to discuss your unique situation, give us a call at (815) 836-0030 or email our team.