Ever since people started working from home, the need for collaborative software has increased. From communication, to brainstorming and project management, technology brings a ton of options. And with more such tools appearing every year, it might be hard to find the right ones. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best online tools for team collaboration in 2021.
Brainstorming Tools
A project isn’t always a single person’s job. Sometimes, other team members have to jump in and bring new ideas to the table. Let’s see what are some useful brainstorming tools you can use!
Miro
Miro is a fast, free and easy to use digital whiteboard. It’s built to help teams collaborate in real time, no matter where they’re from. It comes with an infinite canvas that gives you the freedom to choose how you work with your team. It’s perfect for digital brainstormings because everyone can contribute in real time. It also comes with a variety of tools (pens, post-it notes) and integrations that you can customize to better fit your team’s needs.
Google Docs
Google hardly needs any introduction. Their collaborative tools include Docs, Sheets and Slides services that are meant to streamline remote collaboration. Your team can edit these files in real time and even leave comments that will be saved automatically. On top of that, you won’t even have to worry about losing documents or ideas – everything happens in Drive.
Igloo
Igloo is a modern digital work space. The platform is packed with features that will help your team build and sustain the best digital workplace. You can add blogs, broadcasts, calendars and forums where members of your team can better communicate, discuss ideas and come up with new concepts.
Communication Tools
If you can’t communicate, you can’t collaborate. That’s why you need solid online tools that will help you keep in touch, no matter where your team is located.
Slack
Slack is one of the most popular communication platforms that offers instant messaging, message search, video calls and file transfer. It’s easy to set up and use and it can change the way your team communicates for the better. Slack also comes with a series of integrations that will make your life easier.
Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing platform that will take care of all your communication needs. It’s secure, reliable and will allow you to hold meetings, phone calls, webinars or online workshops. On top of that, it’s super easy to use – just download the software, click and you’re in. It’s that simple.
Flowdock
Flowdock brings all your conversations, tools and work items in one place. It’s a chat platform, both for private DMs and group conversations. One of its most interesting features is the team inbox which brings in notifications from other connected apps and channels.
RingCentral
RingCentral can be used on both desktop and mobile devices to host and join video calls, video conferences or just simple phone calls. It also allows for screen sharing and instant messaging, all in one easy to use and easy to access platform.
Tools for Project and Task Management
Project management tools were important even before everyone started working from home. Now they’re crucial in the healthy development of a project.
Asana
Asana is one of the most well-known and loved project management tools. With this, you can assign tasks to other members of your team, closely monitor deadlines and add followers to specific projects. Asana also comes with other built-in features such as to-do lists and calendars that you can use to better organize your team.
Trello
Trello is a Kanban-board style project management software. It has an agile drag-and-drop feature that allows for better project management and team organization. The best thing about Trello is that it can be integrated with other software and it also comes with a simple and intuitive interface.
Jira
Jira is a project management software that helps agile teams stay focused to deliver quality work in a timely manner. It comes with plenty of useful features such as Kanban boards, roadmaps, agile reporting and real time status updates.
How to Choose the Best Tool for Your Needs
When it comes to choosing the best software for your remote needs, there are some aspects you should take into consideration, such as:
The number of features. Some tools might look perfect at a first glance, offering plenty of features. However, they might not be offering the options that your team actually needs.
Privacy options. Team collaboration doesn’t mean everything should be out in public. Sometimes, team members will need to have private conversations about certain projects.
Ease of use. This is one of the most important criteria. You should always look for something that’s easy to use and get used to. It doesn’t matter how much money you pay on a subscription or how many features it has – if a software takes a lot of time to learn, it’s not worth your time.
Cloud saving. Cloud-based software will make sure everything is saved in a timely manner and that all the changes are visible. It will take away the stress of worrying about losing important projects or data.
Compatibility and integrations. You should always look for software that can be seamlessly integrated with other software. Sometimes, you might need some extra features that a tool might not have.
Our Final Thoughts
Before you choose the perfect software for your remote collaboration needs, you should always do some research. Make a list of all the tools you’re thinking of using and see what pros and cons they bring. Just keep in mind – every team is different so what works for another business might not work for yours. These were just a few tools that people have generally found helpful and will give you a solid base for your research.
We’d love to hear your opinion, though – what other online tools do you use in your daily work? What are their advantages and disadvantages?
I’m Aurelia Brown! I blog about tech, how to use it, and what you should know. I love spending time with my family and sharing stories of the day with them.
