7 must-have tools for working remotely
With technology ever-improving, the average office worker can now enjoy a cup of coffee and complementary Wi-Fi at a local café while working remotely, completing their tasks just as effectively as if they were at their desk.
But, maintaining communication channels with co-workers and making sure you’re able to complete your work without a hitch are the top priorities when you’re working out of the office.
We know you might use our conference calling services already to keep in touch with your colleagues, but we reckon we know of some other tools that are particularly helpful for this – are you using all of them?
There’s nothing wrong with emails, but having a message pop up on your workmate’s screen just seconds after you’ve sent it makes for quicker conversations.
Slack allows you to do just that, as well as add files, photos, and even gifs to every message. Instant messaging services give you all the benefits of email communication, with few of the drawbacks.
Created by Microsoft, SharePoint allows multiple people to work simultaneously on a piece of content or a slide deck.
Multiple versions of a document can cause confusion for everyone involved. With live updates being shown to every user with access, you can all be sure that you’re collaborating on the same piece.
If you’re the kind of person who’s frequently on the road, the ability to package up what you’ve been working on in the office and take it with you is ideal. Save your work to Dropbox and you can pick up where you left off, no matter where you are.
Dropbox works across multiple devices, which gives you an advantage over saving anything locally. No internet connection? No problem – you can access all your saved files when you’re without Wi-Fi.
Every Time Zone shows you the current time for each major time zone across the globe at a glance, making it extremely easy to organise a meeting with your work mates, wherever they may be.
A free service that anyone in the world can access, it’s particularly relevant for global businesses or agencies working with clients overseas.
You never know when creativity might strike, so it’s best to be prepared. Trello is a simple but effective note-making tool, which is also capable of creating checklists too.
There’s also a collaborative element to Trello, as you’re able to work on a checklist together with your work mates, whether they’re in the office or working remotely like you.
Sometimes just talking about work isn’t enough – you need to show people exactly what you’re working on. Screen Share allows you to do this quickly, easily, and securely.
By simply sharing the unique URL, everyone on your call can watch your screen, so whether you’re doing a remote presentation, showing your progress on a certain piece of work, or want to discuss several elements of one piece of work, Screen Share can make it happen.
When you’re always busy, it can be difficult to remember what you did yesterday, let alone a week ago. iDoneThis makes the task of filling in timesheets more fun – something many office workers need.
There’s a collaborative element to it as well, as everyone’s daily check-ins are viewable by the entire team, giving you greater visibility, even when you’re away from your desk.
While remote working may give you the freedom you need, it’s critical that you have the right tools at your fingertips to keep in contact with colleagues and complete your work. With these tools, you should have no problem in effectively working away from your desk.