The Covid-19 pandemic is showing some signs of abatement and businesses around the world are slowly limping back to their ‘new’ normal. The pandemic has blurred the line between working from home and the office. Companies like Facebook, Twitter and Square, which were previously experimenting with remote working, have now asked their staff to work from home permanently.
Workplace collaboration tools like Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and Clariti that were previously considered as “nice to have” have become “must have” during the lockdown. Whether you intend to return to the office or continue work-from-home, these 5 tools will make your transition smooth and productive.
- FreeOffice
Apart from Microsoft Office, there are other equally good tools like FreeOffice that comes with word processor, spreadsheet, presentation etc. FreeOffice supports all Microsoft Office file formats since 1997 and you will be able to import and export files seamlessly. Another offering from the same company is FlexiPDF, a PDF editor that makes modifying PDF files as easy as working with a word processor. It has everything that you need to carry out your regular tasks. While this is free to use for both individuals and companies, you may have to pay a small fee for certain additional or advanced features. FreeOffice is available for Windows, Mac, Linux and Google Android.
- Shift
Shift is a desktop app that allows you to connect all your accounts, apps, and workflows in one beautiful desktop workstation. Using Shift, you can toggle between multiple email accounts (Gmail, Outlook & Office 365) along with your favorite web apps like (Boomerang, Grammarly, Dropbox, Gmelius, GoToMeeting, HubSpot, Mailtrack, Lastpass, MixMax, Todoist, Zoom) without any hassle. You can put an end to logging in, logging out nightmare.
Shift promises to make you more productive helping you to concentrate on what matters rather than spending all your time logging in and out of accounts, toggling between tabs and other distractions. Using Shift, you can do a quick search across any of your Mail, Calendar or Drive accounts. Shift works in Mac, Windows & Linux. Most importantly, Shift offers you great mobility as you can sign into your account to pick up where you left off on any device. Shift offers a free version and free trial as well.
- Clariti
Clariti is one of the best desktop productivity apps that seamlessly connects related interactions from different communication channels such as email, chat, cloud storage, and social feeds into one context-based topic Thread. That too happens automatically in real-time through artificial intelligence and you don’t have to rely on your memory to remember each context or topic. When you receive an email, you can immediately start chatting from the email and the recipient can understand the context that you are talking about – without you having to forward the email! Both email and related chat are saved automatically in a Thread. Thread helps you connect all related information in ways that are meaningful to you. A Thread can include emails, chats, documents, and social feeds among others. Threads preserve context that is otherwise lost when the related information is stored in different app silos. While Clariti is free for users, it charges premium for certain additional features.
- Redmine
Redmine is an open-source cloud-based project management solution that allows users to manage multiple projects within the system. Each user can play different roles on each project. The issue management system allows users to define the status of each issue and they can set the priority on a need basis. Team members can collaborate with each other through its messaging platforms. Other features include Gantt charts, a calendar, time tracking functionality, feeds and email notifications and self-registration support. The tool offers many features and plugins. Redmine is mainly used for software development projects and supports issue tracking, roadmaps and source code management integration. Additional plugins are available for agile, scrum and meetings. Redmine works with both Unix and Windows platforms. Since it is an open source, you may have to self-deploy the software or engage a specialist.
- Toggl
Toggl is one of the best time management tools available. It is an app designed to track time spent on tasks, to maximize productivity. Toggl runs in the background while users work on tasks. It can track time on all devices. The best part of the tool is that the time tracked using the Toggl mobile app, desktop app, or Chrome extension is all synced. Toggl can breakdown the time tracked according to project, client, or task. Using Toggl, you can charge your clients according to the time spent on any billable project. Above all, its data visualizations help you analyze which projects and clients are most profitable.
The tools listed above will help manage all the challenges posed by distributed teams, by making day-to-day communication simple & organized, keeping everyone on the same page but at the same time provide more freedom with accountability. Check here Best messaging app for smart teams | Sign up for free!
