Remote work is one of the most common buzzwords to accompany the escalating COVID-19 pandemic. And yet, remote work situations have been increasing for decades, rising over 400% from 2010 to 2020, so working from home is nothing new.
This year, changes introduced in the workplace as a response to COVID-19 have caused companies to opt for remote working situations to keep employees — and even their clients — safer.
Many factors affect the popularity of working remotely, including a rise in cloud-based networking, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions, ultra-fast internet access, and the proliferation of technologies that make bringing wide-ranging teams together not just feasible — but value-added.
Nonetheless, companies face several challenges when learning how to operate successfully in this environment — particularly when it comes to facilitating strong collaboration among remote teams, departments, and clients.
Among them are:
- Technical issues that prevent employees from being productive
- Employee frustration with difficult-to-understand soft- or hardware
- Being unable to physically engage with colleagues during meetings, leading to disengagement
- Difficulty facilitating meetings on unreliable video conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype
Failures in these areas often lead to disconnects among colleagues which can result in lowered productivity, misunderstanding project timelines or goals, and a demoralized staff.
For companies wishing to reduce these negative outcomes, a combination of rethinking how meetings should look and investing in simple technologies is a great way to encourage successful remote collaboration.
The Best Collaboration Tools for Remote Workers
Fortunately, we live in a technologically-driven world where new software, hardware, and devices are constantly being developed to make our lives — and our jobs — easier.
Companies that are seeking success in the new work-from-home business model need to rethink the technologies and tools their workers need to be productive in a remote environment.
For the remote worker, there are three categories of tools that truly can make the difference between success and failure.
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Excellent Internet Access
The building block of any remote work team is internet access.
Workers with no — or slow — internet connections are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to connecting and collaborating. To help your workforce get plugged in, make sure they:
- Have access to reliable internet service through a capable provider
- Purchase new routers, and have employees use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi to connect for faster, better speeds
- Ensure internet speeds can keep up with collaborative applications
Taking the time to discover the speed rate necessary to run critical applications is essential for assuring video conferencing, online team meetings, and other collaborative events run smoothly.
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Critical Applications
Next, ensure your remote team has access to integrative software that can assist the collaborative business process. Popular choices include:
- Basecamp
- LeanKit
- Microsoft Sharepoint/Teams
- Dropbox
- Trello
- Slack
- Podio
- Asana
- Ryver
These intuitive applications will keep your team connected, on schedule, and organized so they can focus on project completion rather than spending time figuring out how to use the software.
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Team-building Technology
To connect teams fluidly, consider investing in smart team-building technologies like interactive whiteboards. Digital whiteboards can revolutionize communication over a variety of environments, allowing employees to engage effortlessly.
Teams can view, annotate, and share on-screen documents and integrative features allow seamless partnering with popular applications such as SharePoint, OneDrive, and even Google Drive to promote access across multiple devices.
Edwards Business Systems Has the Right Technology for Your Remote Team
Remote working, a mobile workforce, and global teams — all these elements can spell disaster for companies who don’t understand how to carefully manage collaboration among widespread teams.
At Edwards Business Systems (EBS), we have carefully curated the latest state-of-the-art tools and services to provide our clients with a competitive edge when it comes to collaboration.
Our digital whiteboard partner, Promethean, provides industry-leading products with a host of collaboration-friendly features to outfit your team for communication success.
For example, their ActivPanel Titanium Pro assembles with or without wires to enable the sharing of presentations, files, and more either in person or with a remote team. This is an intuitive system that will lower barriers to communication through its ease of use and smart user interface.
Perfect as a brainstorming tool, Promethean’s interactive whiteboards provide the perfect space to share ideas, work with integrated applications, or get your team together for meetings, projects, and more.
Don’t be left behind as the business world embraces the culture of remote work. Contact an EBS representative now and outfit your remote workforce with the tools they need for collaborative success.
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