Smart Working: Practical Applications For Better Organization

Most companies in recent days have had to take note of the health alert and the provisions of the President of the Council of Ministers, activating the necessary precautions to avoid the spread of Covid-19. Many companies have adopted the smart working method, which means working without proximity, leaving the office space. Although this may be a positive measure for workers, who find a better balance between work and private life, there are pitfalls behind this modus operandi. First, improvisation: you can only work well remotely if you are organized. How do you overcome the limits imposed by distance and continue to be operational as if you were in the office? Fortunately, technology comes to our aid.

Applications For Smart Collaboration

One of the toughest challenges for remote workers is to stay in touch with the work team agilely. No WhatsApp messages or calls on personal numbers: here are the professional tools to help you manage everything as if you and your colleagues were at the same desk.

Drive

The Google suite stores data in the cloud. Inside are tools similar to those of Office: Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms and so on. With Google Drive, you can save your files in one place and share them with your team, who can edit them in turn. The system also keeps track of every change, allowing you to roll back to previous versions if something goes wrong quickly.

Google Calendar

We won’t dwell on it: if you work in an office, you’ve probably already heard of Google Calendar, and maybe you already use it (or use similar software) to check your colleagues’ calendars, to figure out when they’re available for a meeting (or even take a peek at their plans). Of course, you can mark all the activities that interest you on your calendar. 

Slacks

This application is a virtual office. It is configured as a dashboard in which one-to-one communication channels can be created with each colleague or group according to interests. For example, the marketing team can create its own specific channel and sales… and everyone can have a “general” channel where they can exchange service information. On each communication channel, it is possible to share files of all types, activate the search function for messages, reply to conversations in “threads”, and use emojis.

Google Hangouts

An instant messaging software like WhatsApp, with the particularity of being included in the Gmail address, and therefore viewable from the mailbox. But that’s not all: Hangouts is also an app that syncs across all the devices installed. You can start a conversation on your PC and then continue on your smartphone. Plus, you can send files and share information in real-time.

Facebook Workplace

“A new way of working” is the claim of the Workplace. Facebook “for employees” is a workspace that resembles the classic application: everyone has their profile and has access to groups and communication channels.

Project Management Applications

Project managers asked to work remotely may have concerns about managing the work team and project flow. No fear! You will probably already use these applications in the office, and they are also beneficial when working remotely.

Asanas

Asana is a collaborative task management application. This software has many features and allows you to create workspaces, projects (also viewable in kanban mode), and individual tasks to which you can assign labels, notes and comments. This application is designed to facilitate people activity tracking and project management planning. 

Trello

An application that allows you to manage projects with boards, lists and cards. This way, you can organize and prioritize your projects, assign timescales, enter notes, and comments, attach files and move cards into appropriate lists once tasks are completed. Trello is reachable from all devices and automatically syncs across all of them.

Applications For Real-Time Communication And Screen Sharing

Often a phone call is not enough: there is a need to see each other and, above all, to look at a text file, an image, or an email together. This is where apps for real-time communication and screen sharing come in handy.

Google Hangouts Meet

Sister of the Hangouts application we mentioned earlier, Hangouts Meet allows you to make VoIP and video calls. With this tool, you can also send messages and share your screen while you’re talking to your interlocutor. To work close from afar!

Skype

One of the most popular video calling apps. Surely you know her, so let’s not dwell on it. But did you know that Skype users can call landlines and mobile numbers? This can be done using Skype Credit or a calling subscription. Additionally, you can purchase a Skype Number (formerly SkypeIn), allowing you to contact your customers on Skype from a landline or mobile phone.

Zoom

This platform offers several solutions:

1. It allows you to initiate HD video, audio and chat conversations for team collaboration.
2. It enables you to create specific “rooms” and work areas.
3. It can be used as an enterprise cloud phone system.
4. It allows you to create video webinars and has several third-party integrations to make the experience even more effective.

In conclusion, remote working is a new operating method that allows both the company and the collaborators to obtain benefits. 

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