5 Productivity Tools For Your Team
by Colleen Mustard on July 28th, 2020
Since lockdown level 5 restriction measures were announced in South Africa during March of 2020, many business owners were forced to let their employees work from home. For some however, this was unfortunately not the case.
Social distancing had to be adhered to in order to curb the spread of the Coronavirus so a lot of companies could not operate at all, not even virtually. For those who were still lucky enough to be able to conduct business, even without being in the same room, virtual tools became essential.
Yes, some businesses are making use of one or more of these platforms already, but if your company isn’t, then perhaps now is the time to. Choosing the right software that fits your business needs and objectives is not always an easy task. There are a host of apps available out there that can improve team collaboration and transform the way you conduct business.
Today, I will be highlighting just 5 productivity tools that could help your business thrive and continue to grow during, and post lockdown. Briefing your team on the day’s projects, getting progress updates and setting weekly goals, all from almost anywhere and at any time, has never been easier.
#1 – Asana
Asana is a widely-used and popular all-in-one tool that helps teams manage and create projects, co-ordinate tasks and meet deadlines. It allows you to assign work to your teammates, monitor the progress of projects and communicate about current or upcoming tasks.
You can attach files, build team calendars and collaborate from anywhere. It also helps you better manage your time. It’s a web and mobile application designed to improve efficiency. It helps marketing teams plan and track campaigns and execute them from start to finish.
Keeping your projects organized has never been easier with Asana’s organizational tools. Their plans range from Basic all the way to Premium. Each offers their own set of features so you can choose the right plan for your company’s objectives.
*Fun Fact: “It was founded in 2008 by Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and ex-Google, ex-Facebook engineer Justin Rosenstein, who both worked on improving the productivity of employees at Facebook. Moskovitz and Rosenstein left Facebook in 2008 to start Asana (named after a Sanskrit word meaning “yoga pose”
*Source: Wikipedia
#2 – Slack
Our GeoTarget team of digital marketers rely heavily on Slack on a daily basis to communicate. It’s a platform that offers users the opportunity to transfer files and instant message co-workers or even teams from other companies.
Slack also offers voice calls as well as video conferencing that speeds up the sharing of information. It can also be integrated with a host of other tools that include Trello. No matter the size of your team, Slack “supports collaboration at a global scale” It’s the perfect platform to save time by cutting down on endless email chains.
You also have the option to conduct private one-on-one messaging as well as group messaging. It’s security features data protection and they ensure that “only the right people and approved devices can access your company’s information” Slack will leave you wondering how you ever conducted business without it.
#3 – Zoom
During the lockdown period in South Africa, Zoom was undoubtedly the buzzword. They have become the leader in video communication and even more so when social distancing was implemented.
Zoom allows users to video conference across any device. You can join or host meetings with friends, family or co-workers. Their pricing plans start with Basic which is totally free. It hosts up to 100 participants and offers unlimited 1 to1 meetings.
The more advanced and feature-packed plans are Pro, Business and Enterprise that are priced at $14.99 and $19.99. If you are in the market for an award winning video conferencing app then download Zoom today.
#4 – ProofHub
If you’re looking for a work management system that offers all-inclusive project and collaboration functions, then ProofHub is for you. It’s a software platform that has all the tools users need to organize, plan and collaborate.
It unifies communication and enables you to work smarter. It integrates with apps such as Quickbooks, Onedrive and Outlook and more. It has a reporting tool that lets you create custom reports. You have total control over team projects or individual progress. With Proofhub, you will never miss out on work requests.
Maximise productivity by organizing all your work projects in one place. With ProofHub, you get instant messages and replies from clients and teams in groups or one-on-one. It’s an online management tool that’s worth checking out.
#5 - Wimi
Wimi is a project management application that features online file sharing, messaging channels, video conferencing and more. Teams can share files and calendars and also mange projects in a unified workspace.
WimiDrive is their file syncing software that allows you to “access all files instantly across your team’s computers and mobile devices” Wimi Teamwork has a drag and drop feature that enables you to share files and folders by drag and dropping them into a project.
Another great feature is the ability to lock a file while you are editing it so that another team member does not edit it at the same time as you do. You can assign members access rights such as “editor” or “read-only” Wimi is a cloud-based software solution that secures your data and allows you to decide who to allow access to.
PS: It’s always worth researching any of these apps before paying for them. Check out which of them offer features that best suit your team and budget and take it from there. Here are 2 others worth mentioning:
Serene: The MacOs app for laser focus
RescueTime: Time management software that helps you to get more done in less time.
Till next time, here is your quote of the day.
“I think a lot of the time there isn't such a black-and-white difference between what's a platform and what's an app. It's really just like the most important apps become platforms.”
Mark Zuckerberg
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