The shift towards remote work used to be a gradual process. Forward-thinking companies have been creating collaboration tools for over a decade knowing that demand will increase with time. Many of these tools have gotten quite stable and mature. As such, they have been ready for mainstream adoption for a while. When the pandemic forced businesses to implement remote work for most of their employees, they were quick to utilize available apps to continue their operations. Below are just some of the most useful collaboration tools:
Video Conferencing
These have taken the place of classroom lectures and office meetings. Current apps have the ability to host dozens of participants in virtual rooms. Video quality can be tailored to the speed of the connection. Stability and reliability are quite high such that meetings can go on for a long time without issues. It is also fortunate that overall Internet speed has improved tremendously to support the high bandwidth needed for this to work. Some security issues came up initially but fixes have been deployed since then.
Instant Messaging
Video conferences demand focused attention and resources. These must be used sparingly such that they do not eat up the productive time of employees. If people need to be notified or asked about something, most teams simply use text-based communications such as email or instant messaging. These are able to provide the information required without being too intrusive. Instant messaging is good enough for non-urgent matters. Groups can also hold discussions here. If immediate response is vital, then people can just make a call.
Online Document Editing
In many cases, documents will need to be shared among team members. Access can be granted on a granular level. Some might only be able to read these documents while others can share and edit. Online document editing apps can be used for creation and modification. The different versions and editors are logged for tracing purposes. There are similar apps for spreadsheets, presentations, and so forth. Since the files are online, they are protected from system crashes. They are also available 24/7.
Calendar Scheduling
Work groups can also take advantage of online calendars to plot out important milestones for their projects. They can synchronize their calendars so that they will know exactly when certain deliverables need to be finished. Members can be notified automatically about vital dates and tasks. Any movement in the deadlines will be reflected instantly on the group calendar so members won’t have to adjust individually.