How to Choose the Right Collaboration Tools for Your Remote Team
Remote Collaboration Tools
Working remotely is becoming more and more common. A recent survey found that over half of workers who can do their job from home would want to keep working remotely after the pandemic.
Making remote work successful takes the right tools. Semih Secer, CEO and founder of Peerbie, knows this firsthand. His company makes software to help remote teams collaborate and be more productive.
In an exclusive presentation to the Software Oasis community, Secer shared his top tips on how to choose collaboration tools that make remote work easier:
“We have to digitize real-life face-to-face environment,” he said. “Oceans separating us was no longer relevant.”
Here are the key takeaways from Secer's presentation on picking tools for remote work success.
Look for Tools That Replicate In-Person Interaction
The first thing to look for is tools that make working remotely feel like you're all in the same room.
Secer uses Peerbie to give his own distributed team that experience. The software helps them:
- Know when someone starts and ends their day
- See what tasks people are working on
- Share progress updates
- Collaborate on projects
This creates a digital environment that mirrors the connectivity of an office. Physical distance doesn't get in the way.
Automate Tedious Tasks
Another thing collaboration software can do is take the busywork out of processes like:
- Managing projects
- Tracking tasks
- Sharing files
- Communicating with teammates and customers
This saves a ton of time compared to doing these tasks manually. Secer says it's helped his small team operate like a company twice its size.
Choose All-In-One Tools
With so many apps for remote teams available, it's tempting to cobble together your stack. But Secer warns against this.
Using lots of separate tools leads to:
- Too many distractions
- Higher costs
- More vendor relationships to manage
- Integration headaches
Instead, he recommends all-in-one platforms like Peerbie that handle communication, project management, file sharing, and more in one place.
Make Sure Features Evolve With User Needs
Tools that work today might not work tomorrow if your team's needs change.
When Secer pivoted his startup from a social network to remote collaboration software, he evolved Peerbie's features accordingly.
Look for tools that release regular updates and add new capabilities over time. That way they can grow as your remote working needs change.
Key Features to Help Remote Teams Work Better Together
When evaluating collaboration software for your team, here are some must-have features to look for:
Communication Tools
- Chat and direct messaging – For quick conversations and questions
- Video calling – Face-to-face interactions from anywhere
- Message boards or feeds – One place for team announcements and discussions
Project Management
- Task assignment and tracking – Assign to-dos and track progress
- Gantt charts – Visually plan and manage projects
- Time tracking – Log hours worked and pace projects accurately
- Reporting – Monitor productivity and spot bottlenecks
Document Collaboration
- File storage – Central repository for documents
- Version control – Track document edits and changes
- Collaborative editing – Multiple people can edit docs at once
Workflow Automation
- Pre-built templates – Automate repetitive processes fast
- Custom workflows – Build your templates without coding
- 3rd party integrations – Connect with popular business apps
- Notifications and reminders – Create automatic alerts and to-dos
Making the Switch: How to Choose New Tools
Switching collaboration platforms is a big change for any team. Here are Secer's top tips for making it go smoothly:
Involve team members early – Get input from the people who will be using the tools day to day. What features would help them most?
Set up training – Don't just roll out new software and expect people to figure it out. Take the time to show everyone key features and workflows.
Start small, then expand – Introduce one app or part of a platform at a time, rather than everything at once. This prevents overload.
Encourage feedback – Check in regularly on what's working and what's not. Be ready to tweak processes or try different tools if something isn't right.
The key is choosing tools tailored to your team’s needs and setting them up for user adoption success.
Start Connecting Your Remote Teams Today
The shift to remote work isn’t fading anytime soon. Having the right collaboration software in place is essential for distributed teams to thrive.
“We have to digitize real-life face-to-face environment,” says Secer. With tools like Peerbie, “oceans separating us was no longer relevant.”
To learn more about enabling collaboration across remote teams with Peerbie, try the solution for free today.
Why are collaboration tools important for remote teams?
Collaboration tools are essential for remote teams to communicate, collaborate, and be productive despite physical distance. They recreate connectivity between distributed team members.
What should I look for when choosing collaboration software?
Key things to look for are seamless communication, project and task management features, document-sharing capabilities, and workflow automation to streamline processes.
How do I get team buy-in to adopt new collaboration tools?
Involve team members early to get their input. Highlight how new tools will save them time, reduce miscommunication, and provide leadership visibility into productivity.
What problems can collaboration software help solve?
It eliminates barriers from physical distance that hamper remote work. This leads to better productivity, connectivity, and transparency across distributed teams.
How can I make the transition to new collaboration tools smooth?
Set up training for team members, start small by introducing one tool/feature at a time, and encourage regular feedback to address issues quickly. This ensures user adoption success.
