10 Free Apps and Tools for Productive Remote Team

With the advent of internet technology, it has become effortless for people to work remotely from anywhere and everywhere. Moreover, several apps and tools have come into place to make it easier for teams in varied geographical backgrounds ranging from Alaska to Timbuktu to work simultaneously on the same project and keep each other updated with real-time information.

This means that although remote teams are physically isolated, isolating their collaboration by mentally impeding them is not necessary anymore. With the collective efforts of several online tools and apps, you can now easily brainstorm on assignments without the unnecessary friction and confusion that often results from teams working in different geographical locations.

Here are the 10 free apps and tools that can increase the productivity of remote teams!

Dropbox

It’s the first choice for most offices having remote working teams when there is a need for cloud storage along with the ease of collaborating on changes, presentations, or even project designs. The best part is that it is safe to sync and has storage for workers on all devices which grants one the freedom to be on a beach and carry their personal file bag along.

 

Trello

This is a top app when it comes to project management or organizing activities. The app is as simple as jotting down vertical lists in your notebook and having the one-click option to drop or drag items from one list to another. For visual seekers like me who need a bulleted list for every activity planned under a task, Trello works excellently.

 

Slack

 Slack can also be called as a virtual workplace where all members can get together to work. The workplace is supplemented with channels which can be used to carry on inter-office conversations within members. The added advantage of Slack is that it provides two platforms within its channels – a public channel for general office and project conversations and a private channel for one to one, more discreet conversations. The app is also great for those who need regular notifications for the items that need immediate attention, and I am definitely one of those!

 

G Suite

 We’ve all worked with “Google Apps for Work.” G Suite is an upgraded version of the same. It is a cloud storage and computing space developed by Google and comprises of other apps like Gmail, Hangouts, Calendar, Google+ and Drive. It comes with an Admin Panel and also an interactive whiteboard Jamboard. The added advantage to G suite users when it comes to working remotely is its feature of providing customized email addresses. When it comes to saving information and data, what’s more reliable and user-friendly than a Google data center anyways!

 

Invision

 Invision is basically a dream tool for designers. It allows for interactive discussions on your design drafts. The era of sending PDFs for your designs is soon ending. And why not, when you can upload your drafts on the app, discuss with team members and finalize your design right there! It’s major plus points apart from the freedom it gives to control designs is its feature to sync screens and keep a record of all the past screens as history.

 

Buffer

When it comes to Social Media networking for those with time always running short, Buffer is the answer. Buffer provides the users with a default set of time slots which can also be customized, on which your posts will be dropped when added to Buffer. All you need is a one-time work and Buffer will automatically send posts throughout the day or the week as per your requirements. And yes, it caters to all the essential social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest.

 

Skype

Now what new can be said about Skype that this generation already does not know! Skype has been there for a long time supporting our world of telecommunication, video chats, voice calls, etc. It is an ideal tool for voice chats, online tutorials, training sessions, and conference calls. It allows a screen sharing between 25 people and that’s great for a lot of small and remote setups.

 

Monosnap

 Want to save your screenshots on the cloud? Monosnap is the tool for you! You can take screenshots and upload them. You also have great features like whole screen grabs or sectional screen grabs for magnified viewing. The app also has basic editing and cropping tools as well as the wonderful “Drag me” feature wherein you can drag the images to other programs.

 

Asana

 When you have a remote team ready, and your project has started with a bang, Asana will simplify your lives by giving all the employees a common workplace. Simply speaking, it is a web-based software primarily used for tracking and managing activities on projects. The latest addition to the software is its inbox facility which shows updates, changes, and comments. In two words, it is your “Activity Tracker” making remote project management a breeze.

 

Zoom

 Zoom is the one platform solution for hosting online meetings, video conferences, scheduling webinars, etc. It is easy to download, super easy to use and allows up to 100 participants per meeting. Now, isn’t that sweet?

 

Remote collaboration is quite a challenging task! More often than not, it can lead to confusions, misunderstandings, and miscommunications. This calls for some intelligent and user-friendly tools to bridge the distance and work in tandem to achieve favorable results. These 10 free apps and tools will definitely be a big and productive step up for any remote team!

Try them now!