Real Ways to Connect to Remote Teams and Make your Business Even More Productive

In recent years, remote working has become common practice, especially amongst the young and digital workforce. Microsoft says 37% of the global workforce is now mobile and 41% of employees spend more time away from their desks than two years ago. There are many advantages to having employees work from home, but there are some unique difficulties to overcome also. You want your employees to work as a team, sharing ideas, encouragement, information, documents, and input on projects.

But in today’s business environment, they are likely to work at different times of day, at different locations, in different cities or maybe even countries. 

How do you keep them communicating with each other, and with you?

You need apps to get your team to communicate. And in today’s world, those apps need to be as easy and fun to use as social media, and work across all the different devices and platforms team members are likely to use, wherever they may be. Previously, we would communicate over email, but whilst it serves its purpose, email communication has a lot of drawbacks. For example, there may be times when you miss an email, or you’re not there to answer it right away, so the team member may be unable to proceed with the work since they couldn’t get any clarification on the issue they’re experiencing.

When it comes down to it, remote work would not be possible if technology had not advanced to allow for better internet connections, better video call platforms, and generally more robust software. So, a business owner needs to leverage the right technology to make the process smoother.

Below are five applications CT would recommend to help you manage your remote teams:

Office 365 – Office 365 is designed to help you achieve more. With a seamless experience across your devices, Office 365 empowers your employees to work with familiar tools in new ways – anytime, anywhere. Nothing beats being able to work hassle-free, finish your tasks freely and securely, and at the same time work with your colleagues efficiently.

Slack  – Brings all your team’s communication together, giving everyone a shared workspace where conversations are organised and accessible. It helps staff stay connected across remote offices and remote teams.

Microsoft Teams – Collaborate, communicate in the moment and keep everyone in the know. Stay connected with chat, calls, and meetings within your team and in private or small group conversations. Schedule and join online Skype meetings with HD video, VoIP, and dial-in audio conferencing options. Share your files, apps or desktop in online meetings.

Skype for Business – Getting your team together is as easy as sharing a link, professional online meetings built for businesses.

Autotask Workplace – Security, mobility and collaboration enterprise-grade File Sync & Share (FSS) solution purpose-built for business.

If you want to know more about creating forward-thinking IT environments, geared up for remote and flexible working where you don’t need to be constrained by your location or device, get in touch with CT today.

 24 July, 2018