As the coronavirus outbreak spreads in the UK, many businesses are trialling remote working practises on a large scale for the first time. This raises questions surrounding how teams can work effectively whilst working apart, and how they can communicate with customers and clients.
Here are some of the best tools to get the whole team seamlessly working from home.
Stay in touch with your colleagues – Microsoft Teams
It is a big adjustment to move from an office where all of your colleagues are within speaking distance, to a home working set-up where having a conversation can be logistically challenging. It is important to have an easy channel of communication for your team to avoid feelings of isolation and loneliness that can build up over several days working alone.
Microsoft Teams is an excellent resource, allowing you to chat with individuals or create groups for the whole team to raise questions and check in with each other. You can set up multiple team chats, hold video and audio-only calls, as well as sharing files that can be viewed and edited in real time.
Clear communication with clients – Zoom
Meetings are an essential part of most job roles, but suddenly become that bit more complicated to set up when working remotely. Working from home can lead to a breakdown in connection with clients and it is now more important than ever to nurture your relationships regularly.
For meetings with multiple participants, Zoom is a reliable tool with great functionality. Allowing voice and video calls for up to 100 participants, it can be used for presenting and teaching as well as private meetings. The screen sharing function is ideal for demonstrations and allows for speedy sharing of information. You can even use this outside of work hours, maybe to organise a virtual pizza party or drinks with colleagues to keep everyone feeling positive!
One place to access all key company files – Dropbox
There’s no surer way to slow down your pace of work than emailing files back and forth between colleagues. When teams don’t have access to the company serve, storing files on the cloud is the most reliable way to maintain productivity at home.
Dropbox is a household name by now and has the reliability and broad functionality expected of such a well-established platform. One of our favourite functions is the ability to view and restore previous versions of a file, which can be a lifesaver if you are having connection difficulties or a colleagues accidentally saves over your changes.
Manage jobs on cloud – sfG Scope
Managing the regular movement of supplies and people becomes so much more complicated when working from home. For collaboration and efficient working, cloud-based job management software will simplify everyone’s jobs and keep the company running smoothly, no matter where they work from.
sfG Scope is a cloud-based job management software with excellent support for businesses whose working patterns may currently be changing. Featuring fully customisable modules, the software can manage quotes and jobs for the company, producing integrated stock management, costing, invoicing and reporting which helps businesses keep on track of their financial goals and timelines.
Keep track of your time – Harvest
Many people struggle to set themselves a clear routine when working remotely, and it can be easy to lose track of time when you are working from home. It is important to understand where your time is going, and this can be harder to manage when you’re not in the office.
Harvest is a simple-to-use platform that allows you track your time spent on given tasks and provides you with reports and alerts if you are spending too stop you from over-servicing. Time management is a particular challenge at home, and Harvest can empower teams to stay on top of this.
Most importantly, make sure you are taking care of yourself and your fellow team members during this time. Regular check-ins with your colleagues keep people positive and feeling supported. Remember, everyone is facing similar challenges at the moment, and by staying in contact, we can uplift one another.
Do you need support communicating with your customers and clients? Get in touch to find out how we can help businesses communicate positively during uncertain times.