What to Look for in the Best Team Collaboration Software in 2021
With many companies now operating in remote teams spread across the planet, the need to find the best team collaboration software is greater than ever before. These tools can make it a lot easier for teams to work together. And for those in charge, it helps to keep track of their tasks and projects.
While there are many different types of collaboration tools now available, there are certain features that the best options have in common and that you should be aware of. What are the main areas you should look for when considering adding a new tool?
Ease of Use
Perhaps the idea that it could take staff a long time to get used to a new piece of software is the biggest fear. It holds back companies from adopting the latest technology. Some sources suggest that it could take between three weeks and a year for a worker to get fully used to a new tool that is added to their daily routine.
With the best team collaboration tools, you will be looking for everyone to get started with no delays and without any hassles. A slick, intuitive interface makes people feel comfortable right away. And it is even better if it looks similar to other pieces of software that they already use, as this will help everyone to get up to speed quickly.
You certainly don’t want something that requires everyone in the team to read a hefty training manual. Instead, you want them to be able to get started right away. You want to begin to collaborate more effectively from the very first day. After that, it should be simple and intuitive enough to let people use it immediately without making mistakes.
Real-Time Communication
Communication is vital for remote teams who collaborate online, just as it is for virtually any team in any industry these days. Without this, people could feel left out and the same task might get done more than once by different people. Poor communication is one of the leading causes of under-performing teams.
The fact that some teams now work across various time zones or speak different languages has added an extra layer of complexity to the issue. It also made reliable communication methods even more of a priority. Part of the solution is in providing easy, real-time communication methods. They can speak to each other instantly at any time.
The best team collaboration software lets colleagues set up video calls to share information, or send instant messages to one another. They can even work together on the same documents at the same time, each amending and adding comments. Every team has their own needs. So it is worth considering how you prefer to handle the communication issue and what guidelines you want to issue for this matter.
A High Level of Security
One of the key risks of everyone logging on from their home computers and mobile devices is around security. The top security risks associated with remote workers include weak passwords, unencrypted files sharing, and connection to an insecure home Wi-Fi network.
Team members will probably need to share documents containing confidential information. So it is important to find a way of doing this that is as safe as possible. Cloud storage using a service like Google Workspace offers a great way of doing this. Everyone can access and edit the documents without having to email or download them.
The ability to control the storage in the way you want and to set up the permissions management aspect correctly is crucial too. It is unlikely that every team member needs to see all of the documents you have. So getting the access permissions right is a step in the right direction.
Integration with Existing Tools
We have already mentioned Google Workspace, which is one of the most popular suites of online tools these days. It offers a lot of the best collaboration software you need for sharing and editing documents, as well as calendar-sharing, email, and other activities. Other options in this market include Office 365 and Apple iWork.
These suites give you some excellent ways to improve productivity. However, you probably still need to add on some extra tools for tasks that aren’t in the suite. In this case, you will need to make sure that the new software works with the rest of the applications, to make them work well together without any issues.
A new tool that isn’t slickly integrated with other parts of your system is likely to lead to tasks falling through the gaps. This can end up making it even more difficult for them to collaborate together smoothly. And it can lead to problems in trying to manage all of the tasks.
Why Kanbanchi Is a Solid Choice
As one of the best team collaboration software options on the market, Kanbanchi is a project and task management tool that meets all of the areas that are listed above. This means that it is ideal for managing the workflow in any type of team.
If you use Google Workspace, you will find that Kanbanchi fits in with it perfectly. The interface is similar enough to make it easy to get started. The software features all of the security options that you need to manage your tasks professionally.
There is no reason to think that a remote team will struggle to work together to the same level as a team that sits together in the same office. By choosing the best team collaboration software with Kanbanchi, you can achieve the sort of project and workflow management approach that you need.