The Best Tools for Long-Term Remote Work

Working remotely is quickly shifting from being a short-term solution to a long-term plan for many companies.

This new work model means that the budget for boardroom space, whiteboards, sticky notes, and paper is now going towards digital visual collaboration tools that will keep your team connected, productive, and efficient. 

The tools below have been tried and tested by members of our team — most we believe in so much that we have created integrations with them! 

Best tools for regular communication 

Regular and constant communication is more important than ever now that you can’t just wander into your colleague’s office to ask a question. These platforms allow you to send quick messages to one or multiple people, share documents and photos, and have apps for all devices so you can stay connected no matter where you are. 

Microsoft Teams 
This Microsoft app allows you to chat, create channels with multiple people, and share and even edit documents. It also integrates with multiple other applications (like Stormboard!) so you can keep everything in one place. As an added bonus, you can hold video and voice calls securely through Teams, making this an all-in-one communication app. There is a free version, so you can try it before making a commitment. 

Slack
Slack is a messaging app that features organized conversations and team-oriented channels with over 12 million daily active users, as well as the ability to easily share files. Slack also has a free version, so you can try it before making a commitment, and integrates with many different apps and software products.

Best tools for document storage and sharing

How do you easily share, store, edit, and collaborate on documents when you can’t print them off and hand them to your colleagues? You use a digital document storage and sharing solution, of course! The following solutions will help you keep your documents organized and make sure that you have everything you need to get work done. 

Box
This application makes it easy to share work and files across your teams, customers, partners, vendors, and more. It is also integrated with multiple apps (including Stormboard), and with the Box app, you can access your files from any device. 

Microsoft OneDrive
This file hosting service is a part of Microsoft’s web version of Office and allows you to share photos, videos, documents, and more using any device. OneDrive also integrates with other apps and software (including Stormboard), which makes it an easy tool to add to your workflow. 

Google Drive
Google has several highly-intelligent features for the remote workforce, including Google Drive that allows you to upload all working files for your entire team to easily access it. You can even share a Google Calendar to keep track of client calls and weekly meetings. 

Best tools for keeping all your work aligned 

One major challenge that comes with working remotely is keeping track of all of your different apps, which can lead to spending more time checking in with them than actually working. You don’t want your productivity tools to stifle productivity! These two platforms help you connect your tools to make sure you can work as effectively as possible. 

Zapier
Zapier seamlessly connects several different online applications to improve workflow and finish tasks automatically. It allows you to stay connected with your teammates and move information between web apps with just a click of a button. 

Microsoft Power Automate 
Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) is basically Microsoft’s version of Zapier, which allows you to create automated workflows between your favorite apps in order to seamlessly connect your business processes.

Best tools for tracking productivity 

Tracking time, keeping the HR team up-to-date, setting deadlines, and visualizing to-do lists are all very important to keep on top of when working remotely. These tools are created to help with these tasks and more. 

Time Doctor 
Productivity is the key to success, and Time Doctor helps employees improve their processes. Use Time Doctor to keep track of time, amplify productivity, and send data to payroll. It’s easily-accessible reporting features also makes scheduling easy.

Trello 
Organize files, access information, and automate workflow with Trello. Trello is a multifunctional software that streamlines workplace processes and ensures optimal productivity. 

Best tools for password protection and sharing

All these new tools mean that there is going to be a lot of new log-in information floating around. But how do you keep this information secure? With one of these password storage, protection, and sharing tools! 

Last Pass
This password manager helps you generate strong passwords and then stores them in a secure vault online. You can then securely share the password with members of your team using any device with a web browser. 

1Password
Your team may have several different accounts on the go. With 1Password, your employees can access restricted passwords and store passwords in the 1Password databank for a one-click sign-on.

Best tool for visual collaboration and PI Planning remotely

Working from home requires rules and boundaries for a successful transition, but generally — after a bit of a set-up period — productivity shouldn’t suffer with a distributed team. Some research suggests that employees that work from home are actually more productive than in the office — as long as they have the right tools.  

Stormboard 
With Stormboard, every single person is an active participant in your meeting — whether they are located a few floors or thousands of miles away. Storms (what we call your digital workspace) can be accessed at any time on any device with a web browser, which means that teams in one time zone can pick up where their team members on the other side of the world left off without skipping a beat!

Interested in giving Stormboard a try with your team? Learn more about our free trial here or our Agile PI Planning solutions here.

This post was written with help from freelance writer Celina Dawdy.

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