Over the last 2 years, more and more companies have switched from working in an office to working remotely. Whether it’s a temporary change just to keep employees safe during the pandemic, or a permanent change to take advantage of the new opportunities that remote work has to offer, it’s important for any team working from home to make adaptations to fit this new work style.

Today we’re introducing the 7 types to tools that every remote work team should be using to maximize their productivity.

The 7 types of tools every remote work team should be using

Chat tools

When doing remote work, chat tools are the backbone of in-house communication. Whether you have a question for another member of the team, need an opinion on how to improve your work, or are reporting to your supervisor, chat tools make it fast and easy to send a text and get a speedy response.

Audio/video conference tools

For meetings, brainstorming sessions, or more in-depth conversations that can’t be easily held through text messages, audio or video conferencing tools are the way to go. These days there are a multitude of options to choose from. Some tools even let you move around in a virtual space, so that you can communicate with coworkers more similarly to how you would in a real office. 

Screen sharing tools 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and we’ve all experienced that when trying to describe something on our computer screen. Screen sharing tools make it much easier to share information quickly and efficiently. Thankfully sharing tools are usually built into video conferencing tools, so there’s usually no need to use a separate app.

​​Mind map tools

When you’re planning a new project, the office whiteboard is usually a great place to start, but what about when you’re working remotely? Mind map tools can help us collaborate with colleagues and share our ideas fluidly. Some of these tools allow you to create an online word web, while others work more like a digital whiteboard for collaborative doodles.

Visual feedback tools

Once you’ve started working on a project, getting feedback at various stages of the process is an important part of being able to create a quality product. Visual feedback tools take this one step further by allowing you to communicate feedback in a quick and easy-to understand format. Whether you’re communicating with colleagues or clients, you’ll find that these tools are an indispensable part of the creative process.

(This is where MONJI comes in! MONJI is a free online proofreading platform that can help you give visual feedback on websites, documents, or images. It’s as intuitive as adding a sticky note to your computer screen. Sign up today and find out why over 10,000 users across Japan love it!)

Project management tools

A good project management tool is a must-have for any company working remotely. (Or even if you’re working in a non-remote, office setting!) These handy systems help us stay on top of daily tasks, plan our schedules effectively, and keep us from missing any important deadlines. Especially when working remotely, these tools help us keep track of who’s doing what, so that our projects can move forward smoothly.

Cloud storage tools

When team members need to be able to access data from a variety of different locations, cloud storage tools are absolutely essential. Remote work would be impossible without the ability to share files and store them in the cloud. Thanks to cloud storage tools, workation and other new ways to enjoy the flexibility of remote work are now a reality.

Thank you for reading! If you’re working remotely and have not yet started using these 7 types of tools, now is the time!

And don’t forget to follow the official MONJI social media accounts!
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