The COVID-19 pandemic tested the adaptability and flexibility of all types of business. The challenge of maintaining connectivity and collaboration during a rapid move offsite was one which IT professionals are not likely to forget. Keeping employees working productively over the last 12 months has become the rallying cry holding many businesses together. Given social distancing guidelines, face-to-face meetings are likely not returning in the near future – therefore the necessity for advanced digital tools to help teams collaborate better is more important than ever.
Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet have been standbys throughout this year. But they are being joined by a spectrum of start-ups developing innovative ways to connect workers. More and more, collaboration isn’t just about chat capability – colleagues collaborate in a myriad of ways, and their tools should reflect that.
Many of the new startup tools are taking existing concepts and reinventing them. The shift to remote and off-site employees necessitates overhauling the accepted norms, giving new tools a wide window of opportunity. Here is a rundown of a few of the collaboration tools we are watching that are helping business to make the shift to the new way of doing things.
Airtable
Airtable wants to revamp how spreadsheets are utilized, providing a flexible low-code app for planning and managing team projects. The tool lets users create more in-depth apps customized to a specific workflow, such as a video post-production schedule or marketing campaign.
Around
The use of the video apps mentioned above have skyrocketed during the pandemic as employees needed to attend team meetings virtually. However, the video meeting format is often less agile and flexible, not really suited for quick collaboration sessions that arise during the day. The Around video call app doesn’t usurp the entire screen, instead relying on “floating-head” video feed which allows a small group to spontaneously discuss an issue.
Coda
Coda — “a doc” spelled backwards — takes on shared productivity from an “all-in-one” methodology. It blends components of word processing, spreadsheets and workflow apps to create a living document that can be accessed and revised by anyone on a team.
Donut
While some love working from home, many do not like the isolated nature of their new job description. Donut’s Slack app was created with that social deprivation in mind, encouraging and recreating “watercooler” conversations that occur organically in an office environment. The app is meant to strengthen the rapport and teamwork needed in teams, boosting employee morale, innovation and information sharing.
Figma
Figma is a browser-based collaborative interface which allows editing by multiple employees in real-time. It includes vector tools for illustration, auto-layout, reusable UI styles and components, and code generation. Colleagues can leave feedback and @mention colleagues to discuss changes and edits, and files are shared via live link.
Front
Within the workplace, Slack and Microsoft Teams have largely replaced email. However, email remains a primary tool for external communications, and Front is striving to merge the innovations in group chat with email. A shared inbox permits tasks to be assigned to team members, with comments and @mentions to coordinate responses. Teams work together to co-edit emails.
Monday.com
Coordination between members is a key part of project management collaboration tools, and Monday.com has emerged as a key player. Designers state the app is a ‘work operating system’ that permits management of any aspect of business operations, from managing projects to sales pipelines.
If your Sarasota company is looking to reinvent the way you operate, you need the help of IT professionals. Call Alliance IT today for information on these and other productivity tools, outsourcing solutions, and cloud services which can help your organization move forward confidently and productively.
