The year 2020 has been anything but an ordinary year, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has forced many of us to change how we live, and the same is true for the way how we organize work. So far, the only effective tactic to fight the virus was social distancing, and because of this, many companies switched to working remotely.
Although the switch to remote work was forced for many of us, not everything is negative. Remote work means no time wasted commuting, lower (or no) office costs, and, most of the time, flexible working schedules for your employees.
Top 3 Remote Work Challenges
Remote work has several advantages. However, remote work has some challenges too, and in this article, we will list you five and give you the tool(s) to overcome them. Let’s go!
Challenge #1: Communication
In-office communication is a breeze, as you have everyone from your team at hand. But, when you start working remotely, you will no longer have this luxury, and you will have to rely on apps.
While it might seem like common mobile communication apps such as WhatsApp and Skype combined with email will do the trick, you will soon find out that these are not reliable as they lack advanced functions, and that you will need something better.
For instant message communication, the best option is Slack. And if you need to make conference calls, then Zoom is probably your best bet.
As you can see, things are starting to get complicated — we have only begun the challenges list, and we already have two apps. If you don’t want to constantly check between Slack/Zoom or other apps you are using, we suggest you try Nifty. It will keep everything in one place, letting you focus on your work, without wasting time checking for messages scattered everywhere.
Challenge #2: Real-time Collaboration
Real-time collaboration, aka one of the biggest remote work challenges. When working from your office, it is quite easy to have your whole team engaged on a single project, working on it at the same time.
However, when things move online, it becomes imperative to have a project management system that enables real-time collaboration, at least if you want to retain the same productivity level you had in the office.
You want to use apps that will enable instant collaboration between team members. A good example would be Google Docs. It keeps everything instantly saved in the Google Drive cloud and allows multiple users to view and edit documents simultaneously. That way, everyone always has the latest version in front of them, which ensures that the project keeps flowing.
But again, Google Docs is another app that you have to use on top of all others, further complicating remote work and slowing down the workflow — unless you use Nifty.
Not only that Nifty has full Google Docs integration that lets you edit documents right within the project management system, it also has its own version of collaborative documents called Nifty Docs. It will give you even more control, keeping all files in a single place, as well as reviews and comments, all of which you can quickly access via powerful search.
Challenge #3: Keeping Project On Track
When working remotely, it is very easy to drift off course and waste time on things that are not leading the project towards competition. To make sure that doesn’t happen, you will need a project management app that lets you not only assign tasks, but also set milestones that will enable you to follow the project’s progress in a blink of an eye.
Nifty Milestones allow you do exactly that. You will visually see the project’s progress, which will give your team a boost to keep going as they will be able to see how their actions contribute to project success.
You can set the system however you like it, creating dependencies that unlock only when a previous phase of the project is complete. Creating recurring milestones is also an option, which is useful if you have similar projects that need constant team attention.
And if you want to check how your team members spend their time, or if you are billing your clients hourly, Nifty has you covered as it has excellent time tracking and reporting features. With advanced timesheets, you will be able to see where the time is going, which will give you all the necessary information about team productivity.
Nifty — One Project Management Tool To tackle all Remote Work Challenges
There are many apps you can use for team communication, project collaboration, and project management, but that’s a major productivity sapper— you have to use too many apps. And let’s face it, time is money, and spending more time using more tools is even more money. Continually switching between apps is a complete waste of time, which can lead to unproductive hours and working overtime for no reason.
To make sure that doesn’t happen, try Nifty for free today! It is a plug and play project management tool that is designed to replace all of the apps you are currently using. What’s more, because it supports so many integrations, Nifty will seamlessly blend into your workflow. You will still be able to use your favorite apps, just like before, but they will no longer be scattered around, stealing your attention. Nifty will keep them all under one roof where your project lives, keeping everything streamlined, simplifying your remote work experience.
