In writing about productivity, I mentioned the importance of communications for businesses. With three-quarters of employees worried they’re in the dark about company happenings and 60 percent of companies lacking long-term internal communications strategies, now is the time to start thinking about improving communications on an intracompany level. To help you get started, here are some of the top communications tools for businesses.
Project Management Software
With all of the minute tasks that go into grand projects, it’s easy for employees to feel lost, confused, and even frustrated. In order to keep everybody on track, it might be best to utilize some form of project management software that is accessible to all employees. That way, project members can view assigned tasks and observe progress in real-time. Such software also benefits managers, as they can evaluate the pacing of a project and identify any bottlenecks or opportunities for streamlining. Some of the leaders in project management software include Smartsheet, Workzone, and ProWorkflow, each boasting real-time tracking and tremendous organization capabilities.
Conference Software
As communication and technology continue to exert influence over the business world, global business continues to thrive. And, with globalization ever on the rise, remote work is a reality that many businesses will have to face. It can be difficult to handle teams that are in different cities, countries, and timezones. However, audio and visual conference software has made it easier than ever to keep everyone in the loop. Skype and Zoom are two of the more popular options for conference software, as each allows for voice conferencing, video conferencing, screen sharing, and other real-time chat capabilities. Plus they can integrate with other commonly-used software, such as Slack for Skype and Dropbox for Zoom. Video call recording is one of the added benefits of Zoom and similar software, as any employees who must miss a meeting can view it after the fact, and those who attended can access it again to hear information once more.
Project Collaboration Software
While project management software tracks various and sundry tasks as they’re assigned to employees, project collaboration software is the heart of the project itself—the drafts and revisions that eventually become the finished project. Project collaboration software such as G Suite and Office 365 are increasingly popular and offer similar capabilities while still providing unique benefits. For organizing files, Onehub and Workplace by Facebook are great options that provide extra security. One of the major benefits of such software is its use of the cloud for storage, meaning remote and on-the-go employees can access information with ease.