Every organization is different and deals with various functions, objectives, and employees. It is understandable that two project managers will not use the same approach to complete their piece of work. We all are aware of the fact that one-size-fits-all is not true. You might have also come across various collaboration software while looking for an ideal one.
Most of these tools initially came with some straightforward attributes such as file sharing service, a group chat option and a tool of the task list. After this, to make their software more effective and productive, they all started making the same mistake- stacking multiple elements in a very focused and narrow foundation. This can cause trouble for you if your project does not go together with the restricted path set forth for you.
Here are some of the features that your collaboration tool must have 2019.
A Flexible Foundation: Flexibility is one of the essential factors for any collaboration software. It should be capable of switching over the sets of necessities for every project you wish to manage. The tool should be capable of handling unique or regular, simple or complex task which will make the project managing effortless and straightforward. A flexible tool is easy to use for every organization, be it big or small. A productive collaboration tool should make provision for the changes made by the authorized team members from all around the globe. The software should be good enough to allow reporting and conversation without distracting the user with unnecessary notifications. A tool that is available 24/7 with the ability of operation from any device without the need for transferring data.
Efficient Communication: A large population of collaboration tool users thinks that a lavish dashboard is an appropriate alternative for team communication software. However, the ultimate dashboard is an excellent team communication. Here are the elements that should be present in your collaboration tool for effortless and flawless communication.
- One-on-one Discussion: Your collaboration tool should allow you to associate with any specific member instantly.
- Team Chat: Gone are the days when you have to draft an email without forgetting to keep all the team members in CC. You should look for an app that notifies all the team members present in the group without any delay.
- Content and Project Chat: To make your conversations organized and effective your tool should offer a committed place to chat parallel to project content. If your projects are complex then there should be an option to link chat threads with definite diagrams, texts, files, or tasks.
- Team Audio and Video Chat: We know that nothing can replace the effectiveness of face-to-face conversation. If you are in need of in-depth discussion regarding the project quickly, then you are in need of a tool that supports video-conferencing.
- Visual Indicators: There are various indicators which can diminish the unrequired chatter by speaking volumes. Emoji reactions on comments, an icon to indicate user out of the office, and percent complete marks can help the team becoming aware of the users that are traveling, development being made and updates are getting detected.
- Triage: If you have just returned from a journey or opening the chat in the morning, there is a need to deal with the essential things first. The assignments that are coming and the unread messages and notifications will guide you to pay attention to the vital tasks first.
Shared Calendars and Task Lists: We are not going to ask whether the calendar or tasks are required or not. We are just going to ask about its location. If you are having these app parted from your conversations and files, then it is of no use. Jumping frequently between these apps mean less work completion and falling from the train of thought. You have to ensure that your collaboration tool features all or most of these task management, which is an essential component of a comprehensive project management tool.
- Participants and Assignees: It is not essential, but you have to assign the project to a person who is responsible and accountable for finishing the job successfully. You can also add their supporting participants for the work too.
- Workload Views: Before assigning any extra assignment to the employees, managers should always take a look at their existing amount of work.
- Reminders and Due Dates: All of the projects come with a specific deadline. Your tool should be competent enough to intimate you about the upcoming deadlines in advance. This will help them in timely report submissions and scheduled updates.
- Status Indicators: If you wish to examine the progress made by your team on the given project then you have to approach your the assignees. However, if your tool has an indicator of project percent completion, then you can easily know about the progress of the project.
- Priority: Every task comes with different due date and priority level. Your tool should allow you to make a complete list of tasks according to their priority level so the team can work on vital assignments first.
Getting all of the functions mentioned above in one collaboration software is demanding. However, it will help you in the successful completion of projects and tasks on time. It will also assist in enhancing the skills and productivity level of the employees which will help you in earning various awards in the future.
Guest article written by: Ramesh is a content crafter and businessperson. He writes to encourage and educate readers about the innovative and unique approaches to enhance and expand the business. Determined to present reliable e-commerce guidance and helping firms to meet their corporate business objectives with the help of technology. Some of his preferred topics include Collaboration technologies, Social media for E-commerce, and content marketing techniques.