Project management is crucial to a successful business. You require a strategy to materialize and execute your goals. There are many organizations that use desktop tools to manage their projects, because customized project management tools are highly expensive. However, with the inception of cloud-based project management tools, managing work teams has become significantly easier and they are cost effective too. In addition to instant availability, businesses can also centralize their projects for better performance and delivery time. With cloud services you get the necessary structure and tools to communicate and collaborate in a quick way with your work teams. Below are a few handpicked cloud based tools to help you tie your team together.
Communication Tools
Cloud-based apps have made continuous real-time communication between different business environments possible. Companies today can archive employee discussions to be referred later via ‘chat rooms’ making the interoffice communication an easy possibility. Mobile apps are also available to let employees stay in touch regardless of their location. Sharepoint is the most popular tool to communicate and collaborate with your team remotely. Other tools include the likes of Convo, Slack, Yammer, and Flowdock. Try Sharepoint online trial and the basic version of all these tools for free with an option to upgrade to premium version later on.
After the communication system is set up, collaboration with the teams becomes simple. Besides, there are cloud tools exclusively designed to increase cooperation between different virtual teammates. These tools help you to collaborate with your team on presentations, code, documents etc, to ensure on-time project completion. A couple of popular document collaboration tools include Evernote and Hackpad. In addition, Github is the popular coding tool for web development and software application projects, whereas MindMeister and XMind help users to brainstorm ideas. https://www.cloudappsportal.com/ assists in setting up sites and blogs for free.
Project Management Tools
The cloud-based project management tools such as Asana, Basecamp, Jira and Trello can be used to manage projects efficiently and effortlessly. https://www.clouddesktoponline.com/ helps in virtual set up of employees’ desktop online.
The tools assist in assigning and tracking work of your team through an easy to use user interface. Project managers have the choice to create different teams, assign tasks and set deadlines accordingly. They also have the opportunity to update progress against a project while tracking the work of other project members.
Security & Storage Tools
Even though cloud storage and cloud backup are different terms, both are essential to office work. Storage of files on the cloud platform helps accessing them anywhere remotely. TeamDrive and SpiderOak are important cloud storage tools that provide encrypted storage solutions. In addition to security, do not forget to use a storage service which could extend synchronization feature to store work on the most up-to-date file across all the connected devices.
Backing up workstation is another important task to store information across multiple devices through one account. Carbonite, Mozy and IBackup are some industry solutions offering easy work management on multiple devices. You would also get quick uploading speed with useful add-ons. Cloud Desktop is also a secure online tool to manage work.
Last but not the least, security is an important component of any online work environment. In addition to the installation and set up of professional anti-virus software, protection of the login systems needs to be addressed properly. Dashlane, LastPass and KeyPass are some cloud based password management tools to aid your team follow a standard password practice, thus ensuring safety for the information accessed and stored remotely.
Payment Tools
The number of people using web for sales is increasing continously. Even though most of the businesses own a website today, they still have a fear of adding a payment system on their business site. Cloud has made the management, tracking and security of online payments effortless. Tools such as Paypal, Moneris, Payfirma, Freshbooks etc, are handy to make payment processing a hassle free task for both the company and the client.