In a work environment, there may be a time when you need to collaborate with others on a task to accomplish them effectively.
There are many tools available for you to use to enhance team productivity and help you all succeed.
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Here is a list of possible tools that you and your team may find useful to enhance productivity. There is a wide array to choose from, some may work better than others. Try them out and see what suits your team best.
Communication
Staying in constant contact with your fellow workers may be a necessity for a variety of reasons. You should always be up to date of what is happening with different employees and keep tabs on project progress.
These communication tools will help you stay connected more so than any phone call or email will. Check them out.
1. Skype
Skype is a very simple and elegant communication tool used by almost everyone everywhere. You can share files through Skype with your colleagues and have video conference calls at no cost.
While video chatting, you also have the ability to share you work screen with others. Very useful for presentations or explaining various topics to your peers.
You can download an application for your phone, Android, iOS, or Windows Phone. Also works on PCs and macs.
Pricing
The one thing you have to pay for on Skype is if you choose to make calls to someones phone. Other than that, this program is absolutely free to use for everyone.
2. Fleep
Fleep is an easy to use communication tool focused on ability to collaborate with multiple co-workers remotely.
This is a messaging platform, with a twist. Users that may not be logged on Fleep at a certain time will be able to receive emails instead. If you can’t reach out to them on Fleep, you won’t have to worry, your message will find its way to your colleagues.
Fleep also allows for communication with other organizations. You will not be excluded from the outside world.
This communication platform also features conference calling and screen sharing making it easy to share information with your fellow team members.
You have the ability to download an app on both iOS and Android. Reaching your team will be easy even on the move.
Pricing
Fleep is free to use. Keep in mind though that they do have subscription options too. Check and see what suits your team the best.
3. Deekit
Deekit is a very unique and incredibly useful communication tool at your disposal. I am sure most of you have seen and used whiteboards sometime in your life. Well this is just like that, except more interactive and with a far greater reach. Toss those dry-erase markers in the trash.
This is a virtual interactive whiteboard. With Deekit you will be able to have presentations, draw, write as if it were a whiteboard but without stepping your foot inside an office – which may not always be possible after all.
You can invite members to collaborate with you on this platform all in real-time. Distance is no longer an issue when you need to present vital information to your fellow workers.
Deekit is accessible on Windows and Android, so don’t worry if you or your team aren’t currently near your laptops.
Pricing
Deekit is free to use, but they also have subscription options available, depending on your teams needs.
Task Management and Collaboration
To increase team productivity, you will need to collaborate and delegate tasks to one another.
Collaboration is key to a successful team. It may not always be easy, but don’t you worry. I have listed some potentially life saving tools that your team can take advantage of.
4. Huddle
Huddle is an all-around well developed program centered around managing tasks and collaborating with your team.
You can share files easily. Any documents stored on Huddle, can be opened up anywhere with your favorite software such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
Individual documents have their own comment section. Will keep any edits and suggestions organized in an easy to reach place.
All the communication happens on a safe and secure network. Don’t be afraid to share files among your group and your clients.
Huddle is also available on your mobile device or tablet. Both iOS and Android compatible.
Pricing
A free trial version is available. For the full access to all the available options, you will have to pay. There is a wide variety of subscription options for you to look through. They are all significantly different. Figure out your teams needs and see what Huddle option suits you best.
5. Float
Float is a task managing tool as well as a scheduling platform. With this software you can manage all the things that create a productive team.
You will have access to all the team members information – their available hours, hours worked, and overtime. Creating schedules will be that much easier on this platform since the individual availability is all listed there.
Uploading projects onto this platform is easy and sharing them with the ones you need is always an option. The team will always be up to date on all the vital information.
Exporting files straight to Excel or Word is also an option for you.
Email function is fluid. Float allows you to effectively communicate with others over your email of choice.
Pricing
If you want to try out this platform to boost your productivity, the 30 day trial is free. If you like to use the software after the trial is over, there will be a $5 charge per team member.
6. FunctionFox
FunctionFox contains a medley of things to help your team with collaboration and task management to get things done quickly.
You have the ability to create and delegate tasks to team members. Project statuses are visible for you and your team, so you know how each task is progressing. You are also able to set up email alerts for any of the projects you’re doing, allowing you to stay informed of all the latest changes.
At your fingertips are a variety of multitasking capabilities. Your group can work for multiple clients on multiple projects all on the same platform at the same time.
There are options to track project expenses as well as view your budgets and any financial constrains you have for each project. Staying on budget is essential for any team out there.
Customer support is always there for you whenever you run into issues with FunctionFox. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, it’s there when you need it.
Pricing
Pricing varies from $5 to $15 per user, depending on the subscription package you opt in for. Check and see which package works best for you and your group.
7. Dropbox
Dropbox is a file storage and sharing platform. Very simple and easy to use.
If your computer is lacking storage space, you can purchase a portable hard drive, or you can store your files in the cloud using DropBox. Makes accessing files anywhere easy and hassle free.
Some large files may surpass the storage limits of some other tools that were mentioned in this post. This is where DropBox comes into play.
Very simple platform to use – share files with anyone with a click of a button.
Pricing
First 2 gigabytes are free but there are subscription options available if you ever want to expand your virtual storage space.
8. Google Docs
Oldie but a goodie. Google Docs has features not only for writing documents, but for spread sheets as well as presentations – Google Sheets and Google Slides.
This universal tool can be accessed for free using your Google account. It offers all the same options you get on Microsoft Office package but with an added bonus. You can share the work you’re doing on Google Docs with your colleagues and work on the same file at the same time.
Provided your whole team has a Google account, you can write, edit, graph, etc. simultaneously in the same document from all around the world.
Pricing
Google account is free to create. If you already use Gmail or Youtube, you already have access to Google Docs.
9. BloomFire
BloomFire offers some unique capabilities that other collaboration tools may not posses.
With BloomFire, you can upload and manage any piece of information you gather or any file you want to share with the rest of your team.
You have the ability to quickly browse through information with an easy to use search function. Categorize your searches based on author, group, or other filters designated by your organization.
Collaboration is simple. Invite any of the team members as authors and work and edit projects together simultaneously.
Create groups and manage them. You can select who has the access to what documents and information that’s stored on your BloomFire.
Simple notifications can be relayed through email or right there on the platform. Let your team know what’s happening and when.
This software also allows for integration with other popular collaboration platforms such as Google Docs, Dropbox, Microsoft One Drive and many others.
Available on mobile devices too, iOS and Android compatible.
Pricing
BoomFire offers a demo for you to try risk-free. Subscription options vary, and they start at $9 per user. There are plethora of options to choose from. Look and see what suits you best.
10. Dapulse
Dapulse is a simple online project management board. At first, it may seem like the website may be too simple for what it offers, but it works well and there is no need to spend time training anyone to use it. Just jump right in.
The dashboard is a simple calendar that contains the all the pertinent information. Create and pin project deadlines and the associates you want to handle them.
Each task is clearly marked, indicating who’s working on what, and the progress that has been made by your trusty co-workers.
Your team will be notified if anyone is stuck on anything, allowing you to extend a helping hand. Avoid miscommunication and start the collaboration.
Visual time planner is available at your disposal. Track the time availability of anyone on your team. Simple to adjust and correct on the fly.
Dapulse allows for mobility. Stay connected to your team wherever you may be on your favorite device. Available on both iOS and Android.
Pricing
You can try it free for a period of time. When the trial ends, you may wish to proceed with a subscription. Plans start at $25 a month and go up depending on the size of your team.
11. Notion
Putting Notion under the communication tools section feels almost unfair to the tool. Because, it’s so much more than that.
Essentially, Notion is an all-in-one workspace, in which you can write, plan, collaborate and get organized within your team. It’s a single tool with the features of many different ones. You can use notion for keeping notes and documents (even has the option to switch from Evernote), upload tasks & projects, spreadsheets & databases, acts as a CRM and much more.
If you’ve ever felt that you’re using too many different tools within your team and want to become more organized – give Notion a try. It boosts personal productivity and also helps everyone in the team see the bigger picture.
Pricing
With Notion, you can start for free (with a limited upload/block storage amount) or for as low as $4 a month. If you want to use it for your team or business – it offers other pricing plans as well.
12. Helpjuice
Helpjuice provides knowledge base software to enable employees to create, organize, distribute, and retain all company knowledge into one centralized location.
Employees can easily create documents with Helpjuice’s text editor plus import Word documents, PDF’s, and several other popular file extensions into new articles. In terms of document collaboration, employees can co-edit articles while keeping track of previous versions as well as leave comments on any text within an article.
There are several access levels that can be applied giving you full control over which employees are able to see and edit content.
Articles can be tagged and categorized to help employees quickly find the information they need. Additionally, Helpjuice’s search is NLP-based as opposed to being based off keywords to better help with matching article results to an employee’s search intent.
By allowing information to flow freely, team members can easily find the information needed to help with getting their job done.
Helpjuice is a SaaS solution making it available regardless of location.
Pricing
Helpjuice offers several plans at different price points that’s dependent on the number of users you have. All plans come with a free 14-day trial along with free customization.
Time Management
If you want to be successful by yourself or in a team, time management is an essential part of life. We all have to learn it to get the most done throughout the day.
There are tools and programs available for you to make time management a whole lot easier for you and your fellow team members.
13. Google Calendar
The best calendar app keeps your day flowing smoothly without you having to tweak it after each event. For this, Google Calendar still reigns champion.
Why? Because, the big advantage with Google Calendar is that it integrates with other Google products (doesn’t stop there), it stores and reminds you of your events, supports multiple calendars (work, personal) and allows for sharing. Check out this article at Lifehacker to see all the cool features you can set up with Google Calendar.
Pricing
Free at no cost.
14. TeamDeck
TeamDeck is a time management and a scheduling tool. This can be useful to keep track of people’s availability, their work schedule as well as their assigned tasks.
With TeamDeck you have a chance of delegating tasks to your team. You will be aware of any possible discrepancies that may arise when assigning projects to various team members.
This will come especially in handy if you ever work on multiple projects at the same time. With TeamDeck it will be much easier to avoid schedule overlaps. I am sure your team will be thankful for that.
Pricing
TeamDeck is free to use for up to 6 members. Anything above 6 and you have to start paying. Prices vary depending on the size of your team.
15. HubStaff
HubStaff is an online time and productivity monitoring program. This program actively monitors user participation and project progress, great for any teams that may have to work remotely.
With HubStaff you will always stay up to date with every team member. You can see what websites they browse, screenshots of their activity and time spent working on any of the projects you have to complete.
You have the ability to disable tracking if any privacy concerns may arise within the team, so don’t worry.
You will understand exactly how much time is spent on any of the tasks that are assigned to your group members.
Main dashboard displays team productivity and hours worked daily by your entire team. It’s good to have this data when project deadlines may be just around the corner.
Payroll is also easy to manage with HubStaff. All the billable hours are tracked by the software and automatic payments can be set up for easy work compensation.
The software is available in both Android and iOS app stores.
Pricing
HubStaff is free to try. For more features you will have to pay. Plans start at $5 per user.
16. Workpuls
Workpuls is a simple-to-use and a intuitive all-in-one employee monitoring tool for digital organizations. If you care about productivity (as you should), every second counts (and should be counted), for this – Workpuls is optimal.
With it, you can monitor employees, track time, analyze and optimize your results. What makes Workpuls stand out from employee monitoring software is that it offers advanced features, while still being simple-to-use and with a great user-interface.
For many apps and websites, Workpuls automatically detects the task an employee is working on, with no need to click the start/stop button. Meaning, once you set up all the settings and metrics you’re tacking – you just let Workpuls run in the background automatically.
The software manages your time, while you get on with your business.
Pricing
Workpuls offers a 7-day free trial and then starts at an affordable rate of $6 monthly per employee. Other pricing plans are available with more features at a higher rate.
17. ClickTime
ClickTime is an employee time tracking program. You are also able to keep tabs on performance, project progress and budgets.
Ensure compliance with your employees and team members with the use of this program. Always stay up to date on how time is utilized within the group and if productivity is up to par.
Staying on budget will be easy. You will be able to align productivity with any budget constraints that you may have.
You have access to instantaneous reports. Keep tabs on any progress achieved on projects, hours of work put in by your team and log your business expenses on this one platform.
Are you on constantly on the move? Well, ClickTime offers all the same functions on your mobile device. You will find ClickTime in both the iOS and Android app stores.
Pricing
ClickTime offers a free trial for you. You don’t have to pay anything to see if the software works well for you and your group.
18. Gantt Project
GanttProject is a simple time tracking and task management tool. Very straightforward and easy to use.
You have the ability to organize your group the way you want it to. Assign them to tasks that need to be completed. Ability to create baselines for yourself and the team. This allows you to compare task projections with the achieved results.
Easy to view dashboard, makes it clear what people are available and when, and the team members that haven’t been assigned anything. Avoid overlapping of tasks and create great workflow for the group.
Have the option of uploading files and storing them on a cloud server, making them accessible almost anywhere.
Generate PDF reports, charts and summaries of your teams progress and project situation.
Pricing
GnattProject is free to download and use. Available on iOS, Windows, and Linux.
Invoicing
19. InvoiceBerry
InvoiceBerry is an online invoicing tool. Useful not only to promote team productivity but business development in general.
It’s intuitive and very simple to use. Anyone can update the client lists and create invoices. It’s in everyone’s best interested to stay on the top of invoicing. Not only does it promote a good business – client relationship, but it gets you and your team paid faster.
InvoiceBerry is free to use for up to 3 clients and has other affordable payment options for your business.
Pricing
InvoiceBerry offers a free 30-day trial and then pricing starts at just $15/month.