Working remotely is challenging, from communicating updates on ongoing projects to handling the logistics for scalable businesses and enterprises. While most of us have understood the importance of a dedicated workstation with ergonomic chairs and standing desks, more is needed for an easy workday. You must invest in audio-visual software, workflow management, and messaging services to enable smooth operations. Here are some must-have remote working tools that feature free and premium plans.

Cloud storage solutions
Remote working is impossible without efficient cloud-based file-hosting services like Google Drive and Dropbox. You can freely use basic plans and services with your existing work Gmail account. With Google Drive, your team can access shared documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows, make changes on the go and collaborate seamlessly with multiple users logged in simultaneously. Dropbox is also an efficient and accessible cloud storage platform with similar features to Drive. One of the key advantages of Dropbox is that its premium subscription includes dedicated project management tools to ensure seamless collaboration between fast-moving teams. Both platforms can be integrated with multiple third-party communication apps.

Dedicated project management
Switching between multiple messaging and video call apps to clarify minor doubts and enable tasks is tedious. For this purpose, remote working tools like Microsoft Teams offers an ecosystem to bring all necessary products and services under one collaborative platform. You can chat, make video calls, share screens, and edit files on Word, PowerPoint, and Excel in real time with constant updates. Microsoft Teams offers plans with premium services for home, business, enterprise, and education purposes. Basecamp is another great alternative in project management software options to organize teams, track messages, track to-dos, and store files. You can easily chat with team members and schedule bot updates to manage every single ongoing project. Basecamp has free and premium plans.

Tools for workflow tracking
Managing teams remotely is a challenging task, especially with a large group of people. Communicating individually to get an update is an unnecessary and time-consuming task. Remote working tools like Trello simplify project workflow management by providing visual tools and cues for keeping track of every update. Using Trello, you can create a dedicated board with task updates and lists to track assigned work, ongoing tasks, and completed tasks on a single dashboard. The visual cues and user-friendly interface facilitate a quicker turnaround. Boards can be created daily with an ecosystem of cards, lists, due dates, attachments, and chats for every ongoing project.

Video conferencing
Work calls need to be organized on secure platforms with dedicated on-call tolls. Zoom Video Meetings have been the standard go-to option for many small, mid-size, and large-scale enterprises because it is an all-in-one video conferencing platform. Zoom offers unified tools like Virtual Meetings, Team Chat, VoIP Phone System, Online Whiteboard, Conversation Intelligence, and email/calendar to enable uninterrupted communication. The brand provides services to a variety of organizations in the education, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail sectors.

Private enterprise messaging apps
Slack is one of the most popular options in remote working tools for messaging services. Teams that don’t necessarily rely on video conferencing to facilitate solutions can message one another using this service. Slack offers innovative features like private channels for in-house messaging, third-party app integration for smooth collaboration, and a dedicated workflow builder. You can also share files and get real-time updates on ongoing tasks in one channel. Slack is free to use but also offers fixed monthly and annual plans for business use. Finally, you should consider premium services for large teams and enterprises.