The Essential Digital Tools for Remote Working

Telecommuting is when an employee transfers their place of work to their home. With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the number of teleworkers has increased considerably. Teleworking has become the most widely used working method in both the private and public sectors to limit contact and the risk of contamination. Like any work methodology, teleworking requires several tools for it to work properly. These tools are essentially digital. But all teleworking requires the establishment of initial conditions for teleworking.

Preliminary conditions for teleworking

Here are the basic steps you can take to create a conducive work environment for yourself. One thing is to have the right applications to work remotely, and the other is to be able to telecommute in good conditions. Among these basics, we have:

• The workplace.
• The establishment of daily routines.
• The quality of the computer equipment and the internet connection.

1. The workspace

Many people see telecommuting as a way of lounging around. But to their amazement, the line between private life and working from home is difficult to draw. Between the neighbor who puts on the music and the children who think they have you at their disposal, it can become very complicated to work from home.

We advise you to find an isolated room in your house. It would also be good to let your neighbors know that you work from home. If this is not possible, we recommend you look for coworking spaces. They are planned and arranged so as not to put you in contact with other people.

2. Establish routines

It will be essential for you to establish routines. These consist of either doing a little exercise or stretching. We also recommend that you wear casual clothes. Exit the pajamas you put on the night before to sleep. And above all, avoid working from your bed, which could give you the illusion that you are on vacation.

3. The quality of the computer equipment and the internet connection

Teleworking is essentially based on the possibility of working from home, thanks to the Internet. So it would be great if you had a good quality laptop. We also recommend choosing the best internet connection offer available on the market. It would be unfortunate to be interrupted during a meeting by default internet connection.

Digital tools for remote working

These tools represent the epicenter of efficient and effective teleworking. These include instant messaging, video conferencing applications, project management software, and file transfer software.

• Instant messaging

Working remotely requires us to be in communication, hence the use of instant messaging. This helps to put all employees on the same level of information. We advise you to silence all your conversations during your working hours for better concentration.

You can also choose a new application where you will invite your collaborators in a group dedicated only to work. It will be a collaborative space for asking questions or drawing someone’s attention to a topic. 

Of the choices available to you, it’s hard not to mention WhatsApp. However, with the minor controversy at the beginning of the year on sharing certain data with Facebook, the number 1 alternative is called Signal. It wants to be more respectful of user data.

• Video conferencing application

Instant messaging, although a good teleworking tool, can show its limits. Some questions require discussions with colleagues. In this case, the ideal would be to have a telephone or video exchange. The use of this type of tool exploded during containment.

Some apps allow you to hold long meetings and create powerful interactions during debates. You can even do screen sharing with Zoom and then edit a Zoom recording online. This is very practical when several people work on the same project. It is thus possible to assist a colleague in a given task. The most widely used video conferencing tools are currently Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

• Project management software

Working from home requires twice as much organization as working in the office. Therefore, it is necessary to distribute the tasks well for a good evolution of the work. Hence the imperative to acquire project management software. Many such tools are available on the Internet. Among them, we recently introduced you to Slack. Others can be named Trello, and Microsoft Teams can also do the job.

This software is presented in the form of several tables which distribute the level of the tasks carried out: tasks to be carried out, the tasks in progress and the tasks carried out. Some allow you to drop comments and make observations on a colleague’s work. You can also add deadlines under a task. With good project management software, you can even evaluate the performance of your collaborators.

• File transfer software

Once you have finished your work, all that remains is to transfer it to your superior or colleague for suggestions and corrections. It is obvious that in this case, emails are not effective in this area. On the other hand, file transfer software will not only allow you to send your files easily but also that your colleagues can comment on them directly.

Besides, file transfer tools support large-capacity folders. As for sensitive files, they can be locked to a certain number of users thanks to passwords. On this side, WeTransfer, Google Drive or Dropbox are very useful.

To sum up

Teleworking requires implementing tools such as project management software, instant messaging, video conferencing application, and file transfer software. We recommend you first set up your workspace at home and choose your computer equipment wisely. It would also be essential to establish routines so that you don’t let yourself go.