We live in an age when virtual teams, remote work, and flexible work hours are fast becoming a norm, particularly in tech-related businesses and startups. Today, the importance of effective team management has reached an all-time high, as team alignment profoundly impact the overall outcome of a project or daily workflows. More than 95% of employees and executives hold the opinion that the lack of team alignment and collaboration is reflected in the outcome of the task or project.
Modern businesses have come a long way to understand the importance of software and applications aimed at improving workflows, productivity, and internal communication. After all, how can a team resolve problems when there is a lack of communication and how can they achieve business goals when there is discord between the teammates! All a business wants from its employees is to remove the communication gaps and deliver as better as their abilities and skillsets allow.
To streamline your processes and handle your teams more effectively, we have compiled a list of applications that work for small or medium-sized businesses and large enterprises alike. These are the apps that any team leader needs to be aware of, as an investment in them will make you more productive and efficient.
Table of Contents
Team management apps:
A team management app is any application or software that helps someone better communicate, collaborate, and manage a group of people. Some of the features of a team management app include:
- Increased productivity
- Improvement in the quality of work
- Time tracking
- Better communication
- Team scheduling and monitoring
- Analyzing performance
While the apps mentioned below may not excel at all of the above features, each of the tools will specialize in a specific function. Let’s get to these tools and see what each of them brings to the table.
1. Slack:
Slack has immensely grown in popularity since its inception in 2009. Today, the company is a multi-billion-dollar company and one of the fastest-growing companies of all time. As a communication hub and tech powerhouse for teams, Slack allows you to manage your internal communication, sales, support, and customer services. The tool can be integrated with other applications such as Trello, Github, Dropbox, Google Drive, and many more.
To use Slack, you will first need to sign up on the company’s website and create your team. You will be required to set up the desired channels and invite your team to work together. You can use different channels to discuss specific projects or work on an initiative. You can organize the channel further by dividing it into threads and dedicate each thread to specific conversations.
Slack allows team members to upload files and search for shared documents in individual or group discussions. Users can also send attachments and converse with each other via video chat. Since the communication goes on inside one hub, everything (including a file, attachment, or even a conversation) is easily searchable. Slack costs $8 or $15 a month/active user, depending on the type of plan you chose, but there’s also a free version available with limited features.
Key features:
- Two-factors authentication
- Individual and group discussions
- Voice and video calls
- File sharing
- Status updates, alerts, and notifications for projects
2. Trello:
Though Trello is basically a project management app, it can also help team leaders handle their teams more effectively. It is a simple tool with self-explanatory features that even non-tech savvy people can use.
To start working on Trello, you will have to create a team page where you can add multiple boards for members. Each board contains different cards which consist of individual tasks and projects. Members of a board can add comments or attach files, and organize the card that represents the stage of a project.
For instance, a content creator might create a board to manage his/her blog posts that need to be posted during a week. The board could contain three columns labeled as ‘Topic Ideas’, ‘To Post’, and ‘Posted’. The first column would contain different cards, each with a different topic idea for a blog post. The second column would hold all the posts that are scheduled to go live on the blog while the third column house all the posts that have been posted.
Every card can contain a description of the topic, a due date, and a cover photo. Since the cards can easily go from one column to another with all the activity details noted, the whole team is kept informed of the progress being made on a task. The tool is free to use; however, you can access the premium features by subscribing to a paid monthly plan.
Key features:
- Simple drag and drop functionality
- Real-time notifications about boards’ activity
- Task assignment
- Supports attachments from various sources like OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.
3. Smartsheet:
Smartsheet is a project management and team task management tool that makes work easier for you with customizable sheets. The app allows users to select from the available custom templates, add notes, reminders, schedule meetings, or receive feedback. Smartsheet also lets you collaborate with team members in real-time to facilitate workflows.
The tool provides a live chat feature and integrates with all the major platforms, including Google Drive, Evernote, Skype, etc. Smartsheet offers a one-month free trial, after which you will need to pay to continue using the app.
Key features:
- Group calendars
- Notifications and alerts
- Contact management
- Customizable workspace
4. Rydoo:
Handling a team sometimes also includes managing their expenses. If you find it hard to manage the monetary aspect of the team, you definitely need to start using Rydoo. This app makes it easy for team managers, staff members, and the finance department to handle employee expenses.
To use Rydoo, you will need to integrate your company’s spending policies with the Rydoo system. A team member can upload a picture of the receipt from their smartphone or computer whenever they have a work-related expense.
Rydoo automatically assesses the expenses and alerts you in case duplicate receipts are detected. It also informs you when spending limits are exceeded, or the company’s policies are violated. If the purchases are in accordance with the rules and spending policies, team leads can quickly approve them and reimburse the employee. Rydoo offers a free trial, after which it charges $5 per month per basic user.
Key features:
- 75% faster reimbursement
- Little to no chances of fraud
5. Teamweek:
Teamweek is a team management, project management, and planning tool that allows you to monitor your workflow. It also helps you sort your resources visually. Teamweek gives you the option to closely monitor your team and modify it according to your needs to get the desired results. With the Teamweek app, you can view roadmaps while your team stays on the same page to get the project updates necessary for more streamlined collaboration.
Teamweek is a versatile planning tool as it helps you plan holidays and workdays. You can customize holidays, add milestones as needed, and view your long-term plan to get a clear picture of your work. The app can be integrated with various communication and time tracking tools such as Slack and Toggl.
Key features:
- Drag and drop interface
- Filter calendar by project
- Set public holidays by country
- Import files from Trello
- Shared timeline
6. Dropbox:
Dropbox allows you to share documents, files, photos, and video by providing a cloud-storage solution. It protects your work, which can be accessed by your team members from any computer, smartphone, or tablet. The app allows you to create folders and subfolders for your projects and control permission to those folders. You can restrict members or allow specific members to access particular folders from their accounts.
The Dropbox mobile app is free. You can also use it for free up to 2 GB; however, the Pro version costs $9.99 per user every month. There is also a business plan for Dropbox, which charges $15 a month per user.
Key features:
- File sharing
- Available for iOS and Android
- Highly secure
Choosing a team management application:
When choosing an app, make sure that it meets your team needs. Below are indicators that will help you identify the best software for your team.
- Ease of use: Select an app with simple navigation and one that doesn’t take a lot of time to get used to.
- Privacy options: Sometimes, you will have to work on sensitive projects that demand private conversations. Therefore, use apps with end to end encryption like airg spam free apps and other such applications to stay safe.
- Cloud-based app: Opt for cloud-based apps because they store all the information online, which every team member can access no matter where they are.
- Integration: When choosing an app, make sure it integrates seamlessly with other apps and software that your team use.
- Compatibility: Look for an app that supports all the popular file types, particularly the file types that your team use.
Final Thoughts:
Although leadership is a crucial skill required for handling a team effectively, you can use these apps to get an edge in collaboration with your daily workflow. These apps will help you improve your team performance by focusing on team productivity instead of wasting time.
Author Bio:
About Ashley Rosa: Ashley Rosa is a freelance writer and blogger. As writing is her passion that why she loves to write articles related to the latest trends in technology and sometimes on health-tech as well. She is crazy about chocolates. You can find her at twitter: @ashrosa2.
