7/27/2023 0 Comments Producteev supportWhen there are just a handful of people in your business, one shared network might be enough – but what about in two years time when you decide you need a dedicated marketing team? Or you want to keep your office projects and field projects separate? In the future you may also want to integrate with external applications such as OneDrive, Skype or Office Online. Using Wunderlist might be fine for your family to create shopping lists and keep track of movies you want to watch, it’s probably not suitable as a project management platform. Two key things I look for in a piece of software, regardless of it’s nature, are whether it is easily integrated with other applications, and whether it will meet my needs in the future. ![]() You also want to be able to remove people from your team if they leave your business. Most applications have privacy options you can set via the administrator account, but they may not be on by default. It seems like a pretty obvious thing, but I have seen examples of extremely large corporations unwittingly using open Trello boards for their project management. While you might consider the work your team engages in pretty mundane, you need to consider how you feel about customers, competitors or ex-employees being able to view your tasks and projects. Privacy and Security – Protecting your IP That seems like a pretty good reason to choose a tool that is easy to use! When you consider that the average number of applications used by employees has grown by a quarter over the past two years, we really need to focus on making sure software experiences are pain free and simple. ![]() In a recent study it was found that a whopping 91% of employees agreed that simplifying enterprise apps would increase their efficiency and productivity. If you want people to use something every day, you’d better make it a pleasant experience. There are often ways around this though, particularly for small teams. Another feature that is often withheld in free versions is the ability to create “secret” projects or tasks. If you only have 3 or 4 staff it might be a great choice, but if you’re already at 10 I’d consider some other options first that don’t hit you with a ridiculously high annual fee for a starter subscription. One classic example of this is Asana, which is only free for teams of 15 members or less. One of the big things to watch out for is the number of team members permitted, as you don’t want to become reliant on a piece of software only to outgrow it in a year or two. Many of the tools that are available offer fairly comprehensive free versions, and for some small businesses this is all you will ever need. Limitations of free versions (and cost for premium features) Here are the criteria I always try to keep in mind when I compare different products, that you might not have thought about. There are a few things that I always take into consideration when deciding on whether or not an application is suited to a specific business. Things to Consider When Choosing Productivity Apps ![]() Let’s have a look at how they fared when pit against each other in a battle for my #1 vote! I took a look at five of the most popular productivity tools around, to see how they measured up. Top 5 Productivity Applications in a Nutshell Especially when there are LOTS of free options around!Īnyhow, I’ve been asked several times recently about my preferred collaboration solution, so I thought I’d throw together a quick run down on some of the top project management tools on the market for your viewing pleasure. Cost is another big factor, as most of us just aren’t ready to fork out too much money for something that doesn’t provide a tangible value. Most small to medium businesses get the most benefit out of something in between – it needs to be comprehensive enough to fit your requirements, but not so complex that your team can’t figure out how to use it. On the flip-side, I’ve also seen even more examples of it done wrong – and the negative impact it can have on both team and business! There are so many tools out there that are designed to help boost productivity, from super basic “to-do” list software to integrated, customized software developed specifically for your business. In the past ten years, I have been exposed to some fantastic examples of team collaboration and project management. “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
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