When the great idea hits your mind, you can generally look for the people you want, bring them together in the meeting room and begin discussing all the required changes. But what if you could fail to do that? What if you deal with a remote development team working in totally another part of the world?
Obviously, it’s the 21st century, and working remotely is not uncommon anymore. You can utilize one of the software development collaboration tools that are easily available.
That’s why we have decided to prepare this comprehensive guide for many software developers to learn about varieties of software development team collaboration that will make handling your remote employees easier.
Some Crucial Remote Software Development Collaboration Tools
These software development collaboration solutions enable you to save, edit, and easily share documents with your team members, especially those who are working remotely. These collaboration tools permit you to work collaboratively on a similar document in real time rather than sending files back and forth.
1. Google Drive
Google rules the market of online collaboration suites. Google suite is the extremely feature-packed tool available, and Google keeps including new instruments as well as enhancing the UI, appealing to more users who work remotely.
With Google Suite Enterprise you obtain:
- Google Docs – A well-designed word processor that almost works like Microsoft office. Unless you are utilizing a few obscure features of MS Word such as Word Art, you’ll see Google Docs as a suitable replacement. You can utilize this at the time of an online meeting to make notes or work together in real-time on properly editing a document. Also, it enables you to monitor the progress of the document with the assistance of version history and provide instant feedback.
- Google Sheets – Like the word, Google Sheets is same as the MS Excel, but it’s not as effective as its Word option. Although it can work great, there are certain features that are not there – such as Pivot tables or the capability of choosing non-contiguous rows. Still, what is there, is remarkably refined as well as suffices for various users. Google Sheets is commonly used as a simplified platform for proper task management.
- Google Slides – Another incredible Google tool that is full of amazing features, but a few of the eccentric effects from Powerpoint are unfortunately missing. Still, if you only want a presentation for your team working remotely – this is the right choice.
- Google Drive – This great alternative has room for all your important documents and other files. It comes with good permission options and quite an easy-to-use UI. An ideal option for file sharing among various team members who work remotely. Google Drive offers ease of conversion. You simply upload all of your existing documents into your Google Drive, easily share them with your dedicated team, and you’re done — Google will do the job of automatically converting every one of your MS Office files into its specific internal format.
2. Dropbox
If your remote team needs an option to just store files, Dropbox is an amazing alternative to Google Drive. It comes with quite primitive collaboration tools and is quite less helpful for remote development team management. Instead, their scanning tools are extremely powerful and immediately catch files that are malicious which Google doesn’t.
When you only need a safe place to store some confidential files and don’t bother about document editing, then Dropbox Business is the preferable option for your remote team.
- Screen Sharing Tools
Sometimes showing how to do something is more natural than explaining it. This is to say, you are going to need a way to screen-share or even remotely manage your employee’s computers.
At times, showing steps to do something is much better than simply explaining it. By this, we mean that you need a tool that allows you to share your screen or even remotely manage your employee’s systems.
3. TeamViewer
TeamViewer is the most famous screen-sharing software in the world, massively utilized for remote team management – and for the right reason. It has all the features you probably need:
- VPN-like encryption – If you are managing sensitive data, you are not required to install a VPN for screen sharing – TeamViewer has the ability to encrypt and obscure the data.
- Cross-platform remote control –Â Managing any device is easy with TeamViewer installed as long as it works effectively on Android, Windows 10, or Android.
- File sharing protocol –Â If you want to move something to/from the PC you are screen-sharing, you can do it instantly through TeamViewer.
There are more bonuses that might appeal to your IT support department – like having the ability to reboot/shut down the controlled device without session disconnection.
But, there is likewise a drawback. You have to install the Teamviewer client on both your main device and the one you’ll be sharing with – and that might not always be easy for every team member.
4. Join.me
Join.me is an interesting latest screen-sharing software that requires a somewhat different approach than TeamViewer. Basically, it’s a web app, which implies that you don’t want to install anything. Just quickly open the page, quickly sign in, and then share your screen with your remote team members.
Also, Join.me works as a video/audio conferencing tool with around 250 participants per meeting which is really convenient when you want to arrange an online meeting with a major number of your remote workers. You can make swap presenters, develop whiteboards, and obviously, share your screens right away.
Join.me not as technically better as TeamViewer; thus, it doesn’t need to be. It’s not there to assist you to provide IT support. However, if you need an easy one-click screen-sharing solution that works around all devices and allows you to hold meetings with your remote team member – you only found it.
Remote Project Management Tools and Task Assignment
Such tools will allow you to improve the productivity of your remote team, involving time tracking, and giving tasks to every member of the team.
5. Basecamp
Basecamp is among the exceptional tools for managing remote work processes. It’s the ultimate software project management software that involves everything you want to control your remote teams.
Here’s why Basecamp is amazing:
- Message Boards –Â Every team member can develop content that lasts as well as discuss it freely with different remote workers;
- To-Do Lists –Â Your remote workers navigate with the help of your routine with ease;
- Chat Rooms –Â That enables your remote employees to resolve every issue instantaneously;
- Document and File Storage – With the integration of Google Docs integration — a much-needed feature for effective remote work;
- Schedules –Â Avoid missing crucial appointments or meetings;
- Check-In Questions –Â Power up your stand-up meetings;
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg — we still need to talk about Client access, notifications, automated reports, and the kitchen sink. Basecamp can be easy to manage your remote development for you. Both you as well as your remote employees will be really happy with this management system.
6. Jira
JIRA is quite impactful development team management software, even if it’s no longer the monopolist on the market. When the interface is not really streamlined and robust as it could be, the absolute flexibility as well as the number of alternatives JIRA offers are unmatched.
That said, it works great when supported with Confluence, Hipchat (or Slack), and other Atlassian tools. Then, you might not have the ability to integrate it into your management workflow as effortlessly.
- Video Conferencing Tools
Video tools provide the feeling of sitting in a similar room and working in a similar space. Also, they are an effective way to acquire a feeling for the team’s mood as well as the engagement of your remote team members.
7. Skype
Skype is a functional messenger – even if it doesn’t have every one of the outstanding features it must have had by this point. And rather improving the UX and presenting third-party tools. Microsoft seems happy with including more new animations as well as making the UI better.
Above all, Skype is fully free – which makes it a budget-friendly remote team management tool adored by many remote working folks.
8. Zoom
Zoom is a quite simple corporate communication tool with file transfer and screen-sharing services. It’s available for tablets, smartphones, and desktop computers and is highly streamlined overall.
The most captivating feature is the ability to fine-tune the video feed in processing. Zoom can transform the backgrounds, somewhat enhance the speaker’s presence and generally, make preparation for a call less energetic. It’s an excellent alternative for remote work. That said, don’t hope for miracles in that department.
Customer support
9. Acquire
Acquire is a highly featured, multilingual combined customer engagement platform. The platform is made to provide faster, customized customer support to consumers. It allows streamlining the conversations with the clients and with the support teams.
Every communication will be stored in a single centralized place & this will massively enhance collaboration. You will have the ability to track every support conversation & even measure team performance with the assistance of analytics. This will provide a good understanding of the complete process.
Remote communication tools
Instant messengers have revolutionized communication and corporate messengers are a necessity in any workplace with more than one location.
10. Slack
Slack is an outstanding communication platform that smoothly integrates direct messages, third-party apps, and group chats to develop an amazing experience. It reaches the point where features are gradually saturated into general messages such as Telegram or Discord.
Slack is rather integrated into the Atlassian infrastructure and you miss out on a few convenience features if you don’t utilize JIRA as your essential project management tool. There are a few plugins for the third parties but their functionality is quite limited.
NOTE:Â There is a self-hosted option to Slack known as the Mattermost. Try this if you need to keep every one of your data on-site.
11. Krisp.ai
Krisp is capable of muting background noise such as a cafe, dog barking, or kids playing in any communication app. It utilizes the world’s best AI-powered noise-cancelling technology. It’s a great tool to have for remote teams as well as professionals.
Calendars and To-Do Lists
It’s crucial to involve a customized calendar in the wide range of your remote team management tools. Calendars help you update about the send notifications, and scheduled meetings and sustain the to-do lists in order. Overall, calendars are crucial for effective time management.
12. Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a crucial aspect of the Google Suite, so it’s no wonder that it’s quite exceptional. It particularly synchronizes events from distinct calendars and provides various notification techniques.
Also, Google Calendar has a world clock, which is quite convenient if your remote teams work from various time zones. Additionally, you can connect your Google Calendar to some time-tracking app and keep tracking time invested in any previously scheduled calendar event.
13. Microsoft To-Do
Microsoft To-Do is a quite sorted to-do list, highly focused on customization and simplicity. Though, the development has been quite slow, with rumours that Microsoft simply supports the project.
Apart from this, Microsoft To-Do is an exceptional tool for individuals who just need a tool that works from the get-go. Especially, it’s a go-to tool for those who are already working in the Microsoft ecosystem, since it offers basic integration into Office 365 and different tools.
Security
Security is highly crucial while working on sensitive projects. Therefore, security should not become the essential point, interfering with basic development.
14. LastPass
It is a perfect password manager. It offers an easy way to control access credentials by different members of the team.
Also, it improves general information security within various boards by enabling highly complicated passwords. LastPass will even highlight if you are utilizing a similar password on various sites, assist with creating random passwords and make you remember to update your passwords if you’ve been utilizing them for quite a long time.
15. Cleverfiles
Cleverflies is a disk drill data recovery software. It allows the user to recover the files deleted from Mac OS or Windows such as media files, messages and documents. It recovers data from HDD, USB drive or any other disk-based storage.
Do you want to build Software Development Collaboration Tools for your business?
Managing remote teams might appear challenging initially. But, remote collaboration can be really powerful while set up rightly. As you can see, there are plenty of software development collaboration tools, both paid and free, that can allow a remote team to work without any hassles and deliver top-notch products.
