10 things to consider while looking for a team collaboration app

A dedicated team collaboration software is an inevitable need to stay ahead of the competition and increase productivity. There are many options out there, but it's really essential to choose and employ the best team collaboration tool for your team to encourage productivity.

Regardless of the size of your team, our current world of business often requires a single workspace for team members to collaborate and manage projects across multiple devices.

Here we've put together some crucial points to consider while looking for a team collaboration app.

1. Assess your needs

One of the most important criteria to consider while looking for team collaboration software is how effectively it can meet your needs and align with your organizational requirements.

First, analyze what your business needs are and identify any gaps that need to be addressed. Once you have a solid list of what exactly you're looking to accomplish with a team collaboration tool, start researching and comparing products to that list of needs. This gives you a clear idea of what your team requires and helps refine your search.

2. Put safety first

The top priority must be placed on looking for a tool that properly safeguards your organization's data. Double-check whether a tool you're considering benefits you with SSL encryption and allows you to track and manage how internal tools are accessing your data. Especially in the case of cloud-based software, you must ensure workplace tools are trustworthy and offer unimpeachable security.

For example, features like organization wide two-factor authentication, single sign-on to access multiple applications, encryption of data in transit, and at rest and compliance to GDPR are vital when it comes to protecting your organization from the potential loss of data or even cybercrime.

3. Get started easily

The most distinctive, sought-after factor in considering new software is how easily your team can use it. Ease of use can reduce the time and effort your employees spend on learning how to use new software. Before deciding on buying a tool, it's vital to sign up for a demo to see how the product works for your organization and team members.

4. Choose more than just a chat app

Team communication is crucial for efficiently achieving your end goals. While there are many software options that primarily focus on threaded conversations, chat, and group chats, communication alone doesn't foster a collaborative environment. A team that works together to collaborate has a greater chance of creating new innovations.

Good team collaboration tools help increase productivity and employee engagement with features like:

• Screen sharing

• Virtual conference rooms

• Reminders

• Virtual assistant

• Effortless file sharing

• Instant group chats

• Streamlined conversations

• Automation of workflows

and a lot more.

Streamline your workflow by adopting software that allows your team to stay connected and increase their pace.

5. Give your admin the power they need

A capable administration is the spine of any organization, and it's important to make sure the tool you choose offers fine-tuned admin capabilities to help to run a sound and productive organization.

The three main capabilities that an admin must have in a team collaboration app are:

• Invite and manage users

• Assign roles and set permissions

• Configure policies to streamline internal processes and ensure employee compliance

6. Look for robust task and project management

Proper task management helps your team accomplish your projects on time and manage workloads effectively. Conventional team collaboration software helps improve your process of task management, from creating a task, tracking progress, setting reminders for tasks, and managing important to-do lists. Tracking task progress in a project encourages accountability and motivates employees to work with a sense of responsibility.

When considering a team collaboration tool, look for features like commands and shortcuts which allow you to create tasks and keep a track of your workflows directly from the tool.

Successful completion of any project often involves different departments, so it's important to look for a tool that encourages inter-department collaboration through channels and group chats.

For example: under the HR department, there will be divisions such as the Onboarding team, Payroll team, HR support team, and more.

Collaborative efforts between HR and Finance will have a significant impact on employee satisfaction and financial strategy, so in this case, the payroll team will consist of members from both the HR department and the Finance department.

Helpful team collaboration features allow you to manage your projects, set milestones, and analyze what can be done better the next time with the help of detailed reports.

7. Prioritize versatility and adaptability

Any team collaboration software you choose should be flexible enough to meet all your needs under dynamic work conditions.

Consider a case where you had to switch from office work to remote working culture due to certain situations. Your collaboration software should help make your transition smooth and make sure that you don't miss the little perks of working in an office space.

For example, Zoho Cliq's Remote Work dashboard allows you to check-in and out of work just like swiping an ID. The status option in the dashboard allows you to also look around and check if your coworker is available before you send them a message.

So look for a software that offers a detailed admin dashboard to help team leaders track work and guide productivity from anywhere.

Whether you work in an office or lead a remote team, a useful admin dashboard should help you:

•  Manage projects in process and keep all the team members in the loop
• Maintain communication and teamwork in the remote workspace

• Develop a sense of accountability and manage work-life balance efficiently by keeping track of daily and weekly work time

8. Integrations for the app

Take a look at the systems your team already has in place, since these will often need to be integrated with any new collaboration software you choose.

For instance, if you currently use task management apps like Todoist, Trello, Asana, and others, explore and ensure that any software you consider supports these integrations.

Some tools come with a range of integrations already available. For example, Cliq offers a full marketplace of ready-made integrations.

9. Streamlined features

Automation is becoming more and more common in the digital workplace with the rise of Bot assistants and chatbots. Chatbots help you perform repetitive, day-to-day tasks and also provide you with custom notifications, making it easier for you to be productive. Some tools even allow you to build your own bots with few lines of code to meet your specific needs.

Redefine the way your team works by adopting a tool with automation capabilities, so you can focus more on tasks that need your full attention.

10. Keep your budget in mind

High efficiency at a feasible cost

This generally goes without saying, but when looking for team collaboration software, you should always consider your team's or organization's budget. Compare the cost of a team collaboration tool with the benefits you'll gain in the long run. Make sure the benefits and usage are worth the amount of money you're going to spend.

Finally, before deciding to adopt a team collaboration tool, it's always important to run a pilot program for the final list of two or three choices you're considering. Gather end-user feedback as it helps you better understand your team needs and select the tool that the users feel like the best fit. Make sure the final decision involves the opinions of the people who are going to use it most.

Adopting a team collaboration tool is a big decision that will help shape your organization's work structure, so it's important to explore and compare your options to find the best choice available. When it comes to what's best for your team, accept no compromises.

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