Critical global developments over the past few years, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, have led to a dramatic increase in remote work. But to ensure that remote workers are productive, organizations need to invest in the right tools.
Whether it’s for customer security, internal communication, project management, or anything else, software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools have emerged as the solution to this challenge.
In fact, SaaS is revolutionizing remote work environments by providing flexible, scalable, and accessible tools that empower teams to collaborate effectively from anywhere. Let’s explore this topic in more detail below.
The Surge in Remote Work
Statista reports that there’s been an 8% rise in remote work globally, from 20% in 2020 to 28% in 2023. What is interesting is that the tech industry is leading the way in this regard with 67%. It’s clear that re,ore work is becoming increasingly normalized and there are important factors driving this trend. Here’s a glimpse at a few of these:
- Cost savings: One of the first and most obvious developments related to remote work is that businesses are realizing important cost savings in terms of renting or buying real estate space. Also, utility bills are much lower as there are lower bills related to water, electricity, and connectivity costs.
- Access to global talent pool: Organizations are also recognizing that they can more easily and efficiently access a global talent pool, meaning significant benefits for their businesses in terms of competitiveness and quality of output.
- Employee demand for flexibility: The great resignation in the US clearly demonstrated that employees are looking for greater levels of flexibility in the work that they do. They are seeking a greater work-life balance and the ability to manage their time in more productive ways, previously not possible with fixed office hours and locations.
The Role of SaaS in Remote Work
What emerges from all this is that businesses and employees are shifting toward a remote work model. But what is helping to facilitate the efficiency of this process is the use of SaaS tools. SaaS or software-as-a-service are technological or digital tools that can help shape and define work being carried out by remote teams. Some of the key benefits of SaaS for such teams include:
- Flexibility: Many SaaS tools offer flexible plans and different tiers of functionalities, depending on organizational size and needs. This flexibility comes in very useful for remote teams who can cherry-pick what they need based on their requirements.
- Scalability: Often, SaaS tools offer scope for scalability, growing with the business’ growth. For example, if your team increases in size and you need more “seats” from a certain plan, upgrades are possible and will meet your needs.
- Accessibility: Many SaaS tools are cloud-based, meaning greater accessibility, irrespective of the geographical location of your team. All you really need is a stable and secure internet connection and access to the specific tool.
- Cost-effectiveness: Along with the flexibility of SaaS tools comes cost effectiveness. Some of the tools that we will cover below cost as little as $0 for trial versions while others can come in at under $10 per user per month, depending on whether billing is carried out monthly or yearly.
Essential SaaS Tools for Remote Teams
With all the benefits of SaaS tools for remote teams, it’s essential to get things right so that your business can take advantage of all the perks they offer. Choosing carefully requires planning, research, and preparation. However, to help narrow down your search process, we’ve gathered a list of some of the industry’s leading tools that will help you make an informed decision.
Communication and collaboration tools
Communication and collaboration technologies are key for remote teams. That’s why they require tools for real-time messaging, voice calling, file sharing, video conferencing, and more. Two tools that stand out from the crowd are:
- Brosix: Brosix is an affordable, highly-secure instant messenger for business teams, offering a range of add-on functionalities and third-party integrations.
- Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams, as part of the broader Microsoft package, offers teams the ability to do video calls and communicate virtually, anywhere.
Project management platforms
Of course, project management is crucial for large teams where every minute detail needs to be kept track of. If you’re wondering how to organize your tasks better and enjoy seamless collaboration, the following tools are worth considering:
- Asana: Assigning tasks and keeping track of them has never been easier than with Asana. This project management tool helps teams stay focused on their tasks and well-organized, too.
- Trello: Trello keeps all project information together, even if teams aren’t at the same location. Trello works with boards that are created to keep track of tasks, work, and projects.
Cloud storage solutions
Looking to access documents easily from anywhere, including your mobile device? Why not consider the following two cloud storage alternatives:
- Google Drive: Google Drive offers teams excellent cloud storage of a broad range of documents and files, making sharing easier than ever before.
- Dropbox: Dropbox is excellent for long-term storage and large file storage that is kept secure on the cloud. Obviously, there are other apps like Dropbox or Google Drive you can try.
Trends in SaaS for Remote Work
As we try to navigate through the world of remote work, it’s also important to look ahead at emerging trends and technologies in the space to keep abreast of new developments. A few of the most critical remote work trends worth mentioning are:
- The increasing adoption of SaaS across industries, with the global SaaS market projected to reach $230 billion by 2027.
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools such as Clariti leverage AI to revolutionize remote communication and collaboration.
- All-in-one platforms are emerging that integrate multiple functionalities, including messaging, task management, document storage, and many others.
Implementing a Successful Remote Work Policy
What every successful remote business knows is that the success is highly dependent on a sound remote work policy. Some key considerations when building such a policy include considering factors such as:
- Performance expectations
- Communication protocols
- Workspace requirements
- Office hours (if not flexible)
- Hardware and software requirements and set up
- Communication hierarchy
- Dispute resolution
Another essential factor is the importance of investing in cybersecurity and HIPAA compliance for your remote teams, ensuring that your customers’ sensitive information is always protected and that no malicious actors get their hands on your private data.
Finally, you should also consider some best practices and strategies for maintaining company culture and employee engagement in a remote environment. Providing virtual swag bags can be a creative way to boost morale and make remote employees feel valued and connected to the company.
Examples of these include checking in with team members on a personal level from time to time, considering team activities that can be carried out online and remotely, and offering IT support desk when it’s needed for your remote team members, be it in the form of tangible or intangible aspects such as encouragement, praise, awards for milestones reached, strong performance, and others both publicly and privately.
Overcoming Challenges of Remote Work
Many traditional organizations were skeptical of remote work, thinking that the traditional work model would be disrupted. They were worried not only about their team members working in pajamas but also key issues around productivity and performance monitoring.
While it is true that these can pose challenges, the solution is effective communication and collaboration despite geographical barriers. Also, providing adequate training and support for remote employees to use SaaS tools effectively is another vital function that should not be overlooked.
Conclusion
All in all, SaaS tools have a transformative impact on remote work environments. If you haven’t embraced them yet, it’s definitely worth doing so in order to help your organization stay competitive in the future of work.
Consider adopting the right SaaS tools for your business and implementing robust remote work policies. You’ll be sure to experience all the advantages of having a flexible and diverse workforce at your fingertips, surpassing geographical boundaries and tapping into an impressive pool of talent.
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