36 Вest Team Productivity Tools for 2020

The modern world is a world of globalization and the internet. Therefore, it often happens that a team includes people from different cities and (even countries) working on the same project. There is never enough time, and spending it on constant meetings or personally notifying each employee about new developments is simply inefficient.

This is where team productivity apps come to the rescue. It is these tools that allow you to establish communication in a team and make your work as productive as possible.

Do You Actually Need Productivity Tools?

Company management and project managers have to start thinking about how they will organize communication within the team from the interview stage. After all, if some information does not arrive on time or does not reach the employee at all, the work may be in jeopardy. Using tools to boost team productivity, you can organize the work of any number of employees located anywhere in the world.

Systems for organizing teamwork offer the following functions: 

• a calendar to save tasks, deadlines, and control checkmarks. It can be presented as a table, board, or list;
• notifications about receiving a task or completing it;
• group and private chats;
• creating a customer base or database of contacts;
• accessibility from smartphone or tablet;
• connection with other resources (social networks, email).

Best apps for productivity most often have an extended toolset that makes the team’s work as effective as possible.

Features to Look For

In order to understand how to increase team productivity using special services, we need to determine what functionality these services can have.

They can be divided into:

• tools that facilitate communication;
• products that help manage projects and products;
• services that provide remote communication and video conferencing;
• programs that have the ability to maintain documentation;
• time-tracking tools;
• databases;
• file-sharing programs;
• social networks for internal use;
• tools for creating models and prototypes.

Some productivity management tools have a narrow purpose. The other part combines several sets of functions at once.

Productivity Tools Evaluation Criteria

There are a number of characteristics that can help you determine whether a particular program is suitable for organizing the work of a particular company or implementing specific tasks. These include:

• the number of users the program can accommodate;
• the cost of using the system, whether there is a free trial period;
• the ability to integrate with other programs;
• the availability of a mobile/tablet version;
• the availability of a calendar;
• the ability to set notifications.

The 36 Best Team Productivity Tools to Use in 2020

Today, the market offers a huge range of programs that can significantly improve the quality of teamwork, save time and effort.

CRM

Customer relationship management is an automated system that is used to organize working with clients. These systems are designed to help managers collect data, sort it, ensure communication with customers and, accordingly, increase sales efficiency.

Nimble

This is one of the best sales team productivity tools. Nimble is a cloud-based tool that has an advanced feature set for working with clients. It is compatible with all operating systems and can be installed on mobile devices.

It offers the following functions:

• interface for scheduling tasks;
• setting notifications;
• integration with social networks and contacts;
• the ability to create group chats;
• analytical system monitors the quality of each employee’s work.

The system can be used for free for two weeks. After that, the cost of the subscription is as low as $19 per month.

Communication tools

Programs that help ensure quality communication within the team are popular with those who understand how to improve team productivity. Today, the market for this type of product is quite extensive, so each user can choose what is suitable for their particular case.

Slack

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Slack is a chat service that has quickly gained popularity around the world. Its functionality includes:

• channels;
• group chats;
• video calls and audio calls;
• adding pictures, sending documents;
• calendar of tasks;
• integration with other team collaboration tools, social networks, and email services.

If the company only has a few employees, you can install the free version with a limited set of functions. Standard and Plus plans are paid, the cost of using the application depends on the number of users.

TweetDeck

This platform is suitable for working on Twitter. It is ideal for those who have several accounts to manage. The program offers the following set of functions:

• sending posts, including from several accounts at once;
• tracking discussions;
• tracking user activity and keywords;
• communicating with potential buyers or customers;
• the ability to work from a mobile phone.

The service is absolutely free, so it is often used by new startup teams. It is compatible with all operating systems.

Flowdock

Flowdock is one of the most popular systems. This is an online service for creating online chats and collaborating. Main features:

• creation of individual and group chats;
• integration with mail services, as well as other tools used to improve productivity;
• distribution of employees by department;
• transferring and previewing pictures, PDFs, and videos from YouTube;
• file uploading;
• task calendar and notifications.

The free trial period is 1 month. After that, the cost of using the program is $3 per month per user.

GoToMeeting

The developers of GoToMeeting have created a fairly convenient interface for organizing online meetings.

The application offers the following functions:

• application sharing;
• joint editing of documents;
• group and individual chats;
• transfer of control over the mouse and keyboard;
• shared screen;
• adding contacts;
• reports;
• planning meetings and events.

The application can integrate with the programs of the MS Office package. It is suitable for any OS.

The first month of using the application is free. After that, you will need to pay $19 per user per month.

WebEx

WebEx platform is perfect for holding conferences or webinars and perfectly integrates into the infrastructure of any company.

The program has the following functions:

• joint control of the desktop, mouse, keyboard;
• sharing documents;
• chats, video calls, and private messages;
• recording web sessions;
• polls;
• virtual rooms (groups where you can make shared video calls).

Тeam collaboration

For everyone who understands how to work more efficiently, programs that improve teamwork are a necessary element of organizing the workflow.

Codingteam

This service is perfect for use in IT companies. With its help, you can organize the work of both the department and the company as a whole.

The service has the following functions:

• individual and group chats;
• creation of documents and sharing access to them;
• task manager;
• data transfer;
• saving message history.

The program integrates with all operating systems. The cost depends on the number of users.

Igloo

This service of workplace productivity tools will help you more efficiently organize interaction within a small group as well as a rather large company. The program can be installed on a device with any operating system.

The list of its functions includes:

• creation of group and individual chats;
• video messaging;
• sharing access to documents;
• creating a list of tasks;
• setting up notifications;
• transferring documents, videos, and pictures.

Quip

This package includes various functions that can significantly speed up the work of the team. The service makes it possible to create documents and share them with other project participants.

It has the following features:

• creation of documents and folders;
• creation of your own subdomain;
• saving document editing;
• creation of personal and group chats;
• creation of task lists;
• an archive of messages;
• creation of spreadsheets;
• audit performance;
• Integration with other services.

The service is installed on a computer or smartphone with any OS. After the trial month, the cost will be $12 per month per user.

Notes

Programs that allow you to create notes, edit them and share them with all project participants are always used to organize teamwork.

Evernote

The service can be used both for organizing work in a small team and for storing all records about your business.

The program functionality includes:

• creating informational notes;
• attaching notes to notebooks, setting labels, opening access for collaboration;
• the ability to synchronize data between different devices;
• search system;
• task list;
• calendar of events;
• financial management.

The program is compatible with any operating system. The service is free, but you can purchase advanced versions with additional options.

Google Keep

An online service from Google that offers a fairly wide range of functions for organizing the work of the company.

The main functions include:

• creating notes with the ability of voice input;
• sharing notes;
• searching by notes and highlighting;
• synchronization between different devices;
• notifications.

The interface is compatible with any operating system. The service is free, but you will have to pay extra for additional functions.

Pocket

Pocket is a free service with a premium subscription option. With its help, you can save web pages, videos or documents and view them later even without access to the network. There are also the functions of sorting, assigning tags, distribution by authors.

Documents

Document management services are some of the most requested tools to improve productivity at work.

Google Drive

A free service that allows you to save documents to the cloud, share access to them, jointly view, edit them and download to your computer. Offline access is also available. There are applications for smartphones. The program integrates with any operating system.

HelloSign

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A convenient service that allows you to manage work with documents, share them with other team members, regulate access, and much more. This is essentially a notebook for the whole team. It allows you to store large volumes of data, search, and sort it.

Scanbot

Another service for all operating systems. With its help, you can store documents and pictures, open access to employees, sort them alphabetically and by date of creation. The program is free, but there is the option to purchase a premium package.

Media

Working with photos and videos today has become mandatory for the development of any company. Therefore, users are offered a huge number of programs for working with media files.

Pixlr

An application that allows you to create charts and spreadsheets, as well as work with images. There are functions for importing, sharing access at various levels and commenting, as well as chats.

Lucidchart             

Lucidchart is a program for creating diagrams, models, layouts, organization charts, and more. The service integrates with other applications and is suitable for any operating system.

It has a simple interface and offers the following features:

• the ability to import and export documents in Microsoft Visio;
• real-time collaboration;
• conversion of results to various formats;
• use of templates;
• adding diagrams and images;
• saving all changes;
• group chats;
• commenting ability.

The cost of use is $4 per user per month.

Screencastify

Another service for working with media content. In Screencastify, you can create applications based on the data entered. One person or several can work simultaneously. You can integrate documents from a computer or from other applications. The program is paid, the cost depends on the type of package.

Productivity

Below is a list of best productivity tools for enterprises of any size and any business sphere.

Dapulse

The program helps to manage projects at various levels. It allows you to create chats for one or more employees, share access, create lists of tasks. You can also use it to hold video conferences and send notifications to employees.

ProofHub

ProofHub is a web-based project management service that helps you track, discuss and communicate with team members and clients in the same place.

ProofHub includes a large number of functions, such as Gantt charts, reports, task lists, milestones, discussions, file sharing, built-in chat, fix tools, time tracking. The program can integrate with other applications and is suitable for all operating systems. The minimum subscription cost is $45 per month.

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Redbooth

Redbooth is an online service that you can use to manage your entire project. The system can be integrated with basic business services. The main functions include:

• task calendar;
• text notes;
• distributing access to specific employees;
• video conferences;
• individual and group chats;
• statistics;
• Gantt charting.

Trello

The program allows you to automate project management as much as possible. Functions:

• creating boards, cards, and lists;
• calendar;
• integration with other applications;
• a mobile version available;
• integration with other applications for a fee.

1-3-5 List

The service makes it possible to solve even the most complex tasks and manage large projects without missing important details. The functionality of this service includes:

• compiling and distributing lists of tasks;
• synchronizing and sending notifications;
• displaying lists on the device screen in one click.

The system has a free version and a subscription-based paid one.

Asana

This service allows you to organize collaboration on projects and ensure communication within the team.

This service offers the ability to:

• synchronize different devices in real-time;
• check the inbox;
• plan work schedule and events;
• create and edit problems and tasks, sort them by priority;
• structure projects;
• lead discussions in chat rooms;
• use the calendar;
• attach files;
• draw up a Kanban board.

The service is free for teams of up to 15 people. For more employees, the cost is $10 per person per month.

Freedcamp

A simple application for organizing a workspace on a specific project. It has the following features:

• creating a dashboard;
• creating a Kanban board;
• maintaining a calendar of events and activities;
• file import;
• chats;
• email integration.

Video conferencing tools

Today it’s hard to imagine work without video conferencing, or training employees without webinars. There are a huge number of applications for this purpose.

Skype

A simple program for audio calls, video calls, and instant text messaging. The program is free and available for all devices.

Google Hangouts

Companies use this service to carry out internal communication, exchange instant messages and conduct video conferences. It can also be used to organize meetings, presentations, and webinars. Invitations will be sent to each member of the team, and coordination is carried out directly through the sidebar. You can also use individual and group chats. The program is available for free.

Zoom

The program has a simple interface and offers the following functions:

• sharing screen control;
• video conferencing;
• rooms for work on specific projects;
• working with Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box;
• individual and group chats;
• sorting contacts.

The service has free and paid versions. The paid one costs $15 per month.

Email management

Special programs help the company to avoid drowning in a sea of letters and highlight the important information.

Spike

A service that allows you to sort messages by importance, filter spam, group the messages, create notifications, and much more. The service is free and compatible with any operating system.

Inbox

A web service developed by Google and based on the Gmail client. It can help sort emails and identify the most important ones.

Main functions:

• message grouping;
• all-important data directly in the inbox;
• notification settings;
• the ability to create pending events and then return to them;
• search by letters and addresses.

The service can be used free of charge and installed on any device.

Time tracking

Time management is the basis of the work of any successful company. There is a huge number of applications that track the time spent. 

Toggl

With this application, you can track the consumption of both personal and team time.

It has the following characteristics:

• the ability to customize projects, tasks, and clients;
• tracking working hours;
• composing and exporting reports on the work done;
• differentiating levels of access rights;
• import into other services;
• archiving projects.

Rescue Time

The program automatically tracks the time spent, which helps to track ongoing processes and eliminate possible problems.

The program offers the following functions:

• automatic tracking of work in mobile applications;
• tracking call duration;
• tracking visited websites and time spent on them;
• marking closed projects and highlighting achievements;
• generating reports that include performance history;
• notifications system.

The program has a trial period. The rest of the time you will need to pay up to $9 per month.

Copywriting

These days, a company cannot do without a copywriter working on informative selling texts. Special programs help them with this.

Hemingway

Hemingway is a web resource designed for editing texts. With its help, you can find grammatical and stylistic errors, sentences that are difficult to read. This program also offers the option to format text by inserting headings, links, and lists into it. The service is compatible with any operating system. The program has a free version.

Account overload

When working with a large number of resources, it is quite difficult to remember passwords. To avoid confusion and not overload employees with unnecessary information, special systems are used by those who know how to work more efficiently.

1Password

1Password is a program that provides secure storage of passwords and other important data that needs to be kept secret.

It has the following functions:

• saving passwords;
• password synchronization for various devices;
• one-click access to sites and resources;
• high-degree of encryption protection;
• automatic blocking when a device is lost;
• automatic synchronization with other platforms;
• storage without a cloud.

The mobile version of the program is free, the desktop one costs $65 per month.

LastPass

LastPass is another program for storing and managing passwords. You can also use it to store logins, create profiles for shopping, track personal information and much more. The service has the following features:

• storage and automatic filling of profiles of all accounts;
• acceleration of work with online stores;
• password search;
• folder formation;
• high-degree of protection;
• multi-factor authentication;
• password generation;
• sharing access;
• security check.

How Do I Choose?

In order to choose a program, you need to clearly define a number of points. First of all, decide what functions the program needs to perform. The team does not always need the whole set of functions to work. Focus on the essentials, and pay attention to the interface. The simpler it is, the faster the implementation of the service will go. 

The second factor is the number of potential users. Implementing a program for a department or for an entire company can go in completely different ways. 

The third factor is the cost. The program should not break the company’s bank.

General Productivity Tips for Teams

To organize productive work in a team, pay attention to the following:

• Team members must always be in touch during working hours so that it is always possible to quickly solve a work task.
• Team members must receive the same information at the same time. This will help to avoid discrepancies when completing a task.
• It is imperative to establish an alert system so that everyone remembers the deadlines.
• Attention to detail. When working on long-term projects, it is important not to miss important details.
• Visual calendar of events that will track the project progress.

Conclusion

It is important to have your team work as a single organism. In the modern world, this is very difficult to organize without using special services. Therefore, management should definitely consider introducing special programs that can significantly simplify the organization of the work process and improve control over the implementation of tasks. Using these programs, you can significantly save time, effort and money.