2020 showed companies it is possible to have their workforce work remotely. And many tech giants provided plenty of options to help enhance—and sustain—productivity.

Some of the myths that kept employers from allowing their staff to work from home were: the idea that there would be too many distractions. That no one would get anything done. Also: what about accountability, communication, file sharing and other such excuses.

Well, those myths were shot down pretty quickly. Because, when you have no choice, suddenly it’s possible to find ways to maintain communication, to keep employees accountable, and to ensure deadlines are met to specification. It’s also possible to move your servers from physical ones to cloud-based.

Since file sharing and cloud-based storage has become much better (and more secure) in the last few years, it was a straightforward enough transition for many businesses to move away from physical services to cloud-based ones.

Both Google and Apple have their own free cloud storage options that make it easy for users to share files quickly and seamlessly.

Tech Giants like Google and *Apple* have their suite of apps which make sharing information and communicating really easy. Then you have Zoom who expanded its video-calling business to include features like web conferencing, webinars, screen sharing, and much, much more.

And then there’s Amazon Web Services. One of the largest providers out there, their cloud-storage and hosting options have enabling many businesses to better transition to having the majority of staff work at home.

The work-at-home era also saw project management software come to the fore. After all, what better way to communicate, collaborate, and meet deadlines then a software that encourages and enhances efforts to stay productive and in-touch with your colleagues.

The work-at-home era

So many companies are facing an era of empty offices. Of having employees they may never meet in person, but only via a video call every now and then. So many people have learned to adapt their home to also be their office and have to deal with the idea that home and work are now the same space.

We are lucky that the technology was either already there and could be scaled, or that companies like Google, Apple, and AWS worked quickly to help businesses work from home successfully.

How Google helps with productivity in the work-at-home era

Google’s suite of services from Google Drive and Google Calendar, to apps like Google Docs and Sheets, has meant no one’s waiting around for someone else to be awake to start work, or to carry on.

Saving files in a Google Drive folder that everyone (who needs to) can access, speeds things up. And it’s much safer and practical than constantly emailing a document back and forth. Because it is, as many of us can attest to, way too easy to lose the most updated version of file if it is being constantly emailed back and forth.

Google Drive can also be accessed from any device, making it perfect for working from home. Also, permissions can be sent to ensure staff only have as much access as necessary.

Another feature Google has provided is its Calendar. Having a shared workplace Google Calendar is useful for creating meetings, deadline reminders, events, and so on.

When you send a calendar invite you are able to add links to video calls, as well as attach documents. This allows anyone who receives the invite to have all the necessary information they need to be up-to-speed.

Finally, there is Google Hangouts. If you want to stay solely in the world of Google, Hangouts is a useful messaging service. It supports both text messaging as well as video calls, and it can be downloaded onto your phone for convenience.

For Google users, Google’s suite of services can be used to great effective to help enhance productivity for remote workers. And, more importantly, it can help them stay productive.

How Apple helps with productivity in the work-at-home era

Apple can help enhance productivity when working at home in much the same way that Google can.

With Apple's own suite of apps, their users have no trouble staying connected with each other. An all-Apple remote work environment reduces the risk of files being corrupted or being inaccessible when shared.

Apple’s mobile software options are another way productivity can be enhanced. For example: Siri is the second most-used AI assistant in the workplace (source). This AI allows you to set reminders, call and message colleagues, and so much more.

Apple also offers iCloud. This is similar to Google Drive. And is a great collaborative tool to enhance productivity if you’re using a mac. It offers similar programs to Google Docs and Sheets, but—unlike Google Drive — it doesn’t work well outside of the Apple system.

But iCloud has helped many remote workers seamlessly carry on their job at home by minimizing delays.

How Amazon Webs Services (AWS) helps with productivity in the work-at-home era

AWS has helped many businesses move efficiently from physical storage to cloud-based storage. Which has not only saved money, but it has made working remotely a far simpler prospect.

With AWS’s on-demand cloud storage, businesses have been able to start small and grow as necessary. Which has freed up the time of their IT team to work on other, more profitable, challenges.

It also means there is no wait time for a new server set-up, physical storage space and so. Essentially, it allows businesses to grow seamlessly, to keep their data secure, and in one place. And with the increasing likelihood of some businesses choosing not to return to the office, cloud-based operations just make sense.

Using cloud-based storage, regular back-ups, and the security that comes with it, has meant that working from home is almost the same as working in an office. So, there’s no loss of time waiting for files, and checking with IT about accessing certain servers.

It can all be done through levels of access so the right people have access to the appropriate work without any back and forth.

The rise and rise of task management software

Task management software as we know it today started around 2008. Since then, it has become a massive industry focused on helping businesses become more efficient and productive.

When the pandemic hit, it became abundantly clear how vital task management software is for successfully managing remote workers and ensuring projects were completed to specifications. Task management software has always been about enhancing communication, convenience, and connectivity. Enabling businesses to efficiently and effectively work with remote workers.

Read more on the best task management software for your teams.

Communication

Most quality task management software tools have in-built communication options like messaging, and the ability to leave notes in real-time.

This ensures everyone working on a project is up-to-speed and collaborating effectively towards the end goal.

Convenience

Everything is in one place. From timelines and project specifications, to file sharing and notifications and reminders. And most good task management software tools will have apps for iOS and Android to help you stay connected with your team and the goal at hand.

Read more on why your team should adope a modern timeline now.

Connectivity

As mentioned above, the option to download the app to your phone helps stay connected and on top of your work.

The other aspect of connectivity is integration with apps like Zapier, GitHub, Slack, as well as calendars, and much more.

Task management software, and project management software, tools have played a key role in enhancing productivity during the work-at-home era.

Allowing teams to stay in touch easily; ensuring managers can assign tasks and keep track of where a project is at; enabling remote workers to carry out work and upload it to avoid anything get lost in an email or a file getting corrupted.

Enhancing productivity during the work-at-home era

There is an abundance of software tools and cloud-based storage options to help enhance productivity for people working from home.

Although it is fair to say that in some cases, this abundance of tools has simply help people adapt to working from home and allowed them to be just as productive as they were when working in the office.

Which is no small feat. For many companies, the idea of their workforce being almost entirely remote was very alien. They had to adapt and adapt fast. Because the alternative was to fail.

So, when we say enhanced productivity, this does mean that some companies have found a way to boost productivity and sales. But for others it’s been more about sustaining their previous level of success in spite of the pandemic.

For many, it’s been about finding the right technology stack for their needs. It’s been about adapting to the times and using the wealth of productivity software options available. If you’re looking at enhancing your remote workers’ productivity, and want a software tool that will also help improve project completions, we might have the right solution for you.

If you would like to know more, please get in touch with us today.