Revolutionizing Remote Work: The Impact of Work Management Software

Remote working was a growing trend even before the pandemic. Now, with the business world adapting to the reality of the post-pandemic world, it is fast becoming a new way of working. A flexible way of working, with more accessibility and a greater ability to get things done – for increasingly more remote workforces. That’s where Work Management software such as Aproove Work Management enters the stage, enabling remote teams to switch to even higher levels of productivity.

Remote Working

Before we get to the effects of Work Management software, it’s worth taking a moment to survey the speed and scale of the remote work trend. Fuelled by technology and changing attitudes around work, remote work has gone from a stop-gap measure to a standard operating procedure for many companies. The upsides are obvious:
•    Reduced commuting
•    Access to a global talent pool
•    Improved work-life balance
•    Cost savings for both employers and employees

Yet even with these benefits, there are inevitable tensions. Because of geographical separation, you can’t always talk and work together as easily, leading to misalignment, missed deadlines, and lower accountability – all of which are addressed by great Work Management systems.

What is Work Management Software?

Work Management software represents a family of digital tools providing support along the full lifecycle of work processes – from planning, assignment and execution through to completion. These tools unify task management, project planning, communication and collaboration from inception through to ideation, execution and delivery. As a result, they offer remote teams a single pane of glass onto which they can peer collectively to efficiently get their work done.

The Impact on Remote Workforces

Centralized Collaboration:

These Work Management systems act as a single hub where a distributed workforce works on a project, annotates documents, and communicates with each other. Instead of files getting lost in the grand scheme of your inbox or forgetting what you were supposed to provide to who and by when, everything is stored in one place. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and that things don’t fall through the cracks.

Clear Task Allocation:

Because the team will work remotely, it’s very important to have a clear task management system so that team members know exactly what is required of them and when. It’s not enough just to describe the task, its priority and deadline in the task-assignment email. The Work Management software can assign tasks, set deadlines and set task priority, so that managers can delegate tasks precisely and clearly, and anyone can see what tasks they have, and by when they have to complete them. This will ensure greater accountability.

Real-time Progress Tracking:

When employees work remotely, it can be hard to see who’s doing what when, and where each project stands. The visibility provided by Work Management can give managers and team members real-time insight into who’s working on what, where projects stand and potential problems. This increased visibility enhances team coordination and prevents bottlenecks.

Enhanced Communication:

Communication is key – Work Management software usually supports discussion boards, commenting features, @mentions and integrations with other messaging platforms, enabling remote team members to ask questions, seek clarification and even have a bit of a chit-chat, all without the hefty burden of sending endless emails.

Data-Driven Insights:

Work Management software aggregates data and analytics that give teams visibility into key performance indicators on their team, the status of projects and resources, helping them optimize and fine-tune processes over time to achieve higher effectiveness.

Flexibility and Adaptability:

Working remotely, roles shift. Work Management software moves with them. If, for instance, a team needs to shift direction or alter its priorities, Work Management software’s centralized, collaborative view allows for quick realignment, even in the face of unexpected challenges.

With ongoing changes in the nature of work, with remote work increasingly becoming the norm, this software will play a central role in helping teams to collaborate, stay organized, maintain accountability and track progress in real-time.

Work Management software, which evolved to help deskless workers coordinate with one another on an expert basis, is now offered by small start-ups all the way up to multinational companies. Even as technology grows in sophistication, tools will likely only get better at supporting remote workforces’ ongoing bid to become more productive than ever before.

Read more of our insightful articles, over on the Aproove blog!