There are huge advantages to working remotely like, increased productivity, happier employees, and lower overhead costs to name just a few. But working remotely also brings up some unique challenges too. Teams still need to be able to work together as if they were in the same room and at times, even sharing the same digital workspace. At ESTUS Digital our team has been working entirely remotely since early 2020, with some team members working remotely since our inception. And now, more and more people and companies are asking how they can complete high-level DevOps when their team is remote? Here are 11 tools we love, many of which we use ourselves on a daily basis.
Communication is Key
1. SLACK
Ideal for: Remote teams of any kind
Slack is not your average workplace chat app. There are so many helpful applications that allow you to streamline communication with both clients and team members. Slack channels allow you to set up different chats for various internal groups or projects. Each channel is also capable of doing a voice or video call and screen sharing. Bring outside collaborators into a Slack channel, while keeping all other internal channels separate. And at any time, bring new collaborators into existing channels.
2. MICROSOFT TEAMS
Ideal for: Remote teams of any kind
If you don’t like Slack or you have colleagues you need to connect with that use Microsoft Teams, it’s another great software that combines chat ability, video chat, file sharing, and voice chat. Plus, it’s scalable to large teams so whether your team is 10 or 10,000, Microsoft Teams is effective.
Developers Working in the Same Space
3. GITHUB
Ideal for: App developers, DevOps teams
GitHub is for developers and made for enterprises so users can work on all of their development projects to scale. Brands you know and love like Airbnb, Spotify, and even NASA all trust GitHub for their development teams. GitHub allows programmers to work with one another remotely on the same projects, and make changes to current code in a mockup format so users of the original code don’t experience any disruptions until an update is officially ready. GitHub also allows for communication between users and programmers so users can give realtime suggestions for improvements.
4. ZEPLIN
Ideal for: DevOps teams, developers, UX designers
Zeplin is the must-have app for DevOps because it is the easiest way for developers to collaborate with other team members. They’re trusted by the biggest names out there and have millions of designs uploaded monthly sourced from any design tool you can think of, whether it’s Adobe XD, Figma, or Sketch. Plus, it integrates with other tools we love, like Slack. Some say the wide variety of integrations makes Zeplin superior to its competitors like Sympli and Avocode.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
5. INSTAGANTT
Ideal for: DevOps teams, project planners
Who doesn’t love (and completely rely on!) a good Gantt chart? Instagantt allows teams to create and collaborate on Gantt charts so they can plan projects and stay on track. Instagantt allows you to drag and drop your tasks, easily change completion dates, and stick to your budget. You’ve never seen a Gantt chart this beautiful until you start utilizing Instagantt.
6. MIRO
Ideal for: DevOps teams, project planners
Miro is a place where remote teams can whiteboard together, whether it’s real-time or asynchronously. It also integrates with other tools you know and love like Slack, Dropbox, Google Suite, and more, for a seamless workflow. Users say it’s easy to navigate and is great for small and large teams, and on the web, Android, or Apple.
Everything in the Cloud
7. DROPBOX BUSINESS
Ideal for: remote teams of any kind
Creators need a safe place to store their work, whether they’re images, videos, presentations, or other files. Dropbox has been a trusted storage space for many years and their Business offerings take their storage options to the next level, allow team members to have access to the same folders to make collaboration easy.
8. EGNYTE
Ideal for: remote teams of any kind
Egnyte is another file services solution that teams all over the world are using. Their platform includes proactive security, allows you to easily share files within a team, and outside of your business as well. Plus, Egnyte has been around since 2007 so you know their product has stood the test of time and grown over the last 10+ years.
For the Designers
9. INVISION
Ideal for: DevOps teams, web developers
InVision is a collaborator’s dream application, especially when it comes to web design and app design. InVision allows users to create valuable prototypes where live feedback allows for quick turnaround and development. That way web developers can hash out all the workflow issues, play with the content, and get feedback from the customer before going through all the work of making an actual website. Brands you trust like Eventbrite, Lyft, and Etsy all use InVision to whiteboard ideas and wireframe websites.
10. SKETCH
Ideal for: Mac users, DevOps teams, web developers
Sketch is not so different than InVision, but the main draw for Mac users is that Sketch is a native macOS app which makes it more intuitive to Apple lovers. Users can prototype to scale, and plugins allow you to do anything you need within the app, including animating and designing with live data. It’s great for individuals as well as teams, and you can easily share documents with clients and other collaborators.
11. WORDPRESS
Ideal for: web developers
You know it and you love it, but just in case you weren’t already on team WordPress, here’s our case for it. It’s the most popular website builder out there, and it has tons of plugins to help out with all of your various web design needs. Other website building applications really constrict the user to work within their frameworks but WordPress is a blank canvas for those who want it to be. And for those who want those helpful templates, those are still there too.
