Working on a collaborative project? Need to comment on an article, allocate tasks for crew members or pass it through a round of authorizations? It is best to search for team -collaboration tools. These tools enable setting up a work environment secured in a cloud (which does not require installment), conversing around a theme or project, allocating tasks and sharing documents. They don't suit setting up an infrastructure for managing documents or knowledge retaining, rather emphasize localized knowledge sharing and team work.
The market contains many team-collaboration tools that offer quite sufficient free versions and supporting mobile applications that enable smooth transfer to mobile work. This piece will sample two tools: Slack and Asana, one task-oriented and the other chat/video-oriented.
A noteworthy disadvantage of all team-collaborative tools is a limited support of Hebrew. While Hebrew fonts can be used and some tools allow writing from right to left, they do not feature a Hebrew infrastructure. These solutions are therefore relevant to global organizations whose workers communicate in English or organizations communicating in Hebrew whose workers also know how to cope with an English interface.
Full disclosure: ROM has no business relationship with any of these organizations; the following is a general review of some examples and is not a specific recommendation.
Asana- A task-oriented tool. When creating an organization's account, users set-up teams and invite friends. Each team member must create a user account in the system but can also connect via their Google account (rather than creating a username and password). Those interested yet not invited can send a request to whoever set-up the account (or other team members, according to defined settings).
The tool allows writing in Hebrew and writing from right to left. However, it does not feature a Hebrew infrastructure. All team members can create projects and allocate tasks. Users can define deadline for tasks, attach files, add sub-tasks, insert links to external websites and notify whether tasks were completed. After the tasks were created, other users can respond by "liking" or wring a comment and following the task. Following allows receiving notifications regarding task editing and changes in status or allocation. Also, one can view a list-display (organized according to tasks created by me, tasks recently completed, etc.) or calendar display.
Asana has infrastructures featuring many tools commonly used by organizations such as Salesforce, Dropbox, Google Drive, and several applications that upgrade the tool such as displaying tasks on a thought-map or producing reports on task timing. Furthermore, the tool enables written conversations between team members (chat) around a project or in general as well as direct messaging. When writing a message, one can tag a team member, project or tasks.
The free version is limited to 15 teammates. The extended version does not limit number of users and offers several advanced abilities such as setting up teams or private projects unexposed to all members, creating a dependency between tasks, displaying tasks on a timeline, etc. The cost of the extended version depends on the number of users.
In conclusion: friendly tool that enables performing simple actions related to task-management as well as expanding via connecting to third-party applications and provides partial support in Hebrew.
Slack - while Asana is task-oriented and organized by teams and projects, Slack focuses on conversations (both chats and video conversations) and is channel-based that can focus on projects or themes and are adapted to the organizational structure. Slack also allows defining who is authorized to invite users and confirm joining requests when setting up the workspace.
Like Asana, this tool also interfaces with other tools and applications. The variety Slack provides is greater; this is one of the tool's prominent tools. Abilities such as task writing, survey creation, Wiki writing, performing video conversations, birthday memos, can be embedded into Slack. Note: some of these applications are paid or offer a fre version for a limited period. Furthermore, Slack's free version allows connecting only 10 applications.
Slack doesn't limit the number of users, even in its free version, which is a substantial advantage. The tool displays the last 10,000 messages written. The tool suits medium-sized organizations.
The extended version doesn't include limitation on number of connected apps or saved messages and offers advanced abilities such as collective video conversations (includes screen sharing). There is also a more expensive version designated for large organizations with Single Sign-On exporting, conversing and messages abilities. This version also includes comprehensive support service.
In conclusion, Slack is an innovative collective chat tool that offers video chatting and many other abilities by connecting to third-party applications. Very partial support for Hebrew users.
The two tools presented above are only examples of the various tools the team-collaboration market contains. We invite you to explore which tool best suits your organization's needs. If you need help- we're here.
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