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The 9 best online tools for remote working

Published on: 6 May 2020

Here's our choice of the 9 best online tools for remote working finance and accountancy professionals.

Online tools for remote working

Due to the ongoing government enforced lockdown, finance and accountancy professionals across the UK are working from home and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. As you and your teams may have already discovered, remote working comes with its own unique set of challenges, but fortunately a variety of innovative applications and websites that may provide the solutions you're looking for already exist.

This is the GAAPweb round-up of the 9 best online tools for remote working.

Please note, while some of the following tools require paid subscriptions, most offer free versions or trial periods. GAAPweb is not affiliated with, nor is it receiving any money from, any of the developers of these sites, apps and tools. 

 

Slack

Slack is a professional chatroom for your team designed to be a more effective and customisable alternative to email when it comes to communication, collaboration and sharing. Within Slack you can create channels for each of your team’s projects and discussions so no one receives any information unrelated to their work. With file sharing capability, video conferencing options, private messaging, integration of over 2,000 applications and much more, Slack will remain a staple for your finance team long after office-based work has resumed.

 

Trello

Trello is a web-based list-making collaboration tool that organises your projects and tasks into ‘boards’ which, in one glance, allow you to track what’s being worked on, who is working on what and the progress of each task. With the option to create multiple boards, Trello can be used for your own personal to-do lists as well as collaborative project work.

 

Status Hero

Status Hero is an achievement tracking tool that can be used by remote finance teams to track the daily goals of each team member via brief check-ins and status updates. Each day, Status Hero prompts each member of the team to provide a brief update via email, text or another chat application. These updates are then compiled and broadcasted to the entire team, meaning every member has a transparent view of the progress and contributions of everyone else.

 

Time Doctor

Time Doctor is, as the name suggests, a time-tracking tool designed to increase productivity, minimise the time spent on distractions and provide insights into how employees are using their time. If you are a manager casually interested in the habits of your team or with concerns about the productivity of those working for you, Time Doctor is a tool worth checking out. It’s also useful for individuals who know they struggle with distractions to make the most of their time.

 

LeechBlock

Speaking of distractions, another useful tool for those inclined to welcome the distraction of a Facebook scroll or quick spot of online shopping during working hours is LeechBlock - a simple productivity browser extension “designed to block those time-wasting sites that can suck the life out of your working day”. Simply input the sites that you want to avoid and then block access for a time period or after a time limit to maximise productivity and minimise distractions.

 

Krisp

Krisp is an essential online tool for any finance and accountancy professional currently working from home who spends time on phone calls or video conferencing applications. With one click, Krisp removes all background noise from your microphone so you can speak without interruption or distraction. It also works the other way, eliminating any background noise coming from those talking so you can give every conversation your full attention.

 

Zoom

Zoom is a cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop and telephone, bringing together remote teams for both professional meetings and social hangouts. Reliable, high quality, and easy to use, it’s understandable why Zoom is one of the most successful communication solutions used by businesses and individuals worldwide.

 

Microsoft Teams

If your employer subscribes to an Office 365 package, you likely already have access to Microsoft Teams - a collaboration and communication tool offering instant chat and video call functions as well as file sharing capabilities, calendar management and integration for other Microsoft applications.

 

Dashlane

You know it isn’t safe to store shared passwords in a central location that could be compromised or accessed by someone outside your organisation, but that doesn’t mean you have to remember the login details for every app, site and tool your team shares. Dashlane is a mobile and desktop app for password management, allowing you to login instantly and share access with your colleagues while keeping your details safe and secure.

 

Got any suggestions for online remote working tools to add to our list? Get in touch on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter to let us know.