Virtual teams members are spread to different locations for remote working and need to interact with each other. Remote members need a platform or junction to establish communication, share the workload, and evaluate performance like that in an onsite office. This situation demands the use of tools to manage virtual teams.

Working in an onsite office includes the overall maintenance of teams with activities of stand-up every day. But how is this possible when the teams function from remote locations, working in the same office? For better team management online, you need tools to manage virtual teams. Before that, what exactly are virtual teams, and how do they operate online?

Virtual Teams- Meaning

A virtual team is a group or team of people who work together virtually. Virtual teams are abundant in offices that collaborate to meet the organization’s goals. In the absence of virtual teams, many remote offices would shut down.

There are different types of virtual teams: networked teams where team members have different expertise, parallel teams for a recommendation, product development teams for developing products, service teams for customer support, and management teams for management. It is important to use tools for the proper running of virtual teams.

Importance of Tools for Virtual Team Management

Tools are essential for the accessibility of all the members of a team. The tedious work of management is easier and faster with different software. Some importance of tools for managing a team in a virtual setup are:

Tools and software keep virtual teams organized, and you don’t fear losing all documents and data with resource management. Team members can track progress and communicate efficiently with the proper tools and software.
Tools allow real-time virtual collaboration that makes working easy, and you can share documents, files, timelines, and updates with Google drives.
Some tools also provide automation that helps maintain repetitive task flow, and team members can easily finish their tasks and remotely access documents.
Some tools allow time tracking with files management, help you get snapshots of the work you have conducted, and help remember deadlines.
Virtual team management tools help in understanding the rules and responsibilities of each member for proper discussion with the team about work via screen sharing.

Tools for Virtual Team Management

Virtual team management is easy with various project management tools and software available for virtual team collaboration. But what tools and management software are the best for your remote team management? Here are tools that help to easily collaborate in virtual teams:

1. timeTracko

timeTracko is software built for tracking time, managing the workforce, and tracking progress. For virtual team collaboration, timeTracko is promising as you can manage the team remotely and track their productivity and time with its user-friendly interface.

Some Features of timeTracko

timeTracko provides real-time tracking of the members working from far, and it is easy to visualize their work progress through screenshots taken live, and the option for video lets the supervisor know about the completion of the assigned task.
Users analyze the activity level as the app records the number of keystrokes and mouse clicks. The activity levels are generated in the form of a percentage.
The screencasting option helps spot any improper behavior when employees work from far. You can provide them feedback to engage in their work and improve productivity.
Employees’ resources like websites, URLs, programs, and apps are divided into productive, unproductive, and neutral groups as productivity labeling.
The productivity chart includes a usage summary that defines your employees’ productivity with productive and nonproductive hours daily, weekly, and monthly.
timeTracko provides easy integration with third-party applications and makes the workflow easy for remote operation.

Pricing of timeTracko

For a single user, it is free for a lifetime.
For a team, it costs $7 per member per month.

2. Canvas Planner

Canvas Planner is an application that adopts an interesting way of task planning with the help of a canvas board. Canvas Planner is useful for virtual collaboration and helps users view their project and task to figure out productivity, control of the method, and cooperation.

Some Features of Canvas Planner

When organizing a daily meeting, assigning tasks to each member is more effective by showcasing the board of tasks from the canvas planner.
The board with tasks provides a clear picture of which member has to collaborate for the cross-functional work.
The chart can be broad with different requirements or goals and business logic.
You can use your creativity and imagination to design the work canvas and explain it to others.
The drag and drop feature helps witness the change in roles or tasks from the previous chart.
You can have multiple canvases and link them with other canvases like a personal canvas to project canvas and others.

Pricing of Canvas Planner

Canvas Planner is free for one workspace.
For 1-15 users, it is $19 monthly per user.
For 16 plus users, it is $15 monthly per user.

3. Lighthouse

Lighthouse is an automated application made for auditing performance, web applications, and SEO with other features like ticket tracking. Lighthouse is a great tool to include for a virtual connection.

Some features of the Lighthouse

The tasks are automatically organized as the user tags different issues and creates them.
You can reply to your tickets directly from the inbox without needing to open other applications.
Lighthouse helps users stay on track with respective projects, and you can view the status of different projects.
When you attach images or messages, or documents to tickets, anyone in your team can access them.
The milestone feature lets you set goals and deadlines for the release date with feature planning.
Lighthouse has a customer support service for creating new tickets.

Pricing of Lighthouse App

Lighthouse has no free version but allows a free trial.
The pricing starts from $15 per person per month.

4. Ganttic

For viewing the resources, the Ganttic app is made to allow users to visit their planner and view resources available and make changes to the resources, and get notified when changes take place.

Some Features of Ganttic

Ganttic app helps in providing workflow visually with resources and projects. You can create new work using drag and drop and make an action plan for the entire team.
The app allows users to plan work and schedule with different designs that provide different points of view and insights to team members.
When planning the resources of a project, Ganttic helps in the overall management of resources with different strategies. The strategies are simple scheduling, management of resources, and project portfolio management.

Pricing of Ganttic

The pricing of the Ganttic app is $25 per person per month.

5. Teamwork

A teamwork application is created to decrease the communication gap between the team members in virtual collaboration. Only emails are not efficient as a communication medium, and virtual team members require other communication tools.

Some Features of Teamwork

Teamwork allows group chatting features with group tasks, sharing files, and holding team meetings.
The direct message helps indirectly connect to other members to exchange voice messages, text messages, and other forms of media with the location.
The broadcasting option lets users host announcements and put questionnaires for real-time responses from group members.

Pricing of Teamwork

For starters, the price is HK$12 per user per month.
For the business version, it is HK$25 per user per month.
The price is HK$35 per user per month for the enterprise version.
For volume pricing, you have to contact customer care or teamwork.

6. Apollo

Apollo is an application that helps virtual teams organize and decide the time for projects. Contact and project management software allows setting milestones and scheduling duties. Below are some features of the Apollo app.

Some Features of Apollo

The project management app allows the creation of projects with access to the team members of choice.
Virtual team members can categorize the projects into branches like development, marketing, design, and others.
Gantt charts give an idea of the timeline of different projects and make the work systematic.
You can save task lists with templates and experiment by merging two or more projects with the help of the Apollo app.

Pricing of Apollo App

The basic version costs $23 per month.
The plus version costs $48 per month.
The premium version takes $98 per month.
Max version takes $148 per month.

7. Box

Official documents need a place for storage and access with security when necessary. In virtual work, the Box application is used for sharing and files management in digital form. Users can access and cooperate to use the files anytime they wish.

Some Features of the Box

The cloud-based technology of the box app allows protecting the files. The Box application provides excellent security with threat detection and data privacy.
The easy-to-collaborate feature helps in easily sharing files. When you share files with your remote team member, you also share work.
Box application integrates 1500 other apps that help get the work done easily.
The automation feature allows users to automate repetitive works.

Pricing of Box App

The business version costs $15 per user per month with a minimum of three users.
Business plus costs $25 per user per month with minimum users numbered three.
The enterprise version costs $35 per user per month, allowing a minimum of three users.

8. Onehub

Onehub allows the handling of files easily and keeps the documents arranged with a strict security policy. The users can access files as administrators or viewers, or the creator, and you can access the files from any place, and this app works as a management app.

Some Features of Onehub

Onehub app allows easily uploading files with drag and drop folders, providing FTP gateways when you upload files in bulk.
The pages in your workspace are editable as per your wish to apply the themes available for a better solution.
Security of One Hub is strong as it includes two-factor authorization and audit trails with role-based performances.
Preview and collaboration features allow you to view your cell phone or desktop files. Communication with customers is easy as they can collaborate with you via comments to complete tasks.
Additional features include document watermarks, workspace arrangements, and embedded sign-in forms.

Pricing of Onehub

The standard version takes $12.50 per user per month.
The advanced version costs $20 per user per month.
The data room edition is priced at $300 per month.
The unlimited edition costs $500 per month.

9. Dropbox

Dropbox is a famous cloud-storage application that provides security for acquiring all the files kept for storage. Also, Dropbox allows multiple features for storing files for usage, sharing, and collaborating.

Some Features of Dropbox

All the files in Dropbox are secure, and you can share files and sync your documents with other devices.
With dropbox, one can access e-signature and work virtually to collaborate with team members.
You can organize a team and track your documents with automatic backups in an Android or desktop app.
The integrations in Dropbox allow the productivity of virtual teams to rise.

Pricing of Dropbox

For individual users, the price is $11.9 per month.
Families can access Dropbox for $19.99 per month.
For individual professionals, the price is $19.99 per month.
For smaller teams, it is $15 per user per month.
For large teams, pricing is $ 25 per user per month.

10. Jotform Sign

Jotform Sign is a powerful automation tool that allows you to create online documents that your users can digitally sign. It works great with approval workflows. Add your e-signers to your document and instantly upload the signed documents to the cloud to store them securely. Embed them on your website to make it easier for your users to sign. Keep track of your data using their analytics features and convert them into professional reports.

Some Features of Jotform Sign

Jotform Sign has a drag-and-drop e-sign builder that makes it super easy to create documents from anywhere.
Choose from 600+ ready templates to get started.
Create your sign document only once and send it to everybody who needs to sign it. This allows you to save time and money.
Use approval flows to automate your process by sending an alert to all signers.
Manage your data with Jotform Tables, a secure spreadsheet software for organizing your documents.
Your data will be protected with GDPR, CCPA, PCI, and HIPPA compliance for sensitive information.
Enhance your data security using a digital certificate as well as an audit trail to track the signing process.

Pricing of Jotform Sign

All features are included in the Free Plan with a 10 signed document limit.
Paid plans start from $34 per month with increasing forms and signed document limits.
The Enterprise Plan includes multiple extra features for companies which you need to contact the sales team for pricing information.

11. Redmine

Redmine is used as an open-source, web-based project management tool. It is used to track issues that appear and is of great help to the team members functioning and interacting virtually.

Some Features of Redmine

Redmine is used for projects as it simultaneously supports many projects and provides options for calendar and Gantt charts.
The multi-language support feature helps users from different nations to work and reap benefits from the app.
It provides multiple databases support with a user self-registration feature that intakes login, password, first name, last name, and other information.
Redmine uses Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) for authentication after creating the LDAP account.
The application helps manage news and files with documents and, when working on a project, allows access to permission as per the role, like different roles for managers, developers, directors, etc.

12. GlobalMeet

GlobalMeet is an application used to communicate between members from any location on any device. Using GlobalMeet is a good idea for team members that are remotely collaborating.

Some Features of GlobalMeet

The user interface of GlobalMeet is easy to use and design.
You don’t need to download the app for hosting a meeting or meeting other people online.
You can share desktop and multiple screens simultaneously which helps in presenting work-related matters.
For GlobalMeet, you don’t need a password or numbers for dialing.
It provides in-meeting support through email, chat, and phone. You can easily download the GlobalMeet application for your desktop.

Pricing of GlobalMeet

It is free for up to 125 participants.
The standard version costs $12 per user per month.
Premium version takes $24 per user per month.

13. GoToMeeting

GoToMeeting mobile application is used for communicating with individuals from across the world. It allows meetings for any purpose like business or decisive meetings for deciding things for your team.

Some Features of GoToMeeting

Users can join meetings to host the meeting online via the GoToMeeting application.
GoToMeeting allows the feature of sharing the full screen in the meeting.
The users receive a notification before the meeting begins.
The meeting scheduling feature helps in viewing the total meetings scheduled with one tap.
The video conferencing option lets communicators interact with videos.

Pricing of GoToMeeting

The professional version takes $12 per organizer per month for 150 participants.
The business version costs $16 per organizer per month for 250 participants.
Enterprise version can accommodate up to 3000 participants, for which you need to contact the customer service of GoToMeeting.

14. Time Doctor

Time Doctor is an app that helps utilize time by its features such as online timesheet and payroll and time tracking of virtual users. It is used to track the productive and unproductive hours of users.

Some Features of Time Doctor

Time Doctor allows users to track employees’ time and monitor employee screens during work hours.
You can manage your project with budgeting with the Time Doctor application.
The summary and productivity reports allow an analysis of the proper involvement hours of the employees.
Screenshots and activity levels help give feedback to the employees based on their involvement in work.
The offline time tracking is accompanied by distraction alerts users receive when they are away or distracted from work for too long.
It allows client login access and is a private and secure application.

Pricing of Time Doctor

The basic version allows one user with $7 per month.
The standard version allows one user with $10 per month.
The premium version allows one user with $20 per month.

15. QuizBreaker

For members working virtually, the social interactions are less, and people don’t get to know the group members properly. Quiz Breaker is a fun quiz game emailed to every team member for better interaction and work every week.

Some Features of QuizBreaker

You can invite your team members to answer the questions. The app provides ice breaker questions, and you can make your own custom questions too.
The next step is guessing who said what, which is gamified into different rounds of correct guessing.
This application helps to increase the bonding between team members, and you can further interact in a fun way by commenting and reacting to different questions.
Users can play the virtual game anytime they want, and there are plans for 3 to 1000 plus players.

Pricing of QuizBreaker

The price is $2 per person per month with 21 days of a free trial.

16. WaterCooler Trivia

Weekly trivia contests make employees happy and keep them interacting with one another. The water cooler trivia makes working fun, and team members become close to one another via the application.

Some Features of WaterCooler

The quiz questions are updated every week and keep users interested in work.
The checking of quiz answers makes every participant curious, striking an interesting conversation between team members.
You can adjust the questions’ date, time, day, and difficulty level.

Pricing of WaterCooler Trivia

The price of WaterCooler trivia is $1 per person per month.

Conclusion

With various tools and apps available for virtual teams, it is wise to select the best one. The tools help with resource management, files management, and integrations with Google and help complete projects and tasks. You can access different communication tools for which prices are billed annually.