In working environments where speed and efficiency are crucial, employees need any help they can get to boost productivity. Luckily, technological advancements have brought several tools that can greatly help with that.
Here are the top 5 apps you need to boost productivity in the office:
DocuSign
DocuSign is an online system that manages contracts and any other documents that require signatures. It’s a very popular tool you’ve likely already come across.
Since most documents these days are sent digitally, it would make little sense for you to wait for someone to sign them and go to the post office to send them back. With DocuSign, both parties can complete their task without leaving the office. The mobile app has the same functionalities as the desktop version, allowing you to sign files with your fingers and touchscreen.
Beware that the app is only free if you’re signing forms. If you want to send documents for others to sign, you must sign up for a subscription.
Slack
Slack is one of the popular office workspace communication apps. Even though it doesn’t offer such things as meeting room booking, as the Flanco app does, it’s a comfortable messaging platform allowing easy contact between employees. Therefore, some arrangements can be made with bookings via specific channels on Slack.
Users can also create chat rooms or “Slack channels” to discuss projects or include workers from the same department. There is the “huddle” feature, too, which you can use to get into audio or video calls with other users or Slack channels.
But the best thing about Slack is its various integrations with other apps. Slack integrates with Google Calendar, notifying users of upcoming meetings and allowing them to join via the app. Other integrations include Google Drive and Jira.
NordVPN
NordVPN is a VPN app that provides a secure and private internet connection. Security has become a major issue for companies as employees are going remote. As such, a VPN is a great solution to many security concerns. NordVPN, in particular, is a great solution because it’s affordable, fast, and has a wide selection of servers in various countries.
NordVPN is known for its strong encryption protocols, which include AES-256-bit encryption. It can be used on various devices and platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and routers. This means a single account will allow you to have a secure VPN for your mobile and desktop.
One potential drawback to NordVPN is that it had a minor data breach in 2019. However, since then, the service has taken significant steps to improve its security measures. One of its useful new features is NordVPN threat protection. It works similarly to anti-virus, giving NordVPN users an extra layer of protection.
OneNote
In a working environment where you can have up to a dozen Zoom meetings in a single day, it can be difficult to remember everything you discussed. As such, note-taking has become a crucial part of the workflow for many. OneNote is a note-taking app that allows you to create, organize, and share notes in various formats.
You can use it to keep track of your to-do lists, create meeting agendas, take lecture notes, jot down ideas, and store research materials. One of the key features of OneNote is its organizational structure. You can create multiple notebooks, each containing multiple sections.
Since OneNote relies heavily on syncing for most of its main features, sometimes this syncing can be incomplete or slow. This can lead to issues such as notes not being updated across all devices.
CamScanner
CamScanner is a mobile app allowing users to scan, store, and share documents using their smartphones. It’s very intuitive and easy to use. Its most notable feature is how quickly you can go from having a physical document to a readable digital file. The app automatically crops and enhances the image for better clarity. Very little user input is needed.
With this app, you want to make sure you’re using a modern smartphone. Due to its high computing requirements, CamScanner may crash on older devices.
Conclusion
Boosting productivity is a never-ending challenge for employees. If used correctly, these five apps should bring some positive results.
