For many years, we have been trying out many tools and different platforms for communication, document management, project management and other forms of collaboration. We have found the following to be reliable and easy to use. If you are unfamiliar with any of the tools mentioned below and you are interested in learning how to use them, search for a tutorial on the specific tool that you want to use.
Trello
The Trello board displays lists filled with cards that you can drag and drop between lists to show progress. Add as many people as you need and drag them to cards. Add and reorder lists as you need. Upload files from your computer or cloud storage. Add checklists, labels, due dates, and more. Trello adapts to your project, team, and workflow.
Slack
Slack organizes your team conversations in open channels. Make a channel for a project, a topic, a team, or anything – everyone has a transparent view of all that’s going on. To reach a colleague directly, send them a Direct Message. Drag, drop, and share not just your messages, but all your files, images, PDFs, documents, and spreadsheets. Connect all the tools you use to Slack and avoid all that constant switching between apps. Slack also creates a full-text index of all communication, so information can be searched for.
Google Drive
Google Drive allows users to store files on their servers, synchronize files across devices, and share files. Google Drive encompasses Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, an office suite that permits collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets, presentations, drawings, forms, and more.
Draw.io
draw.io is free online diagram software for making flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, UML, ER and network diagrams.
Coggle
Coggle is an online tool for creating and sharing mind maps. It works online in your browser: there’s nothing to download or update. Whether you’re note-taking, brainstorming, planning, or doing something awesomely creative, it is super simple to visualize your ideas with Coggle. Share with as many friends or colleagues as you like. Changes you make will show up instantly in their browser, wherever they are in the world.
