I was wondering what to write about and a Slack message from my office disturbed my thought process. It was the same old, ‘Why aren’t you in office?’ and ‘I don’t pay you to take naps’ spiel, but hey, we learn to live with it.
However, it got me thinking. Do we use tech tools beyond email (Outlook, Gmail and I dare you to think of another one) in our day-to-day work lives? I mean we’re using a thousand different tech services for our daily lives, but we seem to go back to the stone-age when it comes to work.
Here are a few tech solutions that every office needs.
Slack – Team communication
Irritating messages aside, Slack helps you facilitate quick and easy team communication, including file sharing and data storage. It makes it easier to have those conversations across multiple teams. It is also free for smaller teams and you have to upgrade for better storage and access to your archives.
I’ve worked in multiple offices where email was your primary communication tool and you WhatsApped if you needed to get something done faster. Slack makes it a lot easier to tell my colleagues that they aren’t very good in an easy and efficient way.
Competitors include Stride, Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat and Microsoft Teams.
Page Advisor – Your mobile connection to local service providers
Admittedly this isn’t the sexiest part of running a business, but service providers for leaky faucets, lighting fixtures, and general repair are invaluable for busy business owners. The types of services also extend to cleaning, food delivery and much more.
With Page Advisor, it is a one-stop platform to get bids and discover new high-quality service providers whenever you need. The best part about this service is the money-back guarantee and rating system, which incentivises good service.
Competitors include ServisHero and Kaodim.
Grab for Work – Business transport
If you hate claims and submitting receipts as much as I do, Grab for Work might be your solution. I take a lot of taxis for work – meetings, late lunches, twisted ankles – you name it, I’ve taken a taxi because of it.
It helps you manage claims, tracks your usage and even reduces costs through corporate promo codes. I’ve been using it a while and haven’t had any complaints about it.
Competitors include the usual suspects Uber and ComfortDelGro Taxis.
Well here are some simple tech tools for your company if you aren’t already using any of them. These offer simple technology solutions that should make your work easier.
To read about more tips and tools for businesses in Asia, check out our other articles.