With AI tools now commonplace, but there is a lack of knowledge on how best to utilize them. Now, more than ever, we have the need to use technology to scale your business or manage your team. In this section, we have business leaders, mavericks and leaders sharing the tools that they use to make it work.
In this segment, we have Doreen Tan, Head of Asia, Dropbox share the tech tools that she uses to make it work. Doreen is the Head of Asia for Dropbox and she oversees the company’s commercial business in the region. Under her leadership, the Asia team is responsible for driving the business adoption of Dropbox in both established and emerging markets. She has over 20 years of enterprise tech experience and is a passionate commentator on the future of work, diversity and inclusion and tech partnerships.
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Dropbox is a global leader in the cloud storage and management space. With more than 700 million registered users across 180 countries, the company helps businesses manage their teams, files and increase productivity overall.
Dropbox Dash (Free (Beta))
Today, work is increasingly scattered across hundreds of tabs and apps, resulting in unnecessary toggling to search for what you need. I used to spend so much of my workday navigating between these apps and searching for content – doing what we at Dropbox call “work about work.”
Since its introduction last year, Dropbox Dash has become my go-to tool for staying organised due to its ability to seamlessly integrate all the apps I use for work into a single platform.
In fact, my day at work starts with Dropbox Dash because it allows me to see my whole day at a glance. I can keep my work day on one central page with Dash – from what meetings to attend, to what files I need, to which projects I should prioritise – all in one tab.
In addition, a key feature of Dropbox Dash is an AI-powered universal search bar which allows me to find what I need within seconds and keeps me in a state of focus and flow.
Another feature that I particularly find value from within Dropbox Dash is Stacks. Enhanced with AI, it groups important information together – be it files, apps, or links – so that I can access everything from a single location. It is a simple yet efficient way to keep myself organised and connected across projects in one workspace.
Microsoft Teams (Paid)
In my role, I often connect with customers across Asia virtually, relying on video conferencing tools and given that many of our customers are already using Microsoft products, they often prefer to initiate video calls through Teams. The platform’s open ecosystem is particularly beneficial, allowing me to join calls without a designated account. With just a click, I am instantly connected, thereby streamlining communication and facilitating collaboration with our clientele.
Recognising these benefits, we have just launched an improved integration with Microsoft Teams that lets Dropbox users search, preview, upload, and share content stored in Dropbox without leaving Microsoft 365. This has been one of the most requested features from our customers and will allow them to conveniently share documents, spreadsheets, and other files with their teams, as well as co-author content in real time.
Aligning with our mission at Dropbox to ‘design a more enlightened way of working’ for our people as well as our customers, these strategic partnerships with best-of-breed tools give our customers the ability to integrate their preferred tools with Dropbox.
Slack (Paid)
Slack is an essential tool for my team and I, acting as a hub for all our communication needs. It conveniently allows us to chat in real-time and make audio/video calls, all within the same platform. This is especially critical for us as we operate in a Virtual First model, where remote work is the primary experience for all Dropbox employees. Cultivating a sense of belonging within a distributed team can be challenging at times but Slack allows us to stay connected with ease.
Another feature of Slack that stands out to me is its capability to send scheduled messages, which proves invaluable when collaborating with colleagues across different time zones. For instance, when contacting a colleague in the United States at 4 PM SGT (1 AM PDT for them), scheduling the message for 12 AM SGT (9 AM PDT) ensures respectful communication during their work hours.
Another feature I benefit from Slack is its reminder system, which serves as a reliable organisational tool, enabling me to set reminders for coworkers or specific team channels, particularly useful for recurring actions. For example, setting reminders to my team for weekly tasks ensures nothing slips through the cracks without the need for constant follow-ups, thereby reducing my cognitive load from administrative tasks.
Dropbox DocSend (Paid)
In my leadership role, I often engage with senior stakeholders and deal with confidential information, and I depend on DocSend to securely share documents that are sensitive in nature.
In addition, I am constantly evaluating growth opportunities across a number of markets in Asia, and the tool’s ability to provide real-time analytics easily allows me to use these insights to gain a deeper understanding of how campaigns are performing in individual markets. These insights help my team and I plan and prioritise our go-to-market motion in Asia as well as determine the resources we dedicate to each market.
From a sales perspective, the integration between Dropbox DocSend, and e-signature tools like HelloSign allows me to manage the entire deal process – from sharing proposals to getting them signed – all within a single platform. This eliminates the need to juggle multiple tools and reduces the time spent on administrative tasks.
Our latest introduction, DocSend Advanced Data Rooms further enhances efficiency by simplifying the entire deal process, from initial pitch to due diligence to final signature. This helps to offload administrative burdens and securely share the most impactful proprietary information faster, empowering my team with more time to focus on closing deals.
Google Calendar (Free)
In our fast-paced work environments, maintaining focus and minimising distractions is key for greater output. One tool that stands out in aiding this effort is Google Calendar, especially with its ‘Focus’ feature, which allows me to designate specific time blocks for deep, uninterrupted work.
Furthermore, Dropbox has introduced company-wide Focus Days once a month. On these days, all team members are encouraged to refrain from scheduling meetings, which helps establish a culture where everyone gets an opportunity to engage in deep work without the usual interruptions.
Employees can use Google Calendar’s ‘focus’ feature on these days to automatically decline meeting requests that come through. This feature also integrates with Slack by displaying the ‘Do Not Disturb’ status, signalling to others that it is a day designed for uninterrupted work.