Those workers who have already gained experience with remote projects understand that remote projects can be more efficient and take less time. This is why remote projects have become commonplace in the corporate world today.
However, there are several obstacles to making remote projects a standard practice for everyone around the world. Most of them can be reduced to typical human problems: mistrust, fear of the unknown, inability to work in a team, or simply not caring about each other.
So let's consider the 4 main challenges of remote projects:
1. Communication and coordination
One of the main challenges of remote projects is establishing effective communication and coordination between distributed teams. Lack of physical contact can lead to misunderstandings, delays and deficiencies in information exchange. To address this challenge, companies must:
- Use special tools for online communication and collaboration, such as Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.
- Set up regular online meetings to discuss progress and resolve important issues.
2. Management of remote teams
Managing remote teams can be a challenge. Managers have to learn to work with employees they may not see physically. To effectively manage remote teams, the following aspects should be considered:
- Implementation of the system of monitoring the work of employees.
- Development of remote management skills and communication with the team through virtual channels.
- Supporting employees in their work environment, teaching them self-discipline and efficient use of time.
3. Ensuring cyber security
With the growth of remote projects, the threat of cyber security is also growing. Data and information exchanged over the network can become the object of attacks and security breaches. To ensure the cyber security of remote projects, it is important to:
- Install security software and security policies that take into account the specifics of remote teams.
- Train employees to secure their work networks and devices.
- Conduct security audits and respond to potential threats in a timely manner.
4. Maintaining motivation and productivity
Working remotely can lead to a loss of motivation and reduced employee productivity due to the lack of social interaction and the monotony of the work environment. To maintain motivation and productivity, it is important to:
- Create virtual team weekdays and events to support employees in a good mood.
- To ensure flexibility in the work schedule and compliance with the work-life balance.
- Involve employees in the process of decision-making and development of strategies.
To help you solve challenges related to remote projects, we would like to recommend implementing Yaware.TimeTracker, a software solution for time monitoring and performance management of remote teams. Here's how Yaware.TimeTracker can be useful:
- Automatic tracking – all statistics are automatically entered into the report card, which can be viewed or downloaded to a computer for further data processing.
- Efficiency analysis – the ability to see the actual workload on teams, which will help you understand whether there is really a need for additional staff.
- Project and task management – the entire volume of planned work in one place, after which you can calculate the cost of tasks, hours of work, and assess how much the result has paid off.
- Personal statistics – an opportunity for employees to analyze their performance on their own.
- Many visual charts – the ability to analyze the work of employees in just a few minutes.
Want to start using Yaware.TimeTracker? Sign up right now.
Moreover, Yaware offers 14 days of free use of the program so that you can experience its functionality to the fullest!
If you are starting a remote project, be sure to check all the possible challenges listed above. After all, the sooner you learn how to properly collaborate with a remote team, the better it will be for your business!
