Best Online Organizational Tools to Optimize Productivity
Learn what you should consider when choosing your online organizational tool and 7 best online organizational tools for teams!
Staying organized at work can feel like a full-time job all of its own. The good news is there are plenty of tools out there to help you keep everything together so you can focus on the important stuff. Read ahead for a guide on the best online organization tools to jumpstart your journey toward finding the right one for your team.
- What are organizational tools?
- What is the best tool for staying organized?
- Why you should be using organization tools
- What to consider when choosing your online organization tool
- 7 best online organizational tools for teams
What are organizational tools?
Organizational tools are devices or platforms that help create order and flow to streamline your daily tasks. They’re usually apps or software, and they’re designed to make your work routine more efficient. They range from note-taking tools to team collaboration platforms.
What is the best tool for staying organized?
Since organizational tools cover so many different areas of work, there’s no one-size-fits-all best tool. Finding the right organizational tool for your team starts with figuring out your priorities. Think about where you need help staying organized or where you might be able to save time.
The most important thing is that you pick an organizational tool that fits your team’s style so that they’ll stick with it. The main goal of an organizational tool is to maximize productivity, but it can’t do that on its own. As Jesmine Onyeukwu, Organizing and Productivity Consultant, explains, productivity tools are only as good as the effort your team puts into using them.
“Productivity is 90% about the PSYCHOLOGY and 10% about the TECHNOLOGY,” they say. “My number one hack is understanding the beliefs and behaviors that boost productivity. Without the right mental constructs and daily attitudes, staying productive gets very hard.”
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Why you should be using organization tools
There are many benefits to adding organization tools to your team’s workflow. Here are just a few.
1Boost productivity
Simply put, organizational tools help your team get more done. Using tools to organize and manage basic tasks can free up a lot of team bandwidth and cut company costs.
2Monitor progress easily
Tools for organizing your team’s tasks and projects make life a whole lot easier since they keep everything you need in one location. For example, when you use organizational tools like Fellow to track meeting action items from a single platform or dashboard, you’ll always know your team’s progress.
3A happier team
Organizational tools are great for promoting team collaboration. Task management tools can increase transparency, which promotes effective communication among team members. The more effectively your team members can communicate with each other, the more likely everyone is to be satisfied at work.
What to consider when choosing your online organization tool
Here’s what to think about before deciding on an organizational app or software.
1How user-friendly is it?
An organizational tool is supposed to make things less complicated, so your team should have no trouble navigating it. When you spend more time researching online organizational tools now, you’ll likely find one that doesn’t take long for your team to learn later.
2What’s the cost?
Most organizational tools require some kind of fee, so you should make sure you’re getting your money’s worth. Once you find a few organizational tools that are within your budget, compare them side-by-side. If any platforms offer a free trial period or free introductory tier so you can test them out first, even better.
3Does it include ALL the features your team needs?
You should consider whether a platform’s features actually solve your team’s challenges. For instance, finding a browser extension to streamline your organization’s social media will look different from using meeting management tools. If you need help visualizing your team’s progress, you may want a tool that includes PERT or Gantt charts. And if you’re dealing with sensitive information, prioritizing an organization tool with strong security features is a must.
7 best online organizational tools for teams
Here are some of the top organizational tools to help your team make the most of their day-to-day.
1Fellow
A valuable organizational tool should simplify as many tasks as possible. Fellow, for example, is a hub to meet a variety of organizational demands. Better note-taking, effective meeting agendas, streamlining the peer feedback process – Fellow is designed to improve your team’s daily habits and productivity. With helpful browser extensions, such as Fellow’s Google Chrome extension, Fellow keeps everything on track and running smoothly.
Key features:
- One-stop shop for all your team meeting needs
- Streamlined feedback tools
- Connect with your favorite apps
Pricing: Starts at $7 per user per month
Learn more about Fellow’s plans
2Team Compass
Team Compass by Weekdone is a team management software for tracking day-to-day tasks, as well as KPIs and OKRs on long-term goals. It offers dashboards and reports on business objectives for managers and team members alike to review progress. The weekly planning component of this software also includes prioritization tools you can sort by due date and assigned task.
Key features:
- Keep track of goals using KPIs and OKRs
- Review progress with reports and dashboards
- Set due dates and assign tasks by priority level
Price: Team Compass is free for teams of three or fewer members. Paid plans for larger teams are $29 monthly and start with a 15-day free trial.
3Notion
Notion is a customizable workspace platform. With drag-and-drop templates available for different tasks, Notion offers tools for uses such as meeting notes and goal tracking. It also includes integrations with common software platforms, such as Google Drive and Slack. This product features options for individuals as well as larger teams and organizations.
Key features:
- Gallery of templates with drag and drop adjustable features
- Connect with other team tools like Google Drive and Slack
- Product options for teams of all sizes
Price: A basic subscription is free. Plans for larger teams range from $8 to $15 per user per month, with custom enterprise pricing available.
4Trello
Trello offers management solutions for a variety of teams and departments such as HR and marketing. Its features include project management tools as well as shortcuts for automating workflows. Trello’s team management software also includes options for viewing a project by timeline or as a board overview.
Key features:
- Solutions for a range of teams, including marketing and HR
- Create rules to automate workflows
- Project visualization features such as boards and timelines
Price: Trello offers a basic free plan. Paid plans start at $5 per user per month.
5Asana
Asana is a project management software platform for organizing team tasks. Users can assign tasks and add comments on project updates. They can also apply different task views, including a calendar view by deadline or boards that can be organized by project. You can also set automatic notifications to alert you or any team members of pending due dates.
Key features:
- Assign tasks to team members and communicate on progress
- View tasks based on preferred view
- Set notifications so team members are reminded of deadlines
Price: Asana is free for teams of 15 and under. A premium plan costs $10.99 per user per month.
6Airtable
Airtable is a data organization tool. Its interface is similar to a spreadsheet and includes adjustable data fields where you can add longform content and attachments. Airtable also includes data visualization features, such as timelines, calendars, and charts.
Key features:
- Add attachments and longform content
- Review data in different views
- Create project timelines
Price: Airtable offers a free plan for individuals and small teams. Paid plans begin at $10 per user per month.
7Google Workspace
Google Workspace is an online collaboration and document management platform. It allows for teams to communicate on shared Google Docs, with options for team members to make comments or assign roles as editors. With all information stored in Google’s cloud, data security is a priority. Google Workspace also connects to many other common organizational tools, such as Fellow.
Key features:
- Work together with team members in real-time on shared documents
- Integrate with other work organizational tools
- Protect your data through secure cloud storage
Price: Paid plans for businesses begin at $6 per user per month.
Simplify your workflow with organizational tools
Organizational tools can help make a range of day-to-day tasks so much easier, from note-taking to running meetings to document storage. Fellow has much of what your team needs to facilitate a more efficient daily routine, from digital notepads to productivity analytics. If your organization is looking to get more of its ducks in a row, Fellow has exactly what you need.
