Moving into a hybrid workplace means that leaders must stay on top of their technology to run a business successfully. In a hybrid work model, the tech aspect is one of the most important things that a workplace provides, which is why leaders need to understand tech stacks and how they can use them to their benefit in their companies.Â
This article will discuss the advantages of having a tech stack and what exactly needs to be in one for your hybrid company to succeed.
What is a workplace tech stack?
A workplace tech stack is a set of technology tools that work together to create a simpler, more efficient work experience for you and your staff.Â
There are many areas in your workspace where you may need different technologies to keep up the work and manage your space and team, such as communication, bookings, file sharing, etc. For this reason, it’s good to have an organized tech stack that you can rely on for all your technical needs.Â
Each hybrid workspace will have unique needs based on the space itself, so some technologies will have to be added or taken away. Still, for the most part, hybrid workspaces can follow a general guideline of technologies and choose from a couple based on preferences.
How can a workplace stack benefit your flexible workspace?
A work stack will benefit your hybrid space greatly, as it will allow you to keep track of all your apps and software and make sure everything runs smoothly.Â
Creating a workspace tech stack will also give you an opportunity to analyze your hybrid space’s needs and your team’s needs and respond to them by providing a good solution that could benefit everyone. It will make you more aware of your company and its demands.Â
If you make the right choices, a workplace stack can make problem-solving and easier and more effective. Tech stacks can be used for daily activities, as well as long-term goals.
Things to consider before choosing a tech stack
1. Discover your company needs
Before you go any further, the most important thing to do is discover your company’s needs.
In a hybrid workplace, there are a couple of basic needs that you may have, which include:Â
- Tools for collaboration:These are tools that allow your hybrid team to work together even remotely.Â
- Communication tools: These digital tools are essential for a hybrid work model where everyone whether in office or at home can communicate and stay connected to each other.Â
- File sharing tools: These digital tools allow your team to share their projects with each other and work on them together.Â
- Office management tools: These kinds of digital tools or software allow you to manage your space easily and efficiently, for example, room booking, check-ins, cancellations, and so on.Â
Data analysis and survey tools: These help with any kind of data analysis, as well as conducting surveys for your team.Â
Besides those, based on your company needs and size, you may need to add more tools that can help you. Figure out what the needs of your company are exactly and make decisions based on those.
Tip: The best thing you can do is try to find a software or application that can handle most of your company’s needs. The more you have in one digital tool, the easier it is to keep track of everything.
2. Do your research
After you have set your criteria and have become aware of your workspace needs, it’s time to research your digital tools. Before deciding on specific digital tools, it’s important to consider all your options. You don’t want to make the mistake of settling for the least costly options, or even the more expensive popular ones without actually doing the research. You have to be able to select the best tech that brings the most value to your business and hybrid work space.Â
When researching and finding potential tech, some business tools will allow you to get a free trial. You should take advantage of this to be able to test out the products yourself. Other tools will be open-source and accessible to anyone, which is also a great way to explore your option
3. Keep your team in mind
One of the most important aspects to consider when choosing a new tech stack is your team. You will want to make sure that your team is able to use the tech stack you have prepared for them. One important question to ask yourself is how tech-savvy your team is, which will help you figure out how much training will be needed for your employees for the new tools.Â
The shift old technologies to new ones may be a hard one for your team, especially if they are not familiar with them, or have a hard time grasping them, which is often met with resistance from the team. In fact, 70% of change programs fail to achieve their goals. A good way to avoid this failure rate is by making sure that the transition is smooth, and that everyone can understand and use the tools easily based on their abilities. For example, if your team is not that tech-savvy choose software or apps that are easier to understand quickly.
Tip: If you need software that are more complicated a good idea is to have an in-house IT team that can train your staff and solve issues that come up with the digital tools.
4. Go for digital tools that keep up
An important part of your company’s growth is making sure that as time goes by, the tools that you are using to sustain everything are also growing. Your tech stack should be one you can rely on when times change and one that keeps up with all the trends and impending needs. Most digital tools will have limitations, so it is important to pick ones that don’t stunt your growth by their limitations.Â
A good thing to look out for in tools is if they are constantly making updates as consumer expectations shift. If they do, then that is a good indication that they keep up and are reliable and won’t fall behind on the expectations of their customers.
Tech Stack resources and options
1. Collaboration and project management tools:
- Asana: This is a great tool for organization and collaboration. Asana allows employees to easily and efficiently see their work moving through different stages. It also provides a timeline to show how everything project-related fits together. Besides that, Asana also helps teams track work.Â
- Trello: Trello is a great visual collaboration tool that allows its users to organize any projects in a visually appealing and flexible way. It also has a good number of features and good automation options. This might not be the app for you, however, if you’re looking for a heavy-duty project management app.Â
- Explain Everything: This is a cloud-based collaborative software that allows its users to visualize their ideas. The unique thing about explaining everything is that it can be used to record meetings or video presentations and share them with the team and even non-users. You can also take notes on the interface.Â
- Miro: Miro helps build and develop ideas with remote and in-office teams. Users can visually map out their strategies on a canvas, in real-time. A great thing about this tool is that users can integrate with other apps and coordinate projects together with the team.
2. Communication tools:
- Zoom: This application is perfect for virtual meetings. Zoom is a great easy-to-use platform that allows you to do cloud video conferencing, online meetings, and group messaging. There are no additional software that need to be downloaded, and you can access it simply by creating an account. The free version allows you host up to 100 people for a maximum of 40 minutes. The paid packages let you choose the features you need.Â
- Google Meet: Google Meet is the video conferencing app provided by Google Workspace. It has all the necessary video conferencing features with screen sharing, integrated calendars, and ease of use. If, however, you have a bigger company Google Meet might not be suited for you, as it cannot support more than 250 participantsÂ
- Discord: While Discord was originally developed for gamers, and still widely used by them, its many features, easy set up, and slick interface are all great things that are attracting businesses to it. The bonus point is that it is an open-source, meaning it’s free.Â
- Slack: Slack is a very popular and powerful tool that contains instant messaging for your team, as well as video calls, and other integrations. Slack also has both a mobile and desktop app and can be used to communicate anywhere. While it is one of the best communication tools, it’s also one of the most expensive.
3. File sharing tools:
- Samepage:Â This is a great all-in-one tool that incorporates video conferencing, chat, task management, file sharing and real-time document collaboration. Samepage allows its users to drag and drop files on one page, as well as edit them and share any changes with the rest of the team.Â
- Wimi: This is a tool that provides file sharing and online storage that can be accessed from any device. With Wimi, users information is synchronized and available whenever it is needed. You can create and customize your file-sharing workspace where you can edit and preview files.Â
- Google Drive:Â This is another classic tool that you can use for file sharing. Most people are familiar with this tool, and it is easy to use and understand. Google Drive is one of the most adaptable cloud storage options when it comes to file sharing. It also offers integration with many online apps.Â
- Dropbox: Dropbox is a great option for file sharing and storing. It works without a problem from anywhere and is constantly being updated with new features on a regular basis. The only limitation is that it only works inside its own Dropbox folder.
4. Data analysis and survey tools:
Survey Monkey: Survey Monkey is one of the most popular online survey tools. It is very user friendly with many built-in templates to choose from. It is very efficient to use and also has a good number of features that can help generate a survey. Survey Monkey also offers strong built-in data analytics tools.Â
Google Forms: This is a great and easy took to create surveys and have the data organized automatically for you. There are no limitations on surveys, questions, or responses and the platform is completely free to use. This is of the best options for survey creation.
5. Office management tools:
Archie: One of the best office management tools you will find is Archie. With Archie your space will be easily automated and taken care of, including handling room and desk bookings, invoices, emails, billing, and much more. Archie also has great integration options, and fantastic community features where your team will be able to converse and connect. Archie is an all-around great piece of technology that can help your hybrid workspace immensely.
