At Shocklogic, we have our efficiency strategy down to at. Using software available on our laptops, desktops, mobiles and tablets, we not only make it work but make it successful!

The three main elements we tackle on a day to day basis are: time, tasks and distance. With each obstacle, we find a new solution, to maintain a high standard of communication and work produced.

Time
Toggl is an excellent, web-based time tracker which allows users to keep track of not only time but what tasks they are doing, with the use of labels for each time entry. This isn’t mindless time keeping, this is knowing what you’re doing when you’re doing it – boosting efficiency and productivity. It’s a great way of monitoring how the team best use their time whilst in the office or working remotely.

Tasks
With so much going on in the office it’s easy to lose track of who’s completing what task, what’s been done and what isn’t even being looked at. We’ve found that with Trello, task management has become a breeze. The format combination of boards, lists and cards makes prioritising tasks a piece of cake. With the added feature of a due date which then sends you notifications to remind you of it, there’s little risk of an important task slipping your mind. You’re also able to move cards up or down a  list, this makes it easier to see which cards needs your attention the most without having to scroll down what can seem to be an infinite list.
Trello also helps us to stay organised, by putting different tasks on different boards and lists, it’s not just a clash of random tasks that don’t make sense being together: they can be separated by category, event or department. For example, we have a multitude of boards for Marketing alone to cover all aspects:

Everyone at Shocklogic uses Trello in their own way but to their advantage. For example, the apprentices in the office create their own boards to track not only their tasks whilst at work but any coursework they have coming up and projects that need their attention. We really value the role of education in our industry and so using a tool that enables our team members to excel in their studies and job role is of high significance.

Distance
Skype is the obvious choice for group video conferencing, and we  mainly use it for one on one calls in between team members and group chats. Along with the use of whatsapp, we make sure that all of our teams, wherever they are in the world, keep in touch.
We’ve also found that Zoom works great for us, in terms of video, audio and screen sharing, it benefits all involved in the meeting whether it’s internal or with clients. A meeting can be joined via a link, making it easier for participants to join from wherever they are. As many  members of our team travel multiple times throughout the year for events, meetings and networking, they’re less likely to miss important meetings and productivity within the office is boosted.
The recording feature on Zoom also means all focus is on the meeting agenda, and notes can be taken later on when going back over the meeting. This relies largely on whether you have the time in order to do this, however having the option is incredibly beneficial. The feature is particularly useful for client calls as listening back to a meeting can clear up confusion and they can revisit their training for our software.
A particular benefit of Zoom is the money and time saving element! With such high quality digital conferencing, the travel time and costs of this are completely eradicated, allowing us to focus on what’s important- the client.
Each week, we hold an internal, company-wide meeting, that we called our “Scrum”. Without Zoom, our Scrum would be more difficult to coordinate. From our main London offices, we are able to connect with our team members in Europe, The Americas, and Australia, to discuss everything going on in the company for that week. It’s a great opportunity to discover what other departments have been working on and what challenges they’ve overcome, and provides a space for bonding with remote team members.