In the last video we saw what are the needs of a liquid company:
- Communicate with colleagues, customers, suppliers and partners;
- Production and sharing of documents;
- Videoconferences;
- ERP, Project Planning…
Today we will talk about the tools that we need to better manage these needs.
WorkGroup
The workgroup for many simply indicates the ability to send and receive emails.
In modern definitions, however, email services are just one component of the workgroup
The workgroup also includes schedules, contacts and shared schedulesbetween employees
So there are several solutions:
- Outlook / Office 365 offered by Microsoft;
- Google Workspaces (ex G. Suite) offered by Google;
- Zimbra based Opensource, which is the one we will talk about most today, being the solution I chose for my company.
Zimbra
In the case of Zimbra we have a web interface, without any particular clients installed.
Within this interface I can consult all my emails and all my contacts, which I can also add and edit.
I also have a calendar in which I can consult, add and modify all the commitments.
This allows me to collaborate with my colleagues.
Zimbra also has an internal chat that allows me to communicate in real time with the operators of the various sectors of my company.
Videoconferences
I will not dwell on this kind of instruments, because I think we all know this products quite well.
Here are some of the possible instruments
- Google Meet
- Zoom or Microsoft Teams
- https://meet.jit.si/ (free tool that works very well for non-profit organizations or private companies that need a tool that does not require registration)
FileSharering
Another very important component is the use of file sharing, especially in cases where you don’t own a classic server where you have Microsoft sharing on which everyone works.
We have several solutions based on tools such as:
- Google Backup (ex Google Drive) offered by Google
- Dropbox
- OneDrive offered by Microsoft
- NextCloud / OwnCloud (tools based on opensource)
These are all tools that install on all desired devices a small agent that allows you to synchronize with a remote server (in the cloud) all the files that are produced or modified.
In Ispiro.tech, since we prefer to use solutions based on opensource, we rely on NextCloud, which is a clone derived from owncloud.
Also this solution has a small client that synchronizes the files I have on my pc.
The server synchronizes all files, so that all colleagues can access them without needing to transfer them via attachments, emails or other solutions.
Other tools
Finally, we need all the other classic tools, such as ERP/ ERP and especially for liquid companies we need solutions for project planning.
This kind of tool helps to keep track of works and always know what everyone is working on.
There are several, like Asana or similar.
At Ispiro.tech we use an open source solution integrated in NextCloud, that is a plugin called Deck.
Inside Deck I have various text boards in which I can insert lists of activities and within each list I can then insert different worksheets to be assigned to me or my colleagues.
This very basic software mainly serves to track the internal processes of the company.
Opinion
I want to show that the tools are there, just have the will to select them, learn how to use them and map these tools on their own ways of working.
What I often perceive in many entrepreneurs and employees is the lack of mentality to conceive a way of working that goes beyond the hours and physical presence.
Most people think you only work when you’re sitting in the office.
In my personal experience, however, I have found that productivity often increases when I have the opportunity to work from home after doing my other daily chores.
Maybe I work until midnight because the next day I have to start a website or a company that has a demo or a fair, but I always work at the best time for me. And like I do, so do my co-workers.
We keep ourselves aligned with face-to-face meetings or video conferencing and tools like the ones we just saw.
By now, where we work physically has become irrelevant.
It’s important to have the mentality to work for objectives that are measurable, achievable, shareable. This too is often not easy, as producing services and not physical products, the definition of objectives can be complicated, but working on it and insisting, you can do.