Relativity - Blog #Zoho Meeting

Leveraging Zoho for Effective Management of Remote and Hybrid Teams

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 02:57:04 +0000

Over the past few years the traditional office environment has seen dramatic changes - with the upsurge in the amount of remote and hybrid workers. According to the ONS44% of UK workers worked remotely in 2023, which is made up of 16% full-time remote workers, and 28% hybrid workers (who split their time between home and the office).

With teams scattered across different locations and time zones, managing projects, collaborating, and maintaining productivity can be a daunting task. However, with the right tools and strategies, businesses can not only overcome these challenges but also thrive in this new era of work.

Technology has accelerated this transition in the way we work, and technology is also how you can manage your workforce with ease. Here at Relativity, a Zoho Partner based in East Sussex, we stay in-tune with emerging technology and apply it where it’s needed to deliver a better business in terms of growth, productivity, profits and service delivery. We’ve worked with hundreds of clients, helping them make the most of tech in their business.

Zoho is our tool of choice, with its comprehensive suite of applications. In this blog we will guide you through the practical ways to harness Zoho to manage your remote and hybrid team.

Why Choose Zoho for Remote and Hybrid Work Management?

1. Centralized Communication with Zoho Cliq

Effective communication is crucial for team cohesion and productivity, but it can be challenging when team members are not in the same physical space.

Zoho Cliqis a team collaboration platform that enables real-time messaging, file sharing, and video conferencing, ensuring seamless communication among remote and hybrid teams. By creating dedicated channels for different projects or departments, team members can stay updated and engaged regardless of their physical location.

Zoho Meetingallows for secure and reliable video conferencing, screen sharing, and remote collaboration, making it easier to conduct virtual meetings, presentations, and training sessions.

2. Efficient Task Management with Zoho Projects

Tracking tasks, deadlines, and progress can become complicated when team members are working across different locations and time zones Zoho Projectsoffers a comprehensive platform to assign tasks, track progress, and set deadlines in real-time. It integrates withZohoCRMandZoho Analytics, providing a holistic view of project health and team productivity. No more tasks slipping between the gaps, with no one taking ownership of the project.

3. Unified Customer Relationship Management with Zoho CRM:

Zoho CRMis a comprehensive customer relationship management solution that enables teams to manage leads, contacts, accounts, and sales pipelines from a single platform.

With features like mobile access, real-time data sync, and customizable dashboards, remote and hybrid teams can stay connected with their customers and collaborate effectively on sales and customer support activities.

4. Seamless Integration and Automation with Zoho Flow

For hybrid teams, automating workflows is key to ensuring smooth operations. Zoho Flowconnects various apps and automates workflows, which reduces manual work and enhances efficiency.

EG A retail business automates their order processing by integratingZoho InventorywithZohoCRMthroughZoho Flow, ensuring that sales data is synchronized across platforms without manual input.

5. Enhancing Accountability with Zoho Sprints

Zoho Sprintsis perfect for remote teams that follow agile methodologies. It offers tools for planning sprints, tracking work with scrum boards, and analyzing reports to improve future workflows.

EG A software startup uses Zoho Sprintsto manage bi-weekly sprints, allowing remote developers to update their progress asynchronously, fostering transparency and accountability.

6. Streamlined Human Resources Management with Zoho People:

Struggling to keep track of who is working and when? Zoho Peopleis a comprehensive human resources management solution that helps businesses manage employee data, time off, performance reviews, and more, regardless of team members' locations.

With self-service portals and mobile access, remote and hybrid employees can easily access their personal information, request time off, and stay connected with HR processes.

Best Practices for Implementing Zoho for Remote Work

So how do you go about implementing Zoho for your remote and hybrid employees?

1. Tailored Training and Onboarding

Ensure that all team members are proficient in using Zoho tools by providing tailored training sessions based on roles and responsibilities. If you would like support with this, please reach out to us at Relativity Ltd.

2. Regular Check-ins and Feedback Loops

Use Zoho Survey to gather regular feedback from your team on the remote working tools and processes, which can help in refining strategies and tools over time.

3. Data Security and Compliance

With remote teams, securing sensitive data becomes paramount. Zoho’s strong compliance with international security standards ensures that your business data is protected across all communications and operations.

Conclusion

Embracing remote and hybrid work models is no longer just an option but a necessity. With Zoho's comprehensive suite of applications, you can equip your teams with the tools they need to stay connected, collaborate effectively, and achieve their goals, regardless of their physical location.

How can Relativity help you with Zoho?

If you would like to explore the power of Zoho, Relativity can help. We are a Zoho AuthorisedPartner, and Zoho Consultant. To find out more, contact Relativity, on +44 1825 280123 or emailinfo@relativity.co.uk

Zoho Meeting – The Best Alternative To Zoom?

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 18:08:38 +0000

Zoho Meeting is an online meeting platform and webinar solution. Not being able to meet face to face has meant that web conferencing software has been the solution for people to keep in touch. Our last blog explored the benefits of using web conferencing software, as well as tips to find the right solution for you and your business. So in this article from Relativity, the business technology specialists based in Uckfield in East Sussex, we look at Zoho Meeting and its pricing structure, compare its features with Zoom and discuss why it could be a good alternative.

Features of Zoho Meeting and Zoom

Zoho Meeting	Zoom
Browser- based – no downloads needed	Limited features in web client
Does not use third party apps	Third party developers can build apps and leverage the platform
No cut-off times	40 minutes in the free version
Recording storage is based on the number of recordings	Recording storage is based on the file size
Automated emails and embeddable meeting links	Not available
Integrates with Zoho Projects and Zoho Bookings	Does not integrate with these apps
Pricing form £2 per month	Pricing from £12 per month

Privacy and Security Have Priority

Zoho Meeting will need your consent for actions including turning your web camera on and allowing another participant to take control of your computer during the online meeting. All your Personal Identification Information (PII) is safely encrypted meaning any information shared at a meeting cannot be read or interpreted. However, it should also be noted that downloads take up valuable drive space making desktops more vulnerable to security threats.

A FREE Plan is Available for Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting will allow you to collaborate in real time with its integrated audio conferencing letting you share your desktop and carry out in-person meetings with your clients and customers. It has a 14 day free trial after which many scalable options are available including a Free Plan. Pricing starts from as little as £2 - £10 per month for Zoho Meeting and from £12 - £160 per month for the webinar option, and this is more economical if invoiced annually.

Free Plan – 2 participants for Meetings and 10 for Webinars with limited features
Meeting – for 10 to 100 participants
Webinar – for 25 – 1000 attendees

Contact Relativity for advice on the best package for your business.

What Do the Reviews Say About Zoho Meeting?

G2 is a review site in Chicago focusing on user reviews for business software. In a recent survey, 759 reviews were considered comparing Zoho Meeting with Zoom. The reviewers found Zoho Meeting easier to use, set up and administer.

GetApp reviews, compares, and evaluates business software and has an in-depth comparison of the two products. It reports that both products are worth consideration and they look at how the features, functionality, and pricing stack up against each other. Zoho Meeting gained 90 points with 99% of people saying they would recommend this app.

Finally, FinancesOnline gives reviews for businesses with Customer Satisfaction rated at 99% for Zoho Meeting.

How Can Relativity Help You with Zoho Meeting?

If you feel we have given you some amazing reasons why Zoho Meeting could be the web conferencing solution you are looking for, please get in touch. To find out more, call us on 01825 280123 or email info@relativity.co.uk.

Referenced Articles:

Read our other recent posts:

Zoho Meeting – The Simple Way To Host Interactive Web Meetings And Engaging Webinars

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 19:52:42 +0000

Zoho Meeting is a video conferencing solution enabling users to conduct online meetings and webinars more efficiently. It is designed for businesses that have teams in a variety of places so that they can collaborate in real time. With Zoho Meeting, you can literally share your computer screen with multiple people and as it is completely browser based, no applications have to be downloaded, as your attendees simply login and view your screen.

The platform has integrated audio conferencing allowing you to conduct in-person meetings with clients as well as sharing your desktop. It gives you the facility to showcase your products and services and to educate and supply information to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own office. Another great feature is that you can transfer control to your customers during product presentations.

Features of Zoho Meeting

Branding options for customised logos and colours
App can be embedded in your website
Login from your desktop
No software needs to be downloaded
Integrated calendar and RSVP scheduling
Works with Windows, Mac and Linux OS
Can be used via Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome and other browsers

As with most Zoho apps, Zoho Meeting is suitable for all sizes of business and is a simple to use and reliable tool. It will allow you to set up meetings quickly and efficiently with just a few clicks and there are no caps on meeting times or numbers. It’s great for your business as employees can remain in their offices, significantly reducing travelling costs.

Webinars

Zoho Webinars is part of the Zoho Meetings software and is an inexpensive way of hosting your webinars. Features include feedback tools such as polling and Q&As with webcam sharing available. Analytics are provided for tracking participants and the customisable registration forms can be embedded and included automated emails with hosts and participants being able to dial in from anywhere in the world.

Pricing for Zoho Meeting

The variety of pricing plans will ultimately suit the requirements and the budgets of all businesses, particularly SMEs. A Free plan is available for 5 participants although this version has limited features and no downloads in modern browsers. An upgrade version is available for a small monthly cost, which accommodates 100 participants and has storage for 10 recordings. Webinar plans are dependent on the number of participants, namely 25, 50, 100 or 250, with all having storage for 25 recordings.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, Zoho Meeting is a resourceful screen sharing and presentation application helping your business become more productive, efficient and profitable. Pricing is based around whether you want to host video conferences or live webinars. It will allow you to connect with leads, collaborate with team members and organise meetings, webinars and learning sessions.

What To Do Next

Zoho has a range of Email & Collaboration Apps including Writer, Docs and Cliq. For more information about these, contact our experts who can advise you if Zoho Meetings is the right application for your webinars and meetings. Call us on 01825 280123 or email info@relativity.co.uk for more information.