One of the most important tools that come with any group is a shared calendar. With this tool, you can coordinate schedules with team members in real time, resulting in smoother collaboration.
However, some private events that aren’t work related might cause scheduling conflicts. That’s why two-way calendar integrations come with robust permission management features to avoid miscommunication and confusion.
Real-time synchronization
Whether it is a change to an existing event or an update to a new one, real-time sync ensures that every team member will receive immediate notifications and stays informed. This significantly reduces the chances of miscommunication and scheduling conflicts.
This feature is especially helpful in the case of project management as it enables team members to stay up-to-date on the progress of projects. It helps them avoid wasting time by chasing status updates and documentation and instead focus on meeting deadlines and other project goals.
In addition, real-time synchronization eliminates the need to reply to emails or messaging threads with status updates as they are automatically updated on everyone’s calendars. This saves a lot of time and effort. Moreover, some group calendar come with time-tracking features and checklists for individual tasks to help users track their progress. These functions are incredibly useful for remote and hybrid teams that need to be productive and organized without losing sight of their goals.
Seamless collaboration
A group calendar allows team members to collaborate seamlessly, even when working remotely. This eliminates miscommunication and back-and-forth email exchanges, and helps teams stay organized and on track.
Managing projects with multiple team members requires juggling schedules, keeping everyone informed, and meeting deadlines. It’s important to remember that the iron triangle – budget, schedule, and scope – is critical to project success. An imbalance in any of these areas can be disastrous for a project’s outcome.
Using a shared calendar makes resource scheduling easier for project managers and other team leaders by providing an overview of all events, meetings, and appointments. Seeing the latest free/busy information also helps avoid overbooking team members, which is a common cause of burnout and employee turnover. With real-time synchronization, updates and changes to calendars are instantly updated on all devices. You can even embed a team calendar on your website to promote visibility and transparency.
On-the-go access
A high-quality shared calendar offers cross-platform integration, allowing users to manage their schedules regardless of their device. It also allows for advanced permission management, ensuring that only the right people have access to specific elements of a group schedule. This feature can help eliminate confusion and misunderstandings, while boosting productivity and collaboration.
Additionally, it provides free-busy information for each member of a group and can automatically find the best time to schedule a meeting using AutoPick. This functionality is especially useful for teams that work remotely.
The ability to access a group calendar on the go is important for remote and hybrid teams. This can save time by eliminating back-and-forth emails and phone calls. It can also make it easier for team members to manage their workflows on the go, which is a key factor in boosting productivity. A team calendar can also serve as a tool for resource smoothing, enabling managers to see whether employees are working efficiently and adequately.
Integrations
Having a fully-synced group calendar is essential for resource scheduling, as it helps managers prevent overbooking teams. For instance, if an executive is scheduled to attend a DEI training session but also has a doctor’s appointment on their private calendar, an integrated group calendar will alert them to the conflict. This can help reduce scheduling confusion and eliminate back-and-forth emails.
Similarly, some online shared calendars provide a master view that displays events from all calendars on a single screen, providing users with a comprehensive overview of their commitments. This feature can save time and effort when coordinating meetings with teammates, especially for remote workers.
A quality group calendar should offer real-time synchronization and notifications, so any changes are instantly updated across all devices and platforms. Some apps even integrate with other business tools, including cloud project management apps and video conference tools. This feature is important for businesses operating with remote teams that are located across multiple time zones.
