Remote assistants and managers were recently surveyed by online project management technology resource firm  Software Advice for a report on how they communicate and work together. Some of the findings are a bit surprising for people that are used to working remotely by relying heavily on project management tools to get things done.

One of the surprising findings is that only 56% of the participants in the survey use online project management tools to collaborate. 92% of them use email, although a previous Software Advice report found that email is considered an ineffective communication tool.

Those who use online PM tools, do so first of all to manage tasks, which includes planning, scheduling and assigning work.

We are Basecamp fans. We use it internally, and we recommend clients they use it too to collaborate more efficiently with their remote assistants. This is why we were happy to see that nearly one-quarter of respondents use Basecamp as their online PM solution.

You can check out the full Software Advice report and read their conclusions here.

At Remote Workmate, we rely on Basecamp because we’re a 100% distributed team, composed of people with different skills, working in different time zones, living on three different continents. If we’re recruiting for a client that isn’t from Australia, one Basecamp project can reunite people working and living on four continents.

For many people, the fact that we’re a functional team can be mind-boggling, and you cannot really hold it against them. Technology has evolved rapidly. 20 years ago it would have been unimaginable that we’d be able to function as a company.

The growing importance of telecommuting can’t be ignored, just as the benefits of a global labour market can’t be minimised. Work is evolving and companies need to keep up not only with technology but also with what their employees want in terms of work schedule flexibility, device preferences and online collaboration solutions.