What Freelance & Remote Collaboration Has Done For Us

Together, we’re capable of amazing things. Business is twinning ever closer to remote working as the world gets more complex, co-dependent, and accelerated in terms of what we expect from our lives. The driving force behind it all is a global digital network.

So, what are the greatest examples of remote collaboration? To inspire project managers and freelancers of any creed, we’ve done some digging. Here are Skwish’s favourite achievements that far-flung teams have pulled off…

Tackling worldwide disease

Let’s begin with a frontrunner for the most public good it is possible to do – namely, trying to tackle illness and disease. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has co-opted charities, research bodies, and 10 pharmaceutical companies (who otherwise would be in competition with each other) to share data on treatment for various afflictions, including Type Two diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Combined, that’s £250m of expertise going into the project, a hefty figure by investigative science standards. What’s more astounding, though, is that the code of secrecy in the industry – ‘don’t tell a single person what we’re up to’ – has been broken for a common cause.

Driving innovation

Electric cars are a hot-button topic in the auto sector. They promise a significant cut in our carbon footprint, as well as a transformative user experience on our roads. We’re constantly being told that the tipping point is almost here, that commercialised forms of these vehicles are ours for the taking…

Well, in 2016, Tesla offered their patent on the most advanced technology to other manufacturers, including BMW and Nissan. The Big Three account for 80% of electric car production; now they may be swapping valuable information around their global offices in a bid to supercharge the fledgling market.

Seeing eye to eye

Optical lenses are invaluable to hundreds of millions of people. UK-based Essilor, which distributes prescription lenses worldwide, has a reputation for excellent project management. It is a symbol of an ace attitude to remote business.

For example, every international project has an executive leader, who then reports to a committee. This prevents the head of a country-specific branch – a pair of production managers in Austria and France, for instance – from having their misgivings disregarded as a directive filters through the corporate chain. The brand also shifts managers between general and specialised locations or skills, building their cross-cultural pedigree.

Spending in outer space

It’s only apt to finish with a transcendent venture – the International Space Station, at the helm of our human destiny. 15 separate nations have banded together to make this colossal project a reality, valued at $100bn.

Engineering, university programmes, astronaut training and supply packages have all be co-ordinated by the ISS group, which is headed by America, Japan, Russia, Germany and Kazakhstan, amongst other countries. As we’re investing more into space exploration and its scintillating mysteries, remote working is crucial to getting the right resources where they need to be, on super delicate timeframes.

Big names, you might think; big ambitions… There’s no harm in reaching for the stars when remote teamwork is concerned. While none of us may have quite as much of an impact as these awe-inspiring projects, it’s great to dream of what we can accomplish on a smaller scale, with a clever project management tool.