Nobody’s in the same place anymore, but the data is all in the cloud so what does it matter? Well, sometimes it matters. As the workforce gets more distributed, managers need to pick up a few new skills, to keep everyone on project.

SEE: How to select the right project management methodoligies (Tech Pro Research)

Here are 5 things to know about remote project management.

  1. Keep things fast and secure. First, make sure you’re using encrypted connections through SSL/TLS in both client-facing and internal applications. To keep latency low use a CDN.
  2. Work with your service provider to make sure you have a good plan for onboarding and you’re getting the team the training they need. You can avoid a lot of problems later by setting expectations and spelling things out now.
  3. Work out the budget. The distributed model can save you money by reducing capital expenditures and taking advantage of the expertise of service options.
  4. You’ll have to take a different approach to fostering your company culture. Don’t forget to communicate. Things that just permeate through an office are less likely to do so remotely. Encourage individual ideas and solutions to create a more collaborative environment so people don’t feel isolated.
  5. Make sure you have the right infrastructure. Your team is not likely to use less bandwidth as time goes on and it probably won’t get smaller. Make sure you have a robust network architecture with room to grow.

Advances in travel and the internet mean remote work is likely to become the norm.

Hopefully these tips will help you feel like you’re all pulling the same way – even if you aren’t in the same room!