Essential Tools Checklist for Improving Workplace Productivity

📋 Project Management Tools

Trello

Kanban-based team collaboration tool

  • Drag-and-drop task management
  • Real-time team collaboration
  • Customizable workflows
  • Support for 100+ application integrations

💰 Free version available, premium versions starting from ¥5/month

Monday.com

Powerful work management platform

  • Highly customizable interface
  • Timeline view and Gantt charts
  • Automated workflows
  • Integration with GitHub, Slack, and others

💰 Premium versions starting from ¥8/user/month

Asana

Enterprise-grade project management solution

  • Multiple views (list, kanban, timeline)
  • Dependency relationship management
  • Progress tracking and reporting
  • Large-scale team collaboration

💰 Free version available, premium versions starting from ¥8/user/month

⏱️ Time Management Tools

Toggl Track

Intelligent time tracking tool

  • One-click timer
  • Project and client categorization
  • Detailed reporting and analytics
  • Multi-platform synchronization support

💰 Free version available, premium versions starting from ¥7/month

RescueTime

Automatic time tracking and productivity analytics

  • Background automatic tracking
  • Application and website categorization
  • Weekly reports and analytics
  • Focus time statistics

💰 Free version available, premium versions starting from ¥7/month

Clockify

Free team time tracking platform

  • Unlimited free version for users
  • Detailed time reporting
  • Project cost calculation
  • Browser and desktop applications

💰 Free version completely free

📝 Notes and Knowledge Management

Notion

All-in-one workspace and knowledge base

  • Database and relational views
  • Template library and automation
  • Team collaboration and permission management
  • Integration with 100+ applications

💰 Personal free version, team versions starting from ¥96/month

Obsidian

Localized personal knowledge base system

  • Bidirectional linking and graph view
  • Complete local storage, privacy protection
  • Rich plugin ecosystem
  • Markdown support

💰 Personal free, commercial pay-as-you-go

Evernote

Cross-platform note-taking and information collection tool

  • Web clipping and article saving
  • OCR text recognition
  • Notebook organization system
  • Integration with 50+ applications

💰 Free version available, premium versions starting from ¥99/year

💬 Communication and Collaboration Tools

Slack

Enterprise-grade team communication platform

  • Channel-based message organization
  • File sharing and search
  • Application and integration support
  • Thread replies and mention features

💰 Free version available, premium versions starting from ¥88/user/month

Microsoft Teams

Office 365-integrated collaboration tool

  • Deep integration with Office applications
  • Video conferencing and screen sharing
  • File storage and version control
  • Team and channel management

💰 Office 365 subscription or independent premium versions

Discord

Community and team voice and text communication

  • Server and channel organization
  • High-definition voice and video
  • Bot and customization features
  • Screen sharing and livestreaming

💰 Basic features free, Nitro ¥88/month

💻 Development Tools

Visual Studio Code

Lightweight yet powerful code editor

  • Extensive language and framework support
  • Rich extension ecosystem
  • Built-in Git control
  • Debugging and integrated terminal

💰 Completely free, open source

GitHub Copilot

AI-powered code completion tool

  • Intelligent code suggestions
  • Rapid prototype development
  • Multi-language support
  • Learn best practices

💰 ¥7.5/month or ¥75/year

Git & GitHub

Version control and code collaboration platform

  • Distributed version control
  • Pull requests and code review
  • CI/CD workflow automation
  • Project management integration

💰 Basic features free, premium versions starting from ¥17/user/month

📄 Documents and Collaborative Editing

Google Workspace

Cloud-based collaborative office suite

  • Docs, Sheets, Slides real-time collaboration
  • Comment and suggestion tracking
  • Version history management
  • Integration with Gmail and Calendar

💰 Free version available, business versions starting from ¥44/user/month

Microsoft 365

Professional office productivity suite

  • Word, Excel, PowerPoint
  • OneDrive cloud storage
  • Real-time collaborative editing
  • AI assistant features

💰 Personal ¥69/month, business versions starting from ¥50/user/month

Canva

Online design tool and template library

  • Drag-and-drop design interface
  • Millions of templates
  • Image and font resources
  • Team collaboration features

💰 Free version available, Pro version ¥120/year

🎓 Learning and Reference Tools

ChatGPT / Claude

AI assistant for writing, coding, and question answering

  • Natural language conversation
  • Code generation and debugging
  • Copywriting and translation
  • Learning and research support

💰 Free version available, Pro version ¥120/month

Anki

Spaced repetition-based learning tool

  • Flashcard learning system
  • Spaced repetition algorithm
  • Community card deck library
  • Cross-platform synchronization

💰 Desktop version free, mobile versions starting from $24.99

StackOverflow

Programmer question-and-answer and knowledge sharing community

  • Vast programming question answers
  • Community rating system
  • Tag and search functionality
  • Documentation and reference resources

💰 Completely free

⚙️ Automation and Productivity Tools

IFTTT

Task automation and application integration platform

  • Conditional trigger automation
  • Support for 700+ applications
  • Multi-step workflows
  • Data synchronization and backup

💰 Free version available, Pro version ¥27.99/month

Zapier

Enterprise-grade application automation tool

  • Multi-step automation workflows
  • Support for 5000+ applications
  • Conditional and routing logic
  • Data transformation and mapping

💰 Free version available, premium versions starting from ¥30/month

Alfred (Mac)

Mac system efficiency enhancement tool

  • Quick application launch
  • File search and navigation
  • Workflows and scripting
  • Clipboard history and snippets

💰 Free basic version, Powerpack ¥49

☁️ Cloud Storage and Backup

Dropbox

Reliable cloud storage and file synchronization

  • File version history
  • File sharing and permissions
  • Team collaboration space
  • 100+ application integrations

💰 Free 2GB, Plus ¥100/month and up

Google Drive

Cloud storage and Google Workspace integration

  • 15GB free storage
  • Real-time collaborative editing
  • Offline file access
  • Advanced search functionality

💰 15GB free, 100GB ¥19.99/year

OneDrive

Microsoft cloud storage and Microsoft 365 integration

  • Deep integration with Office
  • File version history
  • Sharing and permission management
  • File recovery feature

💰 Free 5GB, 100GB ¥20/year and up

🛠️ System Tools and Optimization

PowerToys (Windows)

Microsoft official Windows enhancement toolset

  • Quick launcher and search
  • Window management and layout
  • Batch file renaming
  • Color picker and keyboard shortcut mapping

💰 Completely free, open source

Raycast (Mac)

Mac command-line and workflow tool

  • Quick application launch and search
  • Clipboard management
  • System command execution
  • Extension ecosystem

💰 Free version available, Pro version ¥8/month

1Password

Enterprise-grade password management and zero trust

  • Password generation and storage
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Team and group password vaults
  • Biometric and 2FA support

💰 Personal ¥180/year, team ¥50/user/year

💡 Tool Selection Recommendations

Start with Fundamentals: Do not attempt to use excessive tools simultaneously; begin with 3-5 core tools and gradually optimize your workflow.

Prioritize Integration: Select tools capable of mutual integration to reduce information silos and enhance efficiency.

Regular Assessment: Review tool usage monthly and make timely adjustments and optimizations.

Learning Cost Consideration: Balance tool functionality with learning cost; select solutions with strong cost-effectiveness.

Continuous Updates: Monitor tool updates and new features to maintain competitive skill advantage.