Single source of truth
Everyone should see tasks, assignees, and due dates in one place so they can catch up asynchronously. Choose a tool the team will actually update—simplicity often beats feature count for remote adoption.
Comments and context
Keep discussion on tasks so context isn't lost in email or scattered chat. @mentions and notifications help remote team members stay in the loop. Asana, ClickUp, and Monday all support this well.
Views and time zones
List, board, and calendar or timeline views help coordinate deadlines and handoffs across time zones. Ensure the tool supports the views your team uses daily.
Integrations
Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email integrations mean updates can flow where the team already works. Calendar integration helps with deadlines and availability. Check each tool's integration list.