As a Google Workspace administrator, you are at the forefront of ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for your organization’s users. With access to the latest tools and technologies, you can transform how your team collaborates and communicates. However, to maximize your efficiency, streamline your work processes, and deliver the best user experience to your employees, it’s essential to have the right tools for managing Google Workspace at your disposal.
In this blog, we aim to shed light on some of the must-have tools that every Google Workspace administrator should be aware of. These tools, from the cutting-edge Admin Console to serverless computing capabilities, have been carefully crafted to solve some of the most pressing challenges organizations face today. So, buckle up and discover the must-have tools every Google Workspace administrator should be using.
Table of Contents
Our list curation methodology
The methodology behind our list is rooted in comprehensive research and real-world feedback. We reached out to a wide array of users across various industries, from small startups to large enterprises, to understand which tools they found indispensable in their daily operations.
By analyzing the frequency of mentions and the context in which these tools were praised (mentioned by a certain percentage of users), we were able to identify not only the most popular tools but also those that are truly impactful in improving productivity and management efficiency. Additionally, we consulted with industry experts, including Aravinthan Srinivasan, co-founder and CIO at Zenphi, who has over a decade of experience implementing and managing Google Workspace products; and Ryan Duguid, ex VP of technology at Nintex. Both experts provided valuable insights into the effectiveness of each tool and helped validate our findings against industry standards and best practices.
The top basic tools for managing Google Workspace
1. Google Workspace Admin Console
The Google Workspace Admin Console is the central hub for managing and configuring your organization’s Google Workspace accounts. Google workspace admin tools provide an intuitive interface for creating and managing user accounts, setting up and monitoring device management, and configuring security and compliance settings. The console also enables administrators to delegate specific tasks to other team members, add or remove users, manage billing, set up mobile devices, and much more.
Learn more: Google Admin Console
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2. Google Vault
Google Vault is an e-discovery and archiving tool that allows Google Workspace admins to manage and secure their organization’s data. With Google Vault, you can set retention policies, place legal holds on data, conduct e-discovery searches, and generate reports. Google Vault also provides detailed audit logs of all activity in your organization’s Google Workspace account, allowing you to track changes, monitor user activity, and ensure that your organization’s data is being used appropriately. Google Vault integrates with other Google Workspace tools, such as Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Meet to search and manage data from these services within the Vault interface. Overall, Google Vault can be a valuable tool for Google Workspace admins looking to manage and secure their organization’s data.
Learn more: Google Vault
3. Google Cloud Secret Manager
Google Cloud Secret Manager is one of the most useful Google admin tools. It is a secure and centralized solution for storing and managing sensitive information such as API keys, passwords, and certificates in the cloud. It provides encryption at rest and in transit, fine-grained access control policies, and automatic tracking of changes to your secrets. Additionally, Google Cloud Secret Manager integrates with other Google Cloud services like Google Kubernetes Engine and Google Cloud Functions, making it easy to securely manage secrets for your applications and services.
Learn more: Google Secret Manager
The #1 Google Workspace workflow automation platform
We’ve already helped hundreds of companies to enhance Google Workspace user lifecycle management, user access controls and device management. Book a call to learn the best practices from your peers and listen to their honest experience with Zenphi.
4. Google Cloud Shell
Google Cloud Shell is a browser-based command-line interface (CLI) provided by Google Cloud Platform. This tool provides an easily accessible, preconfigured environment for managing Google Cloud resources, making it simple for administrators to manage their cloud infrastructure from anywhere, at any time. The Cloud Shell integrates with other Google Cloud services, including Google Workspace. Moreover it provides a consistent interface across projects, making it an ideal tool for administrators who manage multiple projects.
Learn more: Google Cloud Shell
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The top tools for managing Google Workspace as a pro
5. Serverless Computing with Google
Google’s Serverless computing solution offers a fully-managed end-to-end experience, requiring no server management and automatic scaling to meet traffic demands. Access a range of features, including FireBase for mobile and web, Compute App Engine for scalable web and mobile apps, Cloud Functions for connecting and extending cloud services, and more at a pay-as-you-use pricing model.
Learn more: Serverless
6. Google Cloud Identity Secure LDAP
Google Workspace admins who need to manage user identities across multiple systems and applications, including those that use LDAP-based directories, will find that Google Cloud Identity Secure LDAP is a valuable tool. It provides centralized identity management, integration with Google Cloud Platform, security and compliance features. By using Google Cloud Identity Secure LDAP, admins can improve security, reduce the risk of identity-related security breaches, and manage user identities more efficiently.
Learn more: Google Cloud Identity Secure LDAP
5 Best Practices for Google Workspace Access Management
Ready to simplify your Google Workspace access management? From automating RBAC and access approvals to setting up deprovisioning workflows and alerts, this checklist will guide you step by step to ensure your processes are secure and efficient.
Download the checklist
7. Google Cloud Smart Analytics
Google Cloud’s Smart Analytics Platform offers a secure and flexible solution for organizations to harness the power of data and AI. Based on Google’s proven technology and decades of innovation in AI and internet-scale services, it provides an easy path toward becoming an intelligence-driven organization.
Organizations can leverage Google’s data cloud to revolutionize their decision-making and turn data into action by utilizing the power of data and AI. The latest advancements in BigQuery and Vertex AI bring intelligence to every corner of your organization, empowering you to analyze and activate your data like never before.
Learn more: Google Smart Analytics
The top tools for managing Google Workspace more efficiently
8. Google Cloud Directory Sync
Google Cloud Directory Sync (GCDS) is a tool that allows Google Workspace admins to synchronize user and group data between an on-premises directory service and Google Workspace. GCDS provides centralized management, automatic synchronization and customization. Using GCDS can help streamline workflows, reduce manual data entry, and ensure that cloud applications have up-to-date and accurate user and group data.
Learn more: GCDS
9. AppSheet
AppSheet is a no-code application development platform that allows users to automate multiple processes within an organization using Google Sheets as a core database. AppSheet allows to automate most of operational flows without the extensive programming knowledge.
System administrators and Google workspace users admire AppSheet for its flexibility. However, there are several aspects that might complicate your usage of AppSheet as a core automation platform. For example, it’s not the best for collaboration and version history tracking. If these aspects are important for you, try Zenphi — it allows you to automate 99.9% of your IT operations, increase productivity and cut Google Workspace associated costs without using App Script.
10. Zenphi
Zenphi is the leading Google Workspace workflow automation platform. From Google Workspace user lifecycle management, to Google Workspace user access controls, to Chromebook management, license management, employee offboarding and much more, Zenphi offers an easy-to-use interface for streamlining administrative tasks.
In addition, Zenphi is the only third-party Google admin tool that boasts a highly secure set-up, paired with the end-to-end automation capabilities. With Zenphi’s advanced features, administrators can save valuable time, allowing them to focus on more important tasks.
Learn more: Zenphi
Conclusion
In summary, managing Google Workspace can be challenging. However, with the right tools you can easily find ways to increase productivity, foster collaboration, and comply with security and compliance regulations. From advanced Smart Analytics to no-code process automation tools like Zenphi, the possibilities are endless.
