Keep an eye out here over the next several weeks for our work from home blog series, offering insight on major IT issues we’ve identified and addressed for customers and partners alike.
Why?
Because although by now we’re all growing weary of hearing about COVID-19 and its impact on daily life, we’re so deep into this new reality that it is actually starting to feel “normal”. If your company is like many other businesses across the world right now, your workforce is scattered and it is likely to stay that way for quite some time. The implications this has had on your team, your technological infrastructure and your IT investments has likely been profound, to say the least. In a matter of weeks, businesses went from having 1, or 2, or even 3 offices to several hundred (or more) “remote” offices.
Businesses must understand how WFH has affected their information security strategy, monitoring and management of core services, licensing models, remote support for end users, telecommunications (phones) just to name a few items of concern.
As we start to look forward to what the future holds, it’s obvious that remote work is here to stay. Working from home will become the new normal, for others, hybrid work scenarios will be the way to go, and businesses will simply have to evolve to meet that need.
Working from Home Has Perks
First and foremost, it should be noted that this sudden shift in work-from-home employment does have implications for workplace productivity. Aside from being a necessity for slowing the spread of COVID-19, remote work (or telecommuting) is shown to increase employee productivity. According to Fundera, “two-thirds of managers report that employees who work from home increase their overall productivity.”
In addition to productivity increases, a company morale increase is also a byproduct of employers offering flexible work options. In fact, a Stanford study showed that employee turnover rates were reduced by more than 50% after a flexible work-from-home policy was adapted.
Along with the increases in productivity and employee satisfaction comes the real worry of long term affects from “zoom meetings”, extended work hours (because you can), and group cohesiveness that comes from being isolated.
With the current state of technological advancements, it doesn’t make sense to retract remote work offerings, even if COVID-19 goes away. As the younger generations filter into the workforce, it will become more and more requested that applicable employers (those who hire for customer support or sell digital items and services) offer flexible work options.
Remote Work Needs Infrastructure
One potential downside to a major uptick in the demand for remote work options is the impact it has on a business’s technology profile. Rather than wiring and hiring for one or two offices, companies now need to consider support and security for hundreds or thousands of separate, one-person office spaces.
How do you manage remote connectivity successfully without increasing complexity and management overhead? What technologies are coming to the forefront to alleviate the burden of remote management?
At Source 1 Solutions, we know the ins and outs of remote work. We’ve been helping businesses set up and maintain remote offices for years; in fact, when the coronavirus took hold in America, our employees were up and running in their homes in a matter of hours. Of course, it is all a matter of preparation and having a solid plan. Getting the remote workforce up and working will be a long term process as we continue to advance communication technologies, remote support methods, and Cloud applications all while increasing security awareness and control.
By sharing our experiences and insights via our blog with the broader community, we’ll be giving back a bit of our own know-how and knowledge, and in the process perhaps helping you to navigate a new IT world.
Check back often for new blog posts!