Remote working is the new normal of life after the pandemic. Companies and employees like have come to realise just how economical this method of working is, and how it supports the life work balance that we all want to chiefs. Travel costs are reduced, businesses don’t need or pay for expensive buildings to accommodate their workers, and families enjoy the flexibility that working from home can bring. Amazingly, American workers are reclaiming 60 million hours of time that would’ve been spent commuting simply down to the fact that they can now do their job from home. This gives people more time for their family, therefore improving relationships, and more time for sleep, which is in turn improving their health. Working from home is not just a luxury, but a life improving advancement in the world of work.
Of course, working from home has its challenges. For some, it blurs the lines between work and home life, and they feel like they can’t truly switch off at home when work is looming from the office. For others, they miss the in person social interaction that comes when you meet with your teammates in a common workplace, and they feel isolated when they are stuck at home. Companies may wonder just how successful a separated workforce can truly be, growing increasingly concerned that their team will not be united if they can’t all work under the same roof. While at one time, working from home was a life saving necessity, it’s now a life changing choice. What technical help can assist you in making the home office a success? We will take a look at the technological solutions available that can help to make a physically distant team still feel united in their efforts towards success.
Cloud Hosting
These days, if something can be stored on the cloud, it will be. Cloud computing today is what the use of the internet was in 2000 – it’s a modern solution essential to staying up to date and keeping ahead of the competition. You can even find a company that will provide cloud hosting for Quickbooks Enterprise remote access, meaning that your accounts team will be able to access their QuickBooks information whenever and wherever you need. Cloud computing offers various benefits, a few of which we have listed below:
* It’s safe and secure. A single sign in from any location, on any device and your team have all they need to get working.
* It’s cost effective and saves money you would otherwise spend on equipment and physical infrastructure.
* It’s scalable so can adapt according to your company’s changing needs.
* It’s conveniences because employees can access their work whenever they need to. It also improves the experience for staff collaboration and file sharing.
If your business isn’t “on the cloud” yet, surely this brief explanation of the benefits will convince you to make the move as soon as possible.
Video Conferencing
Move over telephone conference calls, video conferencing is here to stay! It’s highly unlikely that any individual got through the pandemic without the use of some video conferencing tool or another. The technical tools available make it possible to have real time discussions with audio, video and screen sharing abilities. With the rise in popularity in this technology, it’s expected to only advance even more, as Google recently revealed their vision of the future of video conferencing – holographic video conferencing! This futuristic vision aside, current video conferencing tools like Zoom, Teams and Skype have become invaluable solutions to allow both in-house and remote workers to continue to work seamlessly together as a united team. By implementing a high quality videoconferencing tool in a workplace, team members can have high quality conversations and face to face interactions which will prove to be a great asset to the whole workforce. Moreover, using Cisco phones can further enhance the video conferencing experience, providing additional features and integrations for a seamless communication solution in the workplace. Cooperation and productivity will be greatly enhanced with the use of video conferencing tools. These team meetings can even be recorded for further training purposes or to accommodate for one’s that are unable to attend but need to know the information discussed.
Mobile Tools
When workers are operating outside of the office, they rely heavily on their mobile devices to complete their work. Therefore, mobile tools are becoming increasingly beneficial to remote workers. Rather than forcing other work forms to fit the mould of mobile, tools specifically designed to exclude mobile devices in the workflow processes means that employees can be more efficient and more effective in their work. Mobile based apps or a VPN remote access makes the role of remote workers a lot easier. To deal with unstable internet connections, employees can even be provided with portable WiFi devices so that they have the connection they need to do their work, wherever they are.
Tools for Project Management
Overseeing a project and managing team members that dispersed across various locations can feel like a great challenge. Therefore, there are project management tools designed specifically to assist in this regard. It allows team members to communicate and collaborate from one platform and they can clearly see the work tasks assigned to each member of the team and the progress that is being made in regard to them. Project managers can quickly get an overview of how everyone is getting on with their work and notes and attachments can be added so that the whole team is on the same page. There are generic project management tools that are good for some businesses, and more specific tools designed for certain industries so every team can find a project management software solution that is right for them.
The Workplace of the Future
Throughout history, working trends have constantly shifted and altered. In many ways, the workplaces of today are unrecognisable in comparison to the workplaces of times gone by. Just a few decades ago, no one would be able to imagine the technological advancements making remote working possible. Who knows what future advancements we will see that change the workplace once again!
