By Mike Economou
With the issues of COVID-19 across the world and the requirements for social distancing, remote working has become the buzz word. But for us, we’ve been enabling remote working for years.
We’ve seen where it has helped businesses expand their operations even as they streamlined their processes. And now, it’s the only available option to keep some companies operational amongst the crisis.
If you are one of the many business owners contemplating remote working whether for a short-term solution or a longer-term plan, here are a few things you need to note.
1. You need systems
The idea of not having physical control of employees in one place, especially if you’re moving from an in-office situation, can be difficult for some employers. You now need to start operating with trust and transparency for it to work.
But, it’s doable once you have the right systems in place.
First, acknowledge that remote working is different from in-house. Then you can start to identify the processes and tools you need to put in place for remote working successfully.
Determine what a distributed organization will look like for your enterprise. Then, build your remote systems around that. For example, sticking to regular meeting/video conferencing times using a solution like WebRTC will help maintain consistency.
2. The technology can make or break you
In addition to the systems you have in place, the software and other tech you have supporting your operations can determine the success of your remote working set-up.
Some things you need to consider include:
· Accessibility:
Cloud-based solutions offer better options for remote-working. They are accessible by field teams on the go, or employees working from multiple offices or home. These solutions should enhance their ability to do their jobs, even increasing productivity.
· Security:
When you have a remote work set-up, security is essential. Keeping proprietary information and data, as well as client information safe is critical. Communication channels must be secure to ensure your team are working in a protected online space.
· Efficiency:
Workflows are a necessity to ensure timely completion of projects and tasks. Therefore, the ability to delegate jobs to remote teams working together means also ensuring that employees are fully aware of their required commitments and inputs. The systems you set up ensure that efficiencies are maintained, and productivity enhanced.
· Collaboration:
Communication is vital for collaboration. As is being able to work together despite not being in the same space. Ensure tools are in place for staff to work together and maintain communication with each other. The right kind of VoIP and web-based business phone systems have made this easier for numerous remote-based businesses.
3. Keeping communication open is key
Maintaining communication and keeping employees connected with each other and with clients can be a serious challenge if not done right. That’s why we recommend browser-based unified communications.
We’ve helped remote-based businesses leverage web-based VOIP infrastructure to route calls seamlessly without disruption to team members or customers, no matter the location.
4. Take advantage of the benefits of remote working
The benefits of remote working are numerous. You can reduce overheads. Commute times are removed/reduced, and this can improve the productivity of employees.
You can look further afield for talent and not just for persons restricted to your locale. You won’t need to worry about relocation costs of high-level hires. You can set up remote offices in jurisdictions that offer incentives and other business advantages.
So, how ready are you to leverage remote working?
Many companies are already embracing the remote worker set-up. So, it’s not as hard as it seems, depending on your sector and type of business.
Interested in finding out how communication solutions such as VoIP, WebRTC and other web-based business phone systems can work for you?
Schedule a demo, and we’ll walk you through it.
Or you can email us at support@ohiyanetworks.comto learn more.