The last few years have seen changes that will affect the way we work forever. Being forced to work remotely and having to collaborate in new ways has changed the way we perceive what an office should be. But now we are in a period of transition where many people are returning back to their offices, what is the best approach for businesses to thrive in the “new normal” and what are the key considerations that need to be made?
Security
One of the advantages of remote working is that staff can work from anywhere. One of the disadvantages of remote working is also that staff can work from anywhere! This means that managing and securing your IT devices and people’s access to your systems has suddenly become a lot more complicated. You no longer have a single office with a single IT system that you can lock down and easily monitor. Now your office can be anywhere.
To keep your IT system secure there are several important considerations to make.
First is how you are going to keep track of your IT equipment, wherever it is. One of the best approaches is to have a cloud-based management system (also known as an ‘MDM’) that can monitor your devices from anywhere. One example is Microsoft Intune, which is an online-based portal that can manage all of your devices, keeping them up to date and as secure as possible.
The second advantage of having remote management is being able to ensure that your company devices have up to date antivirus software. This will reduce the risk of people bringing viruses back into your network, even if they are now working from home.
Where it is not possible to manage devices directly, you need to make sure your systems have the best level of protection in place. There are several ways of doing this, one example is our CoretekCloud platform which only allows access via a secure web portal, thus removing the risk posed by any external devices.
Finally, because of the risks listed above, it’s important to make sure your internal IT systems are well secured. In particular, having a business-grade firewall and email filtering in place at a minimum. Also, ensure that you have a good backup and disaster recovery strategy in case things go wrong.
Systems
Next to consider is having the right systems in place to make sure your team can communicate and collaborate, regardless of where they are.
Cloud-based productivity apps such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace are fantastic tools for allowing people to share information, work on documents and meet virtually. Most companies have only scratched the surface of the potential that this software has. One example is that multiple people can work on a document simultaneously, getting it completed far quicker than ever before. See the video below for a demonstration of how powerful this approach can be.
For any Businesses that rely on more bespoke Line of Business apps, there are still options that allow these to be accessed from anywhere. A private cloud solution like our own CoretekCloud can allow businesses to host their entire IT systems in the cloud, including any apps regardless of how unique they are.
Many businesses have a mix of both public-facing apps like Microsoft 365 as well as their own hosted environments, this is known as a ‘Hybrid Cloud’ approach.
The last thing to consider when having a team across multiple locations is the importance of keeping data well organised and in a central place. With an increase in remote working, this can be more difficult. The best solution is to use a single platform for storing and managing documents such as Microsoft SharePoint, OneDrive or Google Drive, always using a clear structure to ensure documents are easy to find.
Mental Health and HR
The last point to consider with hybrid working is the mental health side of the equation.
Just like remote working makes it more difficult to monitor devices, it is also harder to check in with your employees and colleagues. In some instances, remote working can lead to feelings of isolation so it is vitally important to keep your team together, even if they aren’t physically working in the same office. This can be done by having weekly team meetings and regularly checking in with any remote workers to make sure they’re happy and have everything they need to be able to do their job successfully.
Summary
These are some of the key considerations on how your business can thrive in the new normal. If you would like some guidance on how to set up your IT systems to be as productive as possible in the new Hybrid Working world, please get in touch with the team.