With the Covid-19 induced foreclosure, most businesses were forced to adopt the work-at-home option. But what initially seemed like a drawback is now transforming to offer a multitude of benefits to many organizations. Businesses are able to reduce overall costs related to real estate, rent, and utilities, with some choosing to abandon physical space altogether. In addition, companies learn that people are more productive when choosing their place of work and their hours. Many companies appear to have adapted to the change and may be trying to make the change permanent. Others, however, would like to return to the old ways of working.
Tech companies lead the way with technology
Tech companies, of course, lead by example. They do it in two ways. One, incorporating technological tools in their own offices. Second, implement products and services that could be useful to other businesses.
Dinesh Sharma, Head of Business, Smartphone Division, System Business Group, ASUS India, said: "Covid-19 has brought unprecedented challenges, but has acted as a tremendous catalyst to adapt and learn in many new ways. The old belief systems that only work from offices, the most effective face-to-face meetings have been shattered in recent months. Technology has been the fundamental catalyst for performing many activities despite impaired physical movements. " Social media giant Twitter was one of the first organizations to encourage employees to work from home. Soon other big ones like Google and Facebook followed suit. These companies have told businesses that they have the option to continue working at the WFH even when the situation returns to previous levels of normality.
No big company in India has so far given such a blanket extension to its employees. But things will happen soon, says R Sudharshan, CEO of a Bengaluru-based startup. "Since the WFH offers flexibility to both employer and employee, it's only a matter of time before it becomes mainstream culture," he says.
In addition to moving to full-time remote work, many technology companies have offered resources to help with the transition.
For example, Dell has a long-standing work-from-home culture, what it calls the "connected workplace" that provides team members with infrastructure, automation, monitoring tools and network topology.
“Our experience of more than a decade in this field helps our clients enable and support a diverse workforce. The important thing to assess any organization is a combination of technology, security, facilities and human resource management that contributes to the effective management of remote work," said Indrajit Belgundi, Director and Senior General Manager, Client Solutions Group, Dell Technologies, India .
He adds: "Dell invented working people: these are worker profiles on the basis of which Dell can advise customers on the right form factor for each person. Not all employees use the same applications or do not need the same devices. Understanding the different mobility needs for each type of worker is essential for success."
But a company's ability to travel remotely is only as good as the tools it has.
Challenges also include scaling IT infrastructure, managing information security, and of course managing employees, their productivity, and fostering a culture of remote collaboration.
In this case, it is up to the companies' respective IT teams to choose what suits their business and work from the various tools on offer.
Having a reliable arsenal of tools is essential to keep your workflow in place. Team collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, video conferencing tools like Google Meets, Zoom, and WebEx, productivity tools like Trello and Asana, document sharing tools like G Suite or Office 365, email collaboration tools like Winter se They have become very popular in business.
Dinesh Sharma says that smart devices, mainly PCs and smartphones, are the three main pillars. "Cloud-based connectivity applications/platforms, especially those that enable online video conferencing and collaborative work such as Microsoft Teams, Google Meets and Zoom, and wired and wireless broadband networks are the ideal solution for all businesses."
Companies are also discovering that the situation evolves to establish new protocols and work standards. Sudharshan said, "This is a good time for IT teams to understand the importance and establish a documentation process. Document everything, create how-to guides for staff, document security policies, create a security policy. fair treatment for work devices and networks."
As many organizations allow remote work today, it is essential that they have the tools and security knowledge to work safely.
Security is the key
One of the main pitfalls of working at home is: security. A quick transition to remote work puts pressure on system and data security. Belgundi agrees, "As many organizations enable remote work today, it is essential that they have the tools and security knowledge to work securely." Dell SafeBIOS Indicators of Attack (IoA) and events protect all commercial PCs at the BIOS level to detect advanced endpoint threats. Detection at this level allows organizations to respond quickly and successfully to advanced threats, interrupting the attack chain before it can do more damage, he adds. "It's a good idea to make sure managed devices have the correct policies for Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Virtual Private Network (VPN) access, as well as network certificates," Anuja Pawar, an IT infrastructure consultant based in Chennai. She adds: "Since companies cannot have the same level of control as in a physical office, they may need to implement endpoint protection for remote workers. Companies should consider using password managers to create strong and unique passwords and prevent shared connections for an added layer of security." For Sudharshan, the other challenge is how to communicate and collaborate effectively across teams to protect company culture and achieve company goals. "We in management teams need to lead the way to ensure protocols are in place for employees to connect, stay social and be productive." Many of us find this period even more productive as we save travel time and stress, encounter fewer distractions during unplanned meetings. Dinesh Sharma, Asus India
What about the future?
Interestingly, many companies say that this task, imposed by them, has been revealing. According to Dinesh Sharma, "Many of us find this period even more productive because we save travel time and stress, find fewer distractions in unplanned meetings, and spend less time traveling to other cities to get there. The psychological importance given to someone who travels far to meet you is abolished and productivity has increased. Dinesh Sharma, who manages Asus smartphones, does not think his business will be affected after the lockdown. "Smartphones have become an essential product, so no impact is expected significant negative in the medium and long term. In the moderate easing after lockdown, demand has been very strong. In the near term, restoring production in India and streamlining global component supply chains could prove challenging for some players. Companies have tried to adapt to teleworking. While some will surely return as soon as they can, it's clear that many companies find silver plating in flexible working conditions. With technology, once this new normal works for more industries, it will be hard to go back.