The coronavirus pandemic has got many businesses and companies struggling to cope with the immediate remote work environment. This is due to the current measures taken to tackle the disease, including social distancing and lockdowns. While some companies and businesses are already adapting to this change, some are still trying to succeed.
Source: Flexjobs
Since companies are already adapting to remote work with their teams, the likelihood of the same continuing even after this pandemic is high. To thrive in this current remote work environment and also afterward, here are a few pointers:
Evaluate infrastructure and capacity
A lot changes when you take daily operations from your common space (office) to the remote environment. Some organizations already had basic infrastructure and capacity for remote work, even before the COVID-19 global scourge. However, for the remaining lot, they are facing capacity and infrastructure bottleneck. This is due to the massive surge of users accessing their business remotely amid an infrastructure that can barely serve a fraction of the masses.
As a business, it would be wise to evaluate your system and bandwidth capacity, the stress on infrastructure, physical capacity for secure VPN, endpoint protection, data backup, encrypted communications, firewall tools, regular updates, dual-factor authentications, reliable password protection, network capacity and software licensing, among other factors. Because of these reasons, you might want to consider outsourcing IT services so that you can focus on other company/business matters.
Implement the right cloud workspace tools
Your virtual team needs to be productive from wherever they are, and this requires you to get the right tools. The ease of use on any device and security need to be significant considerations. Some tools you and your staff will need to include the following:
- Project management tools – having your team reading from the same script is integral for remote success. Such tools help you make this a reality.
- Video conferencing tools – since all meetings are virtual, you might want to factor in the right tools for video conferencing.
- Team messaging tools – a convenient group messaging platform can help all of you collaborate remotely with ease.
Remote work needs to be secure, and the right cloud-based workspace will guarantee you this. Your IT and cloud provider needs to prevent data leakage, monitor the activity of users & security events, manage user devices, and meet the set data privacy requirements.
Improve productivity
Contrary to popular perception, working remotely is as effective as working in the office. All that is needed is for your staff to use all the collaboration tools and have central coordination from the managers. The wizardry of technology has made this a lot easier for everyone through document sharing platforms and video conferencing tools.
Fortify security
Everything has flaws, and so does remote working. Migrating your operations to the cloud, and IT outsourcing does have one major challenge – security. This is why you cannot only work with any firm offering the services but have to be specific with the one that meets security requirements.
The ability to collaborate with your remote team, mission-critical partners, and contractors securely is a critical factor. It needs the IT service provider to leverage workplace technology, which meets the needs of the business, enhances security, and supports identity and licensing models.
Your response to a crisis, which is the coronavirus pandemic, doesn’t ward off compliance risks and security/privacy threats. If anything, these risks are even more pervasive and damaging. As you enable a remote workforce, make sure that you prevent the leakage of any sensitive information that could be damaging. We at ISHIR have an enhanced monitoring provision and threat detection system that helps prevent any data leakage. Our endpoint management tools will ensure the seamless management of remote devices.
To monitor security events and user activity, you will need to implement cloud-based SIEM tools, which will help to identify unusual user interactions with sensitive information and improve download controls.
Make a point of having the right business process in place
The COVID-19 pandemic has people working from home, and this has brought about a problem – speeding up the new culture. Besides, the physical aspects of the business or company may make it a bit difficult for its employees to work from home.
Nevertheless, you can still work remotely and succeed. A necessary business process to incorporate includes ensuring everyone is available when needed by setting schedules and using all the right tools for effective collaboration. Finally, commitment is integral for remote work. Once you have the right workplace technology and infrastructure, you can enhance your business process to have success amidst this pandemic. Also, remember that an IT and cloud services provider like ISHIR can always help you meet the requirements for remote access and collaboration.
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