Moving forward, as a business, what resources do you need to successfully traverse the cloudy, undetermined skies surrounding COVID-19?
There’s an old Texas saying … “there is nothing between Amarillo and the North Pole but a barbed wire fence.” Another? “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute.”
As we venture further into the COVID-19 reality, the climate is similarly extreme and completely unpredictable. What began as sudden Work From Home (WFH) mandates has shifted between different work scenarios at the office and at home, each of which demand preparation, attention, and – amid a pandemic – extreme caution.
Suffice it to say, no one could have predicted our current state of affairs. But moving forward, as a business, what resources do you need to successfully traverse the cloudy, undetermined skies surrounding COVID-19?
5 Office Technology Resources You Should Consider As COVID-19 Lingers On:
1. A Remote Work Checklist.
The Remote Work Assessment and Remote Work Checklist are no substitute for a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. However, they provide a great starting point for companies to optimize and improve productivity while some (or all) employees continue to work from home.
Questions that immediately come to light when performing such an exercise:
- How do we communicate without the familiar office phone system and company phone directory readily available?
- How do we conduct employee meetings now that we’re no longer together in the office?
- Do all employees have the same understanding of communication availability and responsiveness, work schedule, and work output as the executive team?
- Are home computers and the Internet service from employee homes adequate for remote working? What kind of work can be conducted given these potential limitations?
2. A Secure WiFi Network.
Without one, employees can unnecessarily put their business at risk.
If possible, you should work on your secure, private home network instead of relying on public WiFi. If you send your data through an unsecured WiFi connection, you lose the power of privacy making it possible for cybercriminals to intercept your data. You may be putting personal information at risk if you are accessing your email account or sending sensitive data over a public WiFi network.
3. A Robust Communications Platform.
A hybrid (a la partial remote and in-office) work environment can create confusion and lags in productivity as employees collaborate with one another and communicate with customers.
Two communication technology resources to consider:
VOIP Phone System: A VoIP solution, in contrast to a legacy system, goes where you go. The ability to communicate from anywhere you have an internet connection isn’t just a matter of convenience. For the increasing number of companies that rely on remote teams, it’s essential.
Video conferencing: We’re beyond familiar with the Zoom boom of 2020. Frankly, many of us may be have video meeting fatigue. But, under the current circumstances, is your business utilizing video conferencing as a way to stay in touch with your own client needs? To corral your scattered workforce for important team meetings?
Solutions such as GoMeet Video Conferencing creates smarter, faster, engaging and actionable meeting experiences.
3. File Sharing/Collaboration Capabilities.
Does your office have comprehensive collaboration capabilities, allowing employees to easily and securely share files and folders with people both inside and outside the company? 
Consider Microsoft Teams, or Slack as examples. A Unified Communications solution, meanwhile, provides a comprehensive environment for better communication. As an example, folders are easily and securely shared with co-workers (or those outside the organization), so multiple people can access and edit the same set of content.
Folder sharing saves time by not having to search for the latest version of docs or consolidate multiple revisions and shortens feedback loops.
4. Temperature Scanning Functionality.
A COVID-19 outbreak can swiftly interrupt your employees’ return to the office. Beyond valuable sanitation protocols, employee health and safety starts at the front door.
Whether you record employee temperatures one by one with a handheld device, or consider an automated body surface temperature screening solution, proactively screening employees upon arrival is a strongly recommended preventative measure as the pandemic lingers on.
5. A Trusted IT Partner.
The question: Did your IT provider help you navigate a work from home (WFH) environment? As businesses reopened, could they address challenges of returning to the office?
Technology needs have changed rapidly over the past six months, and they continue to do so. Moving forward, whether you’re currently using a Managed IT provider, or an internal IT team, ask yourself:
- Is day-to-day IT maintenance dragging you down?
- Is network security a concern … or an ongoing problem?
- Are you seeing frequent downtime and/or slow resolution?
- Are you expecting the unexpected with your IT budget?
The business climate ahead may be cloudy at best, but the need for a trusted technology partner has never been clearer than before. A provider merely delivers products and services. A partner aligns these deliverables with your corporate goals and objectives in mind.
At Datamax, partnership is not part-time. Schedule Your technology assessment below to learn more!
