April 1st 2020
HOME WORKING ESSENTIALS: WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL REMOTE WORKING
To get started remote working efficiently, having the right tools is essential. Check out our list of some of the most important systems you'll need to beat the remote working puzzle. If you want to know more, check out our 5 useful tips for effective home working blog for how to stay focussed and motivated when you're at home.
The right hardware: Laptop / desktop / tablet?
A desktop computer or laptop that is powerful enough to run the programmes you need will greatly have an impact in how much work you can do at home. You may have been lucky enough to take your work machine home with you. For others pulling the short straw, they are more then likely experiencing a decrease in their quality of work, as a result of having inadequate hardware. After a week into remote working, many businesses that do not issue company hardware to be used at home are realising the effects this is having on productivity for employees at home. It's never too late to order new hardware and have it sent out direct to your teams.
A steady and fast internet connection
You will need to have a reliable and speedy connection to the internet if you want a seamless remote working experience. It can be stressful when moving from your business's dedicated connectivity to the connection you have at home, if it isn’t up to par. Many businesses are encouraging video conferencing, as they should, but it can eat up a lot of your internet bandwidth.
Businesses should try asking their staff to see who may be trying to work through a poor internet connection. Solving their problem will greatly increase their morale and work capacity. If you’re on the move often, or your current home broadband just isn’t cutting it, you could try MiFi. MiFi is mobile broadband using a sim card and a wireless router, that can connect to multiple devices, providing 4G internet speeds. Incredibly quick and easy to set-up, you can take the internet with you wherever you go!
Flexible Communications
Having a hosted phone system or collaboration service that can adapt to any situation is key to making sure a business’s communication effort is a success! When working from home, people are expecting their communications to stay problem-free.
Our Collaborate solution is an example of a hosted phone experience done right. Not only is it quick to implement, it gives you the tools to enhance your day-to-day home working. Working on both desktop and mobile clients, Collaborate lets you communicate together through instant messaging, audio or video platform, either in 1-to-1 or multi-party situations. Users can also see the presence of others in real-time and screen share in an instant.
Business Mobiles
To assist in your home working, a dedicated mobile device can do wonders! For some, it is more natural to make calls on their mobiles than through their laptops. In conjunction with flexible solutions, business mobiles can pave the way to true remote working. The access to the internet, your CRM system, your emails and more, at your fingertips. You take your mobile device with you everywhere, as many people already do. Many businesses are probably relying on employees to have their own mobile phones to operate through this period, but best practice would be to issue company mobile devices that have tariffs with inclusive minutes to allow teams to communicate better. We have a range of mobile solutions that allow us to issue mobile devices remotely.
Beating the challenge of home working
If your business is need of some equipment for your staff, we’re able to provide you with a fully customisable equipment hire package. For mobiles, we are currently running some amazing mobile offers, so you get more for less and our mobile phones can be sent out to individual addresses. Or, if you’re interested in finding out more about our Collaborate solution and how we have implemented it company-wide, just give us a quick ring or fill in our web form. You can find out more on our remote working page.