Coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to dominate the news. The global impact is immeasurable, with no discrimination between market segments or customer profiles – everyone is affected in some way, large and small.
With no end to the disruption in sight, it is clear that companies who can adapt to the impact will fare the best. The ability to pivot and shift strategies, whether from an IT perspective, a management perspective, or an employee perspective (preferably from all three) is emerging as a key differentiator in a market which itself is morphing each day in response to coronavirus pandemic.
Transitioning to a Work from Home program during the Coronavirus pandemic
Travel restrictions have had a tremendous impact on businesses across verticals. As a result, telecommuting programs are making a return to the workplace. Companies that previously had not considered telecommuting an option, whether due to a smaller user base or lack of infrastructure, are quickly cobbling together ad hoc solutions as a temporary band-aid. Organizations that had a partial program in place are looking to scale up the end-user base with increased video conferencing options and secure VPN capacity. And even companies with existing, full-scale remote work programs are adjusting as top tier executives evaluate what additional measures, such as restrictions on essential versus non-essential travel, need to be addressed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In short, everyone is impacted to some degree. But whether you have a telecommuting program in place or not, companies who can quickly adapt and shift to remote work programs are likely to fare the best. There are countless productivity apps that support remote work. These telecommuting tools range from addressing the individual home-office user (think Zoom, Toggl, Google Drive) to enterprise collaboration solutions (think Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Poly RealConnect) designed to meet the needs of national or global organization with a comprehensive Enterprise Collaboration infrastructure).
Regardless of the size of your organization, recalibrating your existing network ecosystem to create a new telecommuting program or support an existing one is just half the battle.
Designing a Work from Home program with the right mindset
What’s the other half? Cultivating a mindset of agility.
The fact is, even an organization lacking infrastructure to support a comprehensive telecommuting program can quickly implement a working solution in tiered stages. Approaching this challenge with a mindset of agility can empower management and employees alike to pivot and adapt. The technology is there – it’s just a matter of embracing change, despite the unfortunate circumstances.
So, what are your next best steps in designing a remote work or telecommuting program?
Working with an enterprise communication and collaboration partner during the Coronavirus pandemic and beyond to determine your next steps can speed your process and ensure it aligns with your Digital Transformation Strategy. A knowledgeable partner can assess your existing network environment, identify the gaps, and create a path for closing those gaps, quickly and efficiently.
If you don’t have a solid Digital Transformation Strategy in place, a consultative partner can help you create one – identifying your primary business objectives (such as creating a telecommuting program) and mapping out the path to get you there. Maybe this is the time to make that final push to transition to the cloud? Perhaps you should learn more about how Gateway for Microsoft Teams can seamlessly connect your employee or vendor base?
Adopting a mindset of agility and seeking out industry expert suggestions during this time of change will undoubtedly help organizations adapt to the challenges presented by Coronavirus. Embracing change – no matter how undesirable the circumstances – can be a motivator to enhance your existing infrastructure and drive your Digital Transformation Strategy.
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