Managing Remote Equipment to Ensure Productivity in the Hybrid Workplace
Discover how smart equipment management keeps remote teams productive and secure in the 2020s workplace.
The flexibility of remote working is leading to greater employee satisfaction, better performance outcomes and improved engagement, qualities that reinforce all Forbes magazine's observation that the hybrid model is the 'key productivity strategy' for the 2020s workplace. For this accolade to be maintained, hybrid workers need to be able to seamlessly transfer between remote locations and their formal workplace without the change of setting compromising efficiency and security. As a result, the work of hybrid employees is highly dependent on company issued equipment that is not only safely delivered but that also remains compliant, secure and well maintained. By taking practical steps to closely monitor the movement of equipment, upgrade devices as soon as necessary and control risks throughout a product's life cycle, businesses can keep their remote workers safely connected, while at the same time avoid unnecessary downtime caused by IT issues and ensure high levels of productivity are maintained.
Safely Delivering Company-Owned Technology
Most businesses prefer to provide hybrid employees with company-owned equipment as, when it is well supported, it can enhance security and encourage productivity. While ensuring compliance, protecting sensitive data and providing effective IT support is enabled with company supplied equipment, the safe delivery, maintenance and tracking of valuable devices across different locations can prove to be difficult, especially for larger companies with extensive networks of hybrid and remote workers. A robust device management system is essential for the management of company-supplied equipment and can address these issues with clear processes for monitoring devices and providing regular updates on their location. It can also oversee the safe return of equipment when it is no longer needed and, if a device is lost or stolen, allow the remote wiping of data to ensure company-wide cybersecurity.
Replacing Old and Outdated Devices
While managing the safe deployment of equipment, productivity can still suffer if equipment for hybrid workers is not regularly updated. Aging devices are slower to run, cause unnecessary downtime and require more technical support. However, even though older PCs and outdated laptops can have an impact on productivity, at least 40 percent of small and medium-sized businesses are failing to implement or follow a PC refresh policy. Keeping a record of the age and condition of company supplied devices allows managers to see when they are due to be upgraded. Even when IT budgets are stretched, continuing the issue and maintenance of out of date hardware is a false economy. To ensure cybersecurity and compatibility with new software, promptly upgrading devices will improve overall efficiency and worker productivity in the longer term.
Ensuring Secure Remote Access
Now that 38% of US employees are working remotely at least some of the time, finding ways to safely access off prem devices can also be a problem. While many workers are concerned about being monitored when working from home, their employer has the right to track their activity if they are using technology provided by the company. IT support teams also need access to their colleagues' computers in order to reconfigure settings, update files and provide help with technical issues but this open remote access can compromise cybersecurity. Log in systems that use a cloud directory with multi factor authentication can help to safely connect users, while a VPN can be used to securely deploy software to remote equipment. A good time to schedule software updates or the transfer of sensitive data is when hybrid workers are visiting the office. Raising cybersecurity awareness among workers is crucial for any company with hybrid workers, and when robust security protocols are introduced and followed, workflow and productivity remains high as computer updates are seamlessly introduced and system disruptions due to technical issues are minimized.
As hybrid working remains a popular choice for many employees, ensuring they are able to work efficiently and safely off prem is a growing concern for many businesses. By carefully managing the deployment and return of devices, upgrading equipment when necessary and implementing company-wide cybersecurity protocols, businesses can keep their hybrid workers connected and well supported. This in turn increases employee satisfaction and productivity levels, even when workers are located remotely.