Remote working is one of the buzz phrases of 2020 and is sure to outlast the COVID-19 pandemic, but the onset of lockdown last spring took many businesses by surprise. They simply didn’t have the equipment and infrastructure in place to support colleagues to work from home effectively – and were forced to furlough many staff who could have otherwise continued working.
What essential equipment and IT support are needed for teams to collaborate successfully remotely, as we move through a second lockdown with more on the horizon?
The good news is that the absolute basics are actually quite cheap, enabling SMEs to provide a productive home working environment for most or all of their staff, should the need arise. Let’s have a look.
Laptop And Phone
The minimum each employee will need is a basic laptop and smartphone they can use for work purposes. While ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) is acceptable in some circumstances (the requirement for employees to use their own devices for work), this can dent productivity by blurring the lines between work and leisure, and opens up a host of cyber security problems, as well as potentially stoking resentment among staff.
Leading business IT manufacturers, including Dell, HP and Toshiba, have stepped up to the mark in providing attractive purchase prices for homeworking equipment, as well as flexible lease and rental deals. This isn’t something we deal with directly at TMB, but our managed cyber security and monitoring services can help keep your data and devices safe, whether employees are at home or in the office.
Communication Equipment
We recommend that each employee is equipped with a basic web cam and wireless headset to enable group video meetings and professional call handling. These vary widely in price, but basic communication packages can normally be found for less than £200.
Managed IT Service Desk
Effective day-to-day IT support is absolutely essential for remote working teams, as even small glitches can ruin productivity. If you’ve got an in-house IT person or team who normally deals with these things, they may not have all the tools they need to deal with remote problems, especially with BYOD equipment. Therefore, we recommend a third party IT service desk, such as the one we provide at TMB.
Our service desk operatives are fully equipped for remote working, and can provide the full suite of IT technical support services you require, around-the-clock, wherever employees are based. With a straightforward ticketing system and rapid response times, our service desk covers your team against printing issues, difficulties with email and communication apps, hardware failures, malware and computer viruses, and data access problems. Our team are experienced working with Windows and Mac operating systems, and can support your team through various means – including a dedicated customer portal, email, phone, or video chat.
Increase Productivity During Lockdown
The first lockdown saw a drop in productivity among businesses because of the surprise factor and a general lack of preparedness, but it doesn’t have to be this way now or in the future. Our flexible managed IT services are designed to help small businesses attain their full potential during lockdown or normal circumstances, by adapting to your working patterns and taking a proactive approach to IT performance. To find out more about our monthly and annual support packages, please get in touch today.
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