Skip to main content

Access matters when things go to **and?)!

Access matters when things go to **&?)!

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a multitude of lessons along with it, on both the personal and professional fronts. From the business perspective, the pandemic turned things upside down across almost every industry. One of the biggest trends that the pandemic brought was remote work. While working from home (WFH), or telecommuting as it was called earlier, existed in some industries, the pandemic made WFH mainstream for everyone. From doctor’s offices, to SMBs to IT companies, almost every industry had to resort to remote operations to stay in business. This shift from on-site, brick-and-mortar offices to WFH brought along with it some serious challenges. This blog discusses 2 ways businesses leveraged technology to overcome the various challenges businesses faced with the sudden shift to the remote work environment.

Data access
This was one of the first and foremost challenges. When shelter-in-place orders and lockdown restrictions were imposed and people couldn’t get to work, the biggest question was, “How do we access data remotely?” Organizations that had already embraced the cloud to store and access data were clear winners in this round. Having data in the cloud meant their staff could access the data from anywhere. All they needed was an internet connection and of course a computer, tablet, or even a smartphone. Organizations that still relied on traditional methods of data storage including hard drives, on-site servers, etc., had a tough time getting their staff enabled to work remotely.

Productivity and engagement tracking
Another aspect companies struggled with as WFH became the norm was productivity and engagement tracking. When your staff is not in the office, how do you keep track of their productive hours and engagement levels? Also, there was the challenge of keeping the employees motivated and connected with the brand in the confines of a remote environment. This is where new software applications came into the picture.

These two different issues arose directly from the WFH scenario created by the pandemic. Without a solution to the first problem, WFH would be basically impossible. However, the existence of the internet and the trend toward cloud storage made access to work-related data possible. The second issue is more of a work in progress. How much employers will really need software applications to track remote work is problematic. In fact, it may, in many cases, be unnecessary. Research over the past year is indicating that WFH is actually increasing productivity. However, one thing is for certain, remote access from anyplace anytime to data is a permanent requirement.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Passwords They seem to have been with us forever

Passwords: They seem to have been with us forever. As we continue to suggest things you can do to protect the integrity of your company and customer data, here is a blog that covers an old level of security that we still rely on everyday. That protection is the password, so let's talk about bedding up your employee’s handling of passwords. Password hygiene - Passwords remain the most common everyday tool to ensure only authorized personnel have access to secure material. The issue is that passwords need maintenance and attention to be effective. Here are some common problems to avoid. And again, this requires a routine employee training program. Passwords that are too simple Simple passwords are easy to remember but easy to crack. Words, in any language, are not ideal either. That is why many sites require a mix of letters, characters, and numbers. And yes, some people are still using Myname123 . One universal password Sometimes people find it difficult to remember mul...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thing to do this week to start protecting your customer data

Thing to do this week to start protecting your customer data You have client or customer data in your possession. It is part of running your business in a digital marketplace. If that data is breached, it could permanently damage your reputation. We talked in an earlier blog about types of malware. There are many steps that you can take to protect your systems and data. Here are a few suggestions to protect your business from malware. Consider a Managed Service Provider - Cybercriminals are very sophisticated and every day are releasing new, cutting-edge tools to attack businesses and individuals. Small- and medium-sized businesses do not have the resources to staff an IT department sufficiently to be aware of all the newest tools and technologies needed to protect a business. For example, a business owner cannot possibly keep up with the changes and details of tax laws. Doing it themselves, they would likely overlook important tax advantages or inadvertently break some IRS rule. A...
Post a Comment
Read more