Remote working has in the last two months gained popularity following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan China and the subsequent spread of the virus to many countries around the globe. Companies have been forced to redesign how their employees are going to work while maintaining the social distance aimed at reducing the spread of the virus. The only solution has been to ask their workforce to stay away from the office and work remotely. Remote working is based on the concept that work does not need to be done in a specific place to be executed successfully. Employees can work wherever they are and still deliver on the companies’ goals.
Coronavirus has made the world realize that there is a need to let go of outdated policies and adopt flexibility. Tech companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft are leading in encouraging the adaption of Stay At Home, Work from Home policy. In Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta has asked companies to allow employees who are able to work from home to stay at home in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The employees that work for companies with good tech infrastructure maybe having an easy time but for the ones who work for companies that still lag behind, and have no improved technology infrastructure the challenge is big and are probably wondering how to go about the crisis. Here are the three things that you need to implement for successful remote working:
Internet infrastructure.
The internet infrastructure is the physical hardware, transmission media, and software used to interconnect computers and users on the Internet. It is responsible for hosting, storing, processing, and serving the information that makes up websites, applications, and content. Access to the internet may still be a challenge for most of the employees since companies pay for a speed internet at the workplace. But in recent times we have seen affordable and reliable mobile data offers from telecommunications companies. Like the Post-Pay package rolled by Safaricom one week ago.
Collaborative Software
Collaboration software enhances the productivity of individuals in an organization while working from different places. Users can coordinate tasks and create workspaces for themselves and share ideas and information they need to build momentum. It helps in the exchange of communication between groups and allows for real-time collaboration and discussions among the members through virtual meetings. Collaborative tools facilitate video conferencing, group chats, and easy feedback relaying. Examples of these tools are Skype, Slack and Microsoft Teams.
Cloud Storage.
Working remotely means you need to access data of all sizes that you need to process. It shouldn’t matter how far you are from the office. Cloud storage has changed the game by breaking the barriers that come between remote workers and the rest of their teams. Cloud allows for safe storage and access of files online from multiple devices. Dropbox, for example, offers a good cloud storage service, with its enough space to store projects, images, documents, or videos.
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