Why you should be making plans to implement remote working long-term

Remote working is by no means a new concept. In fact, before COVID-19, 54% of UK workers were already working flexibly in some way.

If you weren’t offering flexible working before, you may find remote working will be a key factor in retaining your employees post-COVID-19. Let us tell you why…

Better work-life balance

Let’s face it, we could all be better at this. The positives that can be drawn from COVID-19 include time gained for ourselves.

We’ve all discovered that we could be using the time we’ve previously spent stuck in traffic to be more productive in our personal lives. Whether that’s doing exercise, spending more time with family, walking the dog, tidying the house, or just catching up on well-deserved rest, we’re putting that time to good use and we’re all the better for it.

Remote working enhances wellbeing

The freedom to choose where and how we work has a significant impact on our happiness. By gaining more time at home, we have become more rested and less stressed. With a more positive approach to work, our days are spent productively.

Communication has improved

Believe it or not, remote working can encourage better communication and unite your workforce. People are making a conscious effort to check-in and support each other now more than ever. Colleagues are still greeting each other every morning on Microsoft Teams, and they’re jumping on video calls to talk things through with more purpose than they may have had in the office. Your employees are the foundation that will empower your business to bounce back fighting.

Technology that makes your business more powerful

It’s apparent there will be a strong demand for flexible working post-COVID-19, and a proactive response now, will not only help you retain your employees, but also strengthen your business. Now is the time to switch from reactive to proactive, and we’d love to help you come out fighting.

We can review your existing IT, and make recommendations that will facilitate remote working, strengthen your continuity plan, make your business more resilient, and improve efficiency throughout. If you’d like help exploring your options, please give us a call on 02392 333 365.

Continuity Checklist

Essentials to consider in your Continuity Plan

From free tools to rescheduling deliveries, this checklist will help you consider the essentials that you may have missed in your continuity plan.

Download now

 

We’ve summarised some key considerations below…

Communication

If your employees have to work from home, they’ll need to be able to communicate with each other, your customers, and your suppliers. Consider what arrangements you’ll need to make to ensure your employees can continue to collaborate from different locations.

We’re able to provide you with free access to Microsoft Teams for 6 months if you already have Office 365. If you don’t have Office 365 and would like to talk to us about how your business could benefit from the solution, please give us a call on 02392 333 365.

Equipment

You’ll need to take stock of what portable equipment you already have access to, and what is crucial for your business. You should also consider what software and equipment your customer support teams will require to continue providing core services and support to your customers.

With more people working remotely during this outbreak, hackers are taking advantage of vulnerable systems. Make sure you understand the risks, and you have adequate measures in place to ensure you’re protected.

People

Work with your HR team to make sure you have all the essential policies in place, and you’ve considered all the risks to both your business, and your employees. Remember, it’s vital that you protect your employees too.

Processes

It’s difficult to cover everything, so you should utilise your key employees to help you capture fundamental points that may have slipped through the net. We’ve suggested some factors to bear in mind in our continuity checklist here which you may find helpful.

It’s important that you’re prepared for any scenario, and testing that your plan works is essential, so run a drill as soon as you can to highlight anything you may have missed.

Need advice?

We’re here to help, so if you’d like to chat with one of our experts, please give us a call on 02392 333 365.

Digital Transformation Of Social Housing – Top Five Trends

It is necessary for every business in every industry to adapt and change their business model to accommodate their customer’s changing behaviours and expectations, and housing associations are no exception. Digital technology is not only about conversions, transactions and growing revenue; it is vital for streamlining processes, optimisation and improving the customer experience.

As digital technologies take the world by storm, embracing these is vital for a housing association to grow and thrive. Some have already begun to tackle this challenge by transforming their IT infrastructures to keep up the high demands of today’s digital world.

Social housing is a rapidly changing industry with many housing associations struggling because of funding cuts, rent freezes and reduced investments. When it comes digitalisation, the social housing sector is not as far advanced as other industries, with many housing associations sceptical of investing in a digital transformation or not having the budget to do so.

However, this is slowly beginning to change as more and more housing associations are starting to see the benefits of going digital. Here are the top five trends we expect to see a rise with the digital transformation of social housing:

Five Digital Trends For Social Housing

 

1. A Remote Workforce

With the rise of cloud technologies, it is now possible for housing association teams to work remotely, allowing them to focus their time and energy on being out among their tenants. Having a digitally enabled and mobile workforce reduces the need for physical office locations within neighbourhoods.

Remote working allows workers to be more connected with those that need help the most. Less time will be spent on the mundane transactions, and more focus can be made on what really matters; enabling the organisation to become more human with greater face to face interactions.

2. Online Processes

Embracing advances in technology can reduce the amount of paperwork and manual processes required. Customer applications can be moved online which will not only provide a seamless and easy experience for customers but also reduce costs and response times compared with manual, offline applications.

Removing paperwork will free up resources for employees to focus their time and effort on other areas of the business. Moving transaction processes online also offers excellent cost savings for housing associations, with online payments being 20 times cheaper than phone transactions and an incredible 50 times cheaper than face to face.

3. Better Connected

The Internet of Things (IoT), connected devices and smart metres offer a great opportunity for housing associations to diversify their offerings. Embracing these innovative technologies within social housing can detect how people are using their accommodation and allow providers to alter services, such as heating, in real-time.

When used effectively, this technology can help housing associations to anticipate and handle issues faster, as well as be more proactive and strategic in commissioning repairs or replacements quicker in order to minimise costs and disruption.

4. Enhanced Customer Service

One of the most significant benefits that digitalisation has in the social housing sector is that customers will receive a better all-round service. Advice and help can be made available 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the help of a knowledge base and online account information that is always accessible.

The digital transformation of the housing industry will allow most actions to be completed online, meaning customers have no restrictions on when they can resolve their issues or speak with the correct department. Housing association workers will also be able to provide a better service to customers by spending more time out in their neighbourhoods offering a face to face service as opposed to stuck behind their computer screens.

5. Data Analysis and Record Keeping

In a world of GDPR, there are some real benefits to those within the social housing sector making a move to keep all customer data and records online as opposed to offline. A well planned online infrastructure can provide greater security for keeping online records safe and secure.

Utilising digital technologies for customer data is also an excellent opportunity for better data analysis and upkeep. Maintaining customer records online allows them to access and edit them as required, providing housing associations with current information that is easy and simple to manage.

How to embrace these digital trends

Embracing the digital transformation of social housing will bring significant efficiencies, financial stability and customer engagement. Currently, the social housing sector is being squeezed by reduced investments, funding cuts and rent freezes. At the same time, there is a growing demand from increasingly vulnerable and diverse citizens. Those housing associations that want to thrive rather than simply survive should be utilising and embracing digital solutions to transform their organisation for the better.

To help your housing organisation transform, speak to our IT specialists at Cyan Solutions. We can help your team to implement a digital strategy that can cut costs and increase the service experience.

Technology to Minimise the Disruption Of School Holidays

The benefits of remote working for the school holidays

With the school holidays on the horizon, thousands of businesses are preparing to manage an increase in holiday requests from their workforce to take care of their children.

For growing companies, these months can be a real hindrance to business and often create a huge slump in efficiency as employees struggle to battle the childcare challenge alongside their daily jobs. With technology vastly improving flexible working in recent years, there are now alternatives to help your business keep productivity up during the holidays.

Remote working has increased in popularity more and more thanks to cloud technologies and more flexible attitudes to office hours. Allowing your employees to work from home, or wherever suits them, gives them the chance to take care of little ones during holidays while keeping their out of office off.

Employees can easily keep on top of their daily tasks, keeping your businesses productivity up instead of grinding to a halt as soon as the schools do. The use of cloud technology can give workers the same real-time access to systems and files as they would have in the office. Furthermore, video conferencing means those vital meetings can still go ahead even with your employees dotted around the country. Allowing your employees to work remotely has a huge range of benefits for them as well as for you and your business.

Beat the Childcare Challenge

Finding reliable and cost-effective childcare during the holidays can be a real struggle for working parents. Whilst holiday clubs may provide some help, they don’t always fully cover office hours, especially for parents who must add a long commute onto their working day. Giving employees the option to work from home during school holidays can be a real help for parents who struggle to get cover for their kids while they are in the office.

The chances are that when you introduce remote working, the number of holiday forms hitting your desk will decrease dramatically as parents no longer need to use their precious holiday days to look after the kids. As a growing business, it is vital to keep your key workers on hand throughout July and August, even if they are not stuck behind their desk.

Happy Employees = Happy Business

It is no surprise that happy employees are more productive and efficient in their daily tasks. Cutting out their commute and giving them the option to work flexibly will reduce their stress levels and increase their productivity. This greater flexibility in their daily tasks is a benefit to both employee and employer, giving a boost in morale and the freedom for workers to work in an environment that suits them and their individual working style.

Studies show that those who work from home are happier in their job than those working in an office and that working remotely increases productivity by 16 per cent.

Anywhere, Anytime

Utilising cloud technology for remote and home working allows your employees to bust out of that standard 9 to 5 and work when it suits them and their lives. Giving your workers the freedom to get their tasks completed at any time of day can increase productivity and efficiency.

Cloud technologies can also allow your employees to work from anywhere with an internet connection; whether it’s at home, in the local coffee shop or on a train, they can be getting on with their duties wherever they happen to be. During the school holidays, many workers take time off just to sit at home or take the kids to visit family members elsewhere, giving them the ability to work remotely using cloud technology allows them to continue working no matter where they are.

The Best Talent

Introducing remote working for your business can give you the opportunity to hire the best talent, no matter where they are based or whatever their personal circumstances and commitments. Traditionally, you might only be considering hiring employees within a commutable distance from your office. However, the best person for the job might be situated further afield or need flexible working.

Utilising cloud technologies can help you to expand your workforce and grow your business without limiting the talent pool you can pick from. Remote working also increases employee retention, so once you’ve hired the best people for the job you have more chances of keeping them for even longer by giving them the flexibility to work where and when they want.

Get your business school holiday ready

There are a vast range of technologies out there to help growing businesses make the most of their employees during the holidays, so there is no need to let the slump slow you down. At Cyan, we offer a range of remote working solutions to make sure your business is still running at full capacity. Even when school is out, you can utilise cloud solutions to boost your productivity. Get in touch for free advice about introducing cloud-based remote working in your organisation.

Managing Security With Remote Workers

Remote working is increasing rapidly. Staff who are travelling for business, working at home or commuting still want access to the same information they can receive while in their workplace. The increase of remote working undeniably helps organisations as well as assisting remote workers to stay in the loop and be efficient.

With remote working, staff can be more productive, there is a contingency plan in place and data can be shared with ease. However, with the increase in remote working comes an increased risk of security breaches. Those who are accessing work data inappropriately could be breaching the security and confidentiality of the business. For the organisation, particularly with GDPR in place, it is essential to manage and bolster security systems, so that remote working does not leave your business vulnerable.

Why is managing remote working important?

With employees that are keen to access work information outside of the workplace shows a commitment and conscientiousness to your organisation. However, many employees do not realise the risk they pose to the security of your business.

Recent studies have shown that almost a quarter of employees would use free WiFi hotspots to access their work emails. As well as this, 28% of employees will email work documents to and from their personal email address. Many employees do not realise that unsecured connections such as WiFi hotspots can pose a significant threat to cybersecurity, with cybercriminals being able to access information on low-security connections.

Fortunately, there are several ways that organisations can reduce the risk and help to manage security with remote workers.

How you can manage security with remote workers

Strong passwords

Having a secure password can give protection from hackers and more peace of mind if a device is lost or stolen. Organisations can implement password requirements such as having a minimum number of characters as well as asking for multi-characters. Organisations can also ask employees to have different passwords for different systems as well as imposing a two-step log-in process.

Create public WiFi guidelines

It is not always feasible for remote workers to connect to trusted networks, particularly when travelling or staying in a hotel. However, you can create a cybersecurity policy which explains how to use public WiFi with the most care. It is wise to define what systems they can access and which they need to refrain from when using a potentially unsecured network.

Mobile device management

As well as securing mobile devices with passwords, it is also essential to help boost your security if laptops or mobiles are lost or stolen. Utilising mobile device management software or applications can help your business to track lost or stolen devices as well as implementing additional security to protect business assets on the device.

Use the cloud

Hosted cloud desktop providers will use data encryption technology to transport data throughout the company intranet. If employees log in to your system using a cloud-based virtual desktop, there will be added encryption for confidential information between the remote worker and the business. Providers of cloud-based hosted desktops will typically have a range of security certification for additional peace of mind.

Monitoring

Your business can take advantage of 24/7 monitoring of your security systems which can help to quickly identify a threat and help you to prevent or reduce the issue rapidly. 24/7 monitoring will also help your business with future security planning as you can start to uncover common problems that your business faces. Using monitoring to protect your network will include analysing all remote workers as well as all of the mobile devices in your organisation.

Training

Many employees do not receive robust cybersecurity training that includes remote working. Staff should regularly receive cybersecurity training that helps them to understand the risk and how specific actions such as using public WiFi and public computers can threaten security. Using monitoring alongside training can help you to enforce your cybersecurity policies and make it easier to focus the training on specific issues that threaten your business.

Email encryption

As emails are one of the most popular technologies for remote workers, one of easiest ways to improve your organisation’s security is by using email encryption applications. Investing in the management of corporate email and using the safest technologies for email is essential for many businesses who use email without even thinking about its vulnerabilities.

If you need help securing your IT for remote workers, call us today so we can help you plan and implement a robust cybersecurity strategy.

Why Use A Virtual CIO? 

The fast-paced world of IT can make it very difficult for small businesses to keep up. Having a full IT department to not only maintain the day to day core functioning but also to strategise for the future of the organisation comes at great expense. Fortunately, there are ways for enterprises to enjoy the value of a strategic IT department, without the significant costs and impact on the whole business budget. Introducing a Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO).

What Is a Virtual CIO?

A Virtual Chief Information Officer provides all of the services of an on-site IT department, such as maintaining computers, protecting servers and troubleshooting IT issues. However, as you do not need staff, it is a service that provides IT protection at a significantly reduced cost.

As well as maintaining IT systems in a way an IT team or managed IT service provider can offer, a virtual CIO has the ability, knowledge and skillset to strategise your IT requirements and plan for the future.  Using in-depth analytics and expertise in strategy, budget planning and operations, a virtual CIO can go beyond traditional IT services and be proactive for your organisation. This advanced skillset can not only help your business to save money, but by utilising a virtual CIO instead of employing a full-time CIO, you can enjoy superior services for less.

Having a virtual CIO allows your business to remain competitive. Your organisation can enjoy an advanced strategic role without the staffing costs. With a virtual CIO, you have the flexibility and reduced costs that your business needs. You can utilise virtual CIO services for a few hours a week or choose a service on an as and when basis. At Cyan Solutions, we will work with your organisation to plan your virtual CIO needs so that you have the right level of virtual CIO assistance that your business requires.

What can a virtual CIO do?

Ultimately, a virtual CIO can seek out the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for your business and help your organisation to be proactive in its response. One aspect in which small businesses can particularly gain an advantage is with risk, governance and compliance. Penalties in the technology sector can be rife, particularly when it comes to data. With a virtual CIO, you can stay ahead of the changes in the industry and make sure that you put your compliance plan in place before any deadlines.

Other areas that a virtual CIO can help with is improving all aspects of your IT planning both in the short-term and long-term, to help lessen the impact on your bottom line. Virtual CIO service may help you to evaluate aspects of your IT that you have yet to consider. Looking beyond the architecture and service you provide, a virtual CIO can help with elements including;

  • Performance analytics
  • Web and communications strategy
  • Telecommunication
  • Knowledge sharing and information database
  • Auditing
  • Change and change management.

With all of these aspects considered, a virtual CIO can be a great investment to help reduce costs and improve productivity and efficiency.

Benefits of a virtual CIO

Comprehensive coverage:As discussed above, a virtual CIO covers all of your IT requirements, from day to day maintenance to long-term strategy and planning solutions. With no hidden charges or separate billing, you receive the services you require for the time that your organisation needs. For some organisations, this can mean a fixed monthly cost with 24/7 protection and monitoring. For others, they may require more from a virtual CIO at peak demand periods.

Proactive prevention: A virtual CIO managed system can help to monitor your current IT health with the help of dashboards and analytics. By forecasting and real-time monitoring, you can be sure of a proactive response which can eliminate problems before they arise. With full visibility through an impartial system, your business can make the right decisions based on accurate information.

Increased productivity: By making sure your IT system is well structured and carefully managed, you can reduce the risk of downtime and impacted operations. With a virtual CIO, you can make sure that everything is running efficiently. With updated software, hardware and cloud technology, you can seamlessly increase staff productivity and project uptake to maximise success and keep your projects profitable.

Virtual CIO with Cyan Solutions

Of course, the core benefit of a virtual CIO is how cost effective it can be. By covering all services from a comprehensive IT department in a virtual manner, your business can reduce costs and increase efficiency leading to further savings. At Cyan Solutions, we want every company to realise their potential. After a comprehensive IT audit, we can explain the benefits a virtual CIO can bring to your business and tailor a virtual CIO package to suit your needs.

Find out more about what we can do to help your business and take the first steps to IT efficiency by arranging your IT audit with Cyan Solutions by contacting us.

Is your business prepared for bad weather?

In recent weeks, the UK has been brought to a standstill thanks to wintery weather from “the Beast from the East” and Storm Emma. Train delays, gridlocked motorways and empty offices were common sights across the country, with thousands of people unable to get to work because of the freezing temperatures and snow showers. It is estimated that the spell of bad weather has cost the economy at least £1bn a day, making it the most costly weather event since 2010.

Snow is not the only example of poor weather affecting businesses. Flooding is the most common and widespread natural disaster in the country, according to the UK government. Every year since 1998 there has been at least one severe flood. With around 260,000 commercial properties located in flood risk areas, it can cause huge problems. In fact, two-thirds of small business in the UK were affected by extreme weather in the last three years.

These kinds of poor weather events result in thousands of employees not able to get to work, with many depending on public transport and roads to make their journeys. According to RSA Insurance Group, on one snowy day in December 2010 up to one-third of employees could not get to work safely. Despite this, the FSB suggest only 27% of businesses have a severe weather plan in place.

Reduce weather problems with clouds

With the advanced technology available today, there is no reason for businesses to be impacted by staff not making it into the office due to bad weather. The use of cloud-based technology means that employees can remain productive wherever they are, whether it is stuck on a delayed train or snowed in at home. If businesses are properly utilising the cloud as the powerful tool it is, then employees will be able to access their emails, files and work-related software from anywhere with a network connection.

Remote working

Giving workers the flexibility to work from any location will often boost productivity and efficiency. Statistics reveal that 82% of telecommuters reported lower stress levels, making for happier and more productive employees. Even if businesses do not want to introduce remote working all of the time, employees will benefit from having their work on hand wherever they are such as meeting rooms and conferences as well as meaning they can work remotely in the event of bad weather.

Server safety

As well as keeping employees connected from any location, using a cloud solution also gives your business added protection. When the freezing temperatures cause a pipe to burst or the heavy snow leaves you with a leaking roof, there is no need to worry about damage to your office-based server. All your businesses data is safely stored and backed up in the cloud. When the poor weather conditions result in power lines being taken out by high winds and freezing temperatures, many businesses will struggle to continue operating as normal. When your servers are cloud-based, they will not be affected by that local power cut, meaning your staff can keep on working and accessing their data.

VoIP

In addition to using cloud-based applications to protect your business against severe weather, other technology such as VoIP and telecoms can also be extremely useful. You can give your employees access to their office landlines from anywhere with an internet connection with the use of VoIP and virtual numbers. As easy as downloading an app onto a mobile device, desktop phones can be seamlessly connected to a mobile device anywhere in the world, allowing your staff to continue working as normal.

There is no need to cancel face-to-face meetings because of wintery weather conditions. Software applications such as Skype allow employees to hold meetings from any location, so whether they are stuck at home on a snow day or at a standstill on the motorway, that meeting can go ahead as planned.

Get your business weather ready

Here at Cyan Solutions, we can help you to start protecting your business against the adverse weather conditions and provide you with all the information and technology you need to enable your employees to work from anywhere. Our cloud-based system can replicate a user desktop from anywhere and at any time of day, allowing real-time access to files and business apps. Our VoIP solutions are ideal for keeping your staff connected, wherever they are in the world.

It is so important for businesses to plan ahead for bad weather situations and maintain a solution that is ready to change and grow as the company does. Get in touch with us today to find out more about switching to a cloud-hosted solution and take the first step in protecting your business against the predictably unpredictable British weather.

7 must-have apps and software that aid remote working

Remote working has enabled us to be more productive than ever. There are now a multitude of user-friendly web based applications which put the technological power at our fingertips, enabling us to be even more productive. Plus such apps make it easier to have more downtime instead of constantly scanning for new emails. So when you’re not in demand, you can schedule and organise your time more effectively.

Being office bound is no longer seen as the most effective mode of work. Remote working allows employees to work more efficiently and be more productive. It also increases well being among employees and gives businesses greater flexibility to work at their optimum level. We’ve put together some of our must have tools to help boost your employees remote working power.

Slack

Slack is the communication and messaging app made for teams, accessible from desktop and mobile devices. Amongst a whole host of integrations, it allows you to create channels to organise your team conversation on different topics and projects. These can be made private for private projects. You can also communicate one-on-one through direct messaging, launch video or voice calls, drag and drop to share files – which can also be linked through from services such as Google Drive or Dropbox. You’ll wonder how you ever survived without it!

Trello

Trello is an integrated communication platform which synchronises boards, notes, email, messenger. It helps stop endless email checking and cross referencing between different platforms. It consolidates all your channels in one place and is also great for team co-ordination and project management. Everyone knows where to go to get the information and this creates a high level of accessibility and transparency. There are unlimited ways to organise yourself and your team and keep on track of projects, events, decisions and attendees.

Asana

Asana is a web app that allows teams to manage and track projects from start to finish, right down to the smallest task. It allows you to easily see progress of each project, turn meetings into actionable task, and better understand and manage what each remote-worker is prioritising at each specific moment.

IDoneThis

If Asana isn’t for you, you may prefer the simplified IDoneThis. It allows for simple and easy daily status check-ins on particular tasks. Through it you can know what is done, in progress, or has stalled and why. Employees can work at their own pace and everyone has an overview of what tasks are being done, by whom and when they are complete. These status check-ins prevent managers having to micro manage and ask questions to find out about progress. Remote working requires a level of trust and IdoneThis does just that.

Facebook Workplace

Love it or hate it, Facebook has been around for a long time and Workplace has fast become one of the best pieces of software for connecting teams across an organisation. It allows all the things that Facebook does – instant messaging, live broadcasting, bot automation and groups – but specific to work. You can also integrate OneDrive and Dropbox, and it’s great at making announcements to everyone so the entire team are kept up to date. As a result, Workplace reduces complexity and saves time and money.

GitHub

GitHub was created by Linux creators and therefore is based on the same opensource principles which made Linux the power it is today. Geeks love Github because it provides a platform for software development teams to collaborate. It lets workers host their code and puts checks and balances in place to make version control a breeze. Software developers use the hub to share their software and network and receive feedback from likeminded coders. Great for geeks.

InVision

For design teams, InVision is a prototyping, collaboration and workflow platform that allows for the building and sharing of prototypes within a team. In addition it allows for a useful and intuitive feedback process via communication with clients and other team members.

Things to consider before choosing a cloud platform

Cloud based working has become the norm for many business over the past few years for a number of reasons. The implications for simplicity, enhanced productivity and accessibility are a given. But with such a range of providers and services, deciding on where to invest is no mean feat.

Opting to move your business operations to the cloud can do wonders for an organisation. It can help significantly reduce costs, remove the need for in-house IT experts and substantial hardware, and improve security. It can also dramatically enhance workflow due to better accessibility and collaboration between teams..

There is also the added benefit that it actually compliments remote working. In an era when geographical flexibility is become more and more feasible (and attractive), technology that facilitates it is a must. Cloud-based technology empowers remote workers. Cloud platforms allow for remote accessibility of key information and helps enable collaboration.

Why use a Cloud platform?

What makes cloud platforms so attractive for medium sized businesses is that they work to enable growth within an organisation by eliminating the need to focus on time consuming and potentially stressful concerns such as security, maintenance and backup. Cloud computing means that professionals can rest easy and concentrate on what matters, knowing that  IT support is ready and on hand when it is needed.

If you’re in the market for a cloud platform, there are a few things you should consider before investing:

Which cloud services are you likely to require in the long term?

Understanding which types of cloud services that they provide will obviously be important. But you shouldn’t just look at these services from the point of view of what you need right now. Consider what services you are likely to need further down the line when growth permits. You may be able to find a provider who offers these services as add-ons. For example, basic data storage is great but is there a chance you may require cloud computing services such as virtual networking infrastructure in the future?

How easy is setup for your needs and what level of customer service can be expected?

An easy setup process should be desirable for any cloud service. The ability to easily configure your account for your organisation is essential. Customer support should be first rate as you will be trusting a substantial amount of your data with the platform. Be sure to understand and acknowledge the level of technical support alongside the average response time for customer service.

Do they have a poor history of downtime?

Cloud outages are not only disruptive but they can also be very expensive. Cloud providers that repeatedly experience periods of inaccessibility should be avoided, so be sure you know the downtime history of each cloud provider you consider.

How is security monitored and measured?

Clearly security should be top priority for you, as it should also be for the cloud provider. Be sure you know where the data centre is and how safe and protected it is. Take time to read and understand the supplier’s security standards for customer access and privacy.

How do the company address potential data losses?

This is a worst case scenario, but you need to know how the issue of data losses will be rectified. What systems/agreements do they have in place that mitigate the risks of data loss and how would they compensate for data losses? Ensure you ask questions about what provisions are in place to mitigate against potential data loss as this has major implications for the ability of your business to continue trading should such a loss be incurred.

Reasons to consider remote working

More and more companies have workers who work remotely. Now more than ever, organisations are embracing the benefits of remote working for their employees and their company. It enables workers a greater level of control over how they work and increases their motivation and job satisfaction. This in turn leads to an exponential increase in productivity rates. However, many companies are still averse to offering employees the flexibility to carry out their tasks in flexible geographic locations. So, what are the reasons to consider remote working?

Remote working enables employees to be flexible about where they carry out their day to day duties. Whether employees decide to skype into the office from a remote desert island or their bedroom at home, it makes little difference so long as they have an active internet link and can access the files and applications which they require to do their job.

When we talk about remote working, it’s important to note that we are not necessarily talking about a finite thing. Sometimes remote working means being permanently away from an organisation’s headquarters, whereas in other cases it may just mean working from home once or twice a week.

Remote working is a big topic of conversation right now, because of the development of cloud based software enabling remote workers as much functionality at home as in the office. Moreover, project management and task tracking software also monitors key deliverables.

Encourages good communication

Remote working has been shown to actively encourage better communication between employees. Working remotely out of the office doesn’t mean that employees are not in contact with one another. On the contrary, remote workers often make a concerted effort to be available and are able to do so by connecting via phone, skype, email and other messenger options and chat apps. Such communication may not occur so naturally whilst in the office.

Results in happier workers

Choice, freedom and flexibility for workers to choose where and how they want to work results in happier workers. Being able to work flexibly is something that employees relish. Organising your own workflow and work-life balance is something which leads to higher productivity levels.

Reduces employee stress

Remote working gives employees more freedom to work to their own timetable, reducing stress levels by working at their own time and pace. This has a knock-on effect to the total business and by reducing stress and unhappiness in the office, it also leads to an overall improvement in office health and wellbeing.

Reduce office costs

Remote working also frees up office space and reduces energy usage. As a result, companies are free to invest this additional capital into other business activities, such as marketing and recruitment of new employees who can take advantage of the free desk space.

Cloud services are now a no-brainer. Our cloud solutions and managed IT support services are complemented by unrivalled customer care. We help you create an infrastructure where remote working across technology can be easily maintained.