We have seen a dramatic shift in the way organisations and their employees are operating due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As a follow up to the insightful article capturing shifts in our ways of working (Link here), this article considers how organisations can make use of the experience gained during these unprecedented times as an opportunity to help define their device strategy going forward.
Many businesses have grown accustomed to fixed desks and large physical infrastructure, using tools such as desktops, desk phones, network devices and on-site data centres. We have started to observe a shift away from these heavy infrastructures as more businesses adopt new ways of working. For example, hot desking and office wifi has separated the workforce from the need for wired connections, and WAN and cloud computing services have made working from home a more connected experience. However, the pandemic has highlighted a huge gap in certain industries that have historically been resistant to change as heavy infrastructure-based businesses are incompatible with the current climate.
The Industries Resistant to Change
Whether it’s call centre operatives being able to work from home, or field sales staff accessing real-time sales dashboards on the road – each organisation’s requirements will be unique based on the requirements of the workforce. Truly understanding that and shaping your digital workplace vision around these requirements can bring immense value to organisations.
The Drivers to Change
Organisational drivers such as cost savings or geographical growth should be considered too – deploying effective solutions can save on the number of desk space, it can also allow growth in different geographical areas quicker than planned, shifting operating models from business to remote enables more flexible working arrangements and also appeals to potential new employees in new regions.
Organisations now have an opportunity to test and define what their business and users require to ensure they thrive in a flexible environment, enabling effective collaboration and productivity. This ultimately adds real business value and is an opportunity to stand out.
The following should be considered when redefining operations:
- Profile the array of users within the business and their different needs
- Choose devices according to different user profiles to increase productivity and enable more collaborative work (e.g. smartphones and tablets)
- Investigate which devices and tools allow the user to work flexibly. This could also reduce costs (e.g. office space required)
- Investigate a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy to allow users to choose what works best for them
- Adopt an evergreen system which allows devices to be continually updated and patched, reducing the need for high cost, one-off upgrades
- Adopt cloud-based systems allowing users to access information and data at any given time regardless of location
- Implement a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to manage and remotely control devices within the organisation
- Security is key to ensure the devices are protected and, if compromised, a managed process is available to remove the device from the network
Last Piece of Advice
At Wavestone, we are committed to helping our clients adapt so that they are ready for the challenges and opportunities of a different, digital working world. If you would like to discuss any of the points in this article, please get in touch.
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