As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, many companies had to reinvent themselves and make rapid shifts at a moment’s notice to their business models as more employees began to work remotely.
This sudden and unexpected shift to a remote workforce challenged companies everywhere to develop new ways for employees to stay connected and productive, while at the same time protecting vital business data from online threats.
While the world waits for some resolution to the pandemic, it’s predicted more people will continue to work remotely than ever before. Therefore, organizations that choose to focus on the needs of their remote workforce need to be well prepared for the future.
Fortunately, there are tools your business can use to manage and support a remote workforce. Microsoft 365 cloud-based service offers a full suite of tools and apps to support remote workforces to stay connected, unparalleled collaboration, and data security.
How does Microsoft 365 support remote work?
Microsoft built the modern workplace solution with the mission to “to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more”.
Thanks to the pandemic, that future is here – businesses of all sizes have adopted cloud-based technologies like Microsoft 365 to support their remote working employees to connect, collaborate, create, and achieve with productivity tools such as Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive.
There are very real challenges for businesses and managers when enabling remote working for employees. This is particularly true when it comes to the hybrid working models we will see more of in the future – when staff spend a certain amount of their work hours on-site in the office. Some of the main concerns about remote working can be solved by Microsoft 365 and include:
Security
Often the first concern about cloud-based services is: how safe are your files, collaboration, and communication from security breaches, and are they compliant? Microsoft 365 has built-in security features, to ensure data and resources are as secure as can be. Many of these features are not on by default and need configuration and security know how to set up. A managed services provider with expertise in Microsoft solutions can support your company to ensure these features are set up to protect your business data.
Collaboration
It can be challenging to envisage how productivity is possible when employees are separated or out of the office. Managers can ensure their staff have access to the tools and information that allow work to happen virtually anywhere from the cloud. With SharePoint you can create automated workflows, store all the files your team needs, and integrate with other tools such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint for online collaboration.
Communication
People work better when they can bounce ideas, talk through processes or problems, or need to check in with colleagues about something. Having a strategy in place to make the most of the tools in Microsoft 365, to keep employees focused, productive, and in touch. Isolation and social loneliness can be an issue for some staff, so video and chat through Microsoft Teams can be organized for both work and more informal catch ups.
Task management
To stay engaged and productive, employees need to know what they’re doing, by when, and who is in charge. The Tasks App in Microsoft Teams helps build a plan, assign tasks, and set deadlines, taking ownership of workflow. It allows managers to track the progress of each project, avoid potential delays, and enhance productivity.
Control
To keep business data safe, you need to have oversight of what your employees can see and use. With Microsoft 365, you can manage user devices, security settings, define allowed apps, and enforce compliance with security requirements. This protects your business data and allows employees to work effectively, without fear the network is exposed to hackers and data breaches.
Scalability
More than ever before, businesses need to be agile and flexible. Whether it is having the ability to increase the number of employees on a permanent or temporary basis or create remote workspaces that can be shifted as needed – scalability is paramount to enabling business success. Whenever an organization is in a growth phase, their existing technology needs to meet that demand. Having the productivity and collaboration tools of Microsoft 365 enables managers to rapidly and effectively meet the needs of their teams to achieve overall business goals.
As today’s world continues to advance into a new future for business, it’s important to ensure your organization can maximize the benefits of technology. Managing remote workforces doesn’t have to be a challenge with powerful resources like Microsoft 365.
As a certified Microsoft partner, Solzorro can deliver a seamless migration to Microsoft 365 and ensure your remote workforce stays productive now, and in the future.
