One year of WFH: what have we learned?

Published: 26 March 2021
Published: 26 March 2021

On the one-year anniversary of working from home, we’ve taken the time to look back at the lessons we’ve learned over the last year (aside from perfecting our banana bread recipe), and put together a list of key technological considerations to help businesses future-proof their operations!

Lesson 1: Aim for adaptability

Many businesses faced the challenge of having to switch to remote working at short notice, and not everyone had the technological capabilities in place to seamlessly switch to operating remotely. From sourcing equipment, to safely accessing servers, numerous businesses struggled with the sudden need to change their operational processes.

At Infuse we ensured our clients had everything they needed to seamlessly transition to remote working and continued to support them throughout the pandemic. It is imperative that businesses future-proof for the new working world, where remote working is here to stay, by leveraging technology to remain as agile and functional as possible.

Lesson 2: Have a resilient security strategy in place

The pandemic amplified the importance of having a cyber-security strategy in place across all sectors, with research revealing that 92% of businesses reported a spike in cyber-attacks in 2020. When the COVID-19 crisis saw more of us working remotely than ever before at short notice, security flaws and exposed systems were also more at risk, as workforces used their own devices and lacked proper training when it came to all things cyber-security.

By correctly investing in cyber-security and educating employees, businesses can be better equipped to put measures in place to protect systems, data and users. The trouble is, for a lot of businesses cyber-security is relatively uncharted territory. That’s where we come in…take a look at our security services here which cover disaster recovery, business continuity, and security auditing.

One of the major takeaways from the pandemic is that remote working is here to stay, so businesses need to brush up on their security strategy as a key part of their COVID-19 response. Businesses should also consider making the switch to cloud-based applications and software so staff can access what they need, and work safely from anywhere.

Lesson 3: Put plans in place for business continuity

Back in 2019, if someone had told us that there would be a global pandemic which would see a worldwide shortage of loo roll, baking ingredients and handwash, we’d have struggled to believe them. Although those events were impossible to plan for, proactively planning ahead to ensure business continuity is something businesses can prepare for – even in the event of the completely unexpected.

Pre-COVID-19, a lot of the focus on business continuity was around regularly backing up data and having disaster recovery plans in place and although these are imperative to businesses, the pandemic has taught us that business continuity planning should be flexible and comprehensive enough to keep you ticking over regardless of what challenges your organisation may face.

Lesson 4: Invest in communications

The popularity of communication platforms and video-conferencing software including Microsoft Teams and Zoom sky-rocketed when the workforce transitioned to working from home. Over the past year, these platforms have completely changed the way businesses, employees and industries communicate.

Initially, many businesses faced the challenge of training their staff on collaboration software and company-wide installations to keep functioning. With remote working here to stay in most sectors, another takeaway for businesses would be to correctly invest in improving their communications to keep connected, despite being far apart.

Investing in modern phone systems such as Teams Business Voice could also help businesses communicate internally and externally post-pandemic. The all-in-one communication unifies the way businesses communicate and is a cost-effective solution to outdated phone systems. Take a look at Teams Business Voice in action here.

Are you ready for the new normal?

Whether you’re unsure of what your business needs for the new normal, or you’re considering a complete digital transformation, Infuse are here to help with all your technology, support and IT strategy needs. Get in touch at hello@infusetech.co.uk to get started!

 

 

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