Along with many other scenarios, COVID-19 highlighted how unprepared many organisations were when it came to quickly, effectively and securely transitioning workforces to alternate locations.
Businesses with employees working mainly from desktops were impacted the most. They faced the difficult task of either taking company owned desktops home, or relying on staff to work from their own personal home computers, and opening up the risk to Cyber threats.
While no one could have predicted the pandemic, there are critical factors that business leaders need to consider when reviewing their Business Continuity plans, post COVID- 19.
One simple consideration, which may have been previously taken for granted, is the IT hardware supplied to employees. Modern workforces need to be agile in order to remain productive, and often the use of desktop computers can hinder this. Historically, there may have been a preference for the powerful desktop computer, however, employee work preferences now lean towards modern and portable laptops.
The next time your organisation is due to procure new computers, we recommend considering the technology to support how your workforce is evolving:
As restrictions continue to ease and organisations begin to transition staff back into the workforce, experts predict that remote working is here to stay.
Forced lockdowns have allowed both employers and their employees to get a feel for just how productive and beneficial working remotely can be. We have learnt that remote work leads to higher levels of engagement, and we also know that more engaged employees are more productive. According to global analytics firm, Gallup, highly engaged workplaces have 41% lower absenteeism among employees, and 21% overall higher profitability.
In order for your employees to effectively continue to work remotely, and have office days when required, a laptop is a secure and portable hardware option to be able to provide flexibility around where it is your employees work from.
A strong business continuity plan needs to include hardware and systems in order to both prevent and recover from threats. While we would like to hope that a pandemic event such as COVID-19 is a once in a lifetime crisis, events such as natural disasters, burst water mains, or even something as simple as a power outage or renovations could require your employees to work from another location for extended periods.
Laptops are a natural choice when planning to minimise disruptions to the daily operations of your business. How many of your employees could pack and leave your office location within 5 minutes?
Whether you’re procuring IT hardware for new employees or replacing outdated equipment, it’s important to tick more than just the ‘workstation set up’ box. As an example, your Office Manager may have previously worked from a desktop computer at your reception desk. Thanks to cloud technologies, she may now work and manage your incoming call load via her laptop, and from her home office as needed.
Another expected post COVID-19 trend is that the mentality of ‘toughing it out’ and ‘never taking a sick day’ will not be applauded as it may have been in the past. Experts expect to see an increase in working from home until an employee has completely recovered from illness. Regardless of role, these are common examples of how businesses can benefit from ensuring their employees have the hardware needed to work from any location, and in any situation.
While desktop computers may have their benefits, they unfortunately are not built to support portable or roaming employees. A laptop however is purpose built to be easily packed and carried, with the full functionality of a desktop in tow.
Today, laptop processors have almost completely caught up to the power of desktop computers, and provide ample capacity for everyday use by employees. Laptops are also far more efficient than the traditional desktop, consuming up to 80% less electricity, with the ability to operate on third as much energy.
If you're uncertain of what hardware best suits your needs, contact us. Our Business Technology Managers (BTMs) and Presales team work together to provide solutions for you that best meet your needs now and into the future.
To give your organisation a competitive edge, call us today on 1300 307 907.