Better leverage your Office 365 investments while working from home

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The outbreak and rapid spread of COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus, has prompted many companies to implement emergency work-from-home protocols to avoid exposure in the workplace.

Due to this many businesses now encouraging or even mandating that employees work from home amid this global health crisis over the coronavirus, millions of people can expect to have their daily routines and work styles impacted. But not everyone is accustomed to working from home and getting into work mode from a space that’s not your regular one can be a huge adjustment.

The bright side of working from home is that you save time on a commute, spend more time with family, and maybe get a few more things done around the house. But the challenges, including loneliness, staying connected, and a heightened penchant for distraction, can have a significant effect on your psyche and productivity.

If your company has never had a full-time remote workforce, this can be a challenging transition. However, thanks to modern technology, it's very possible for many employees to be as productive at home as they would be in the office, if not more so.

Here are some of common challenges:

  • Lack of direction from leadership team
  •  Lack of face-to-face supervision
  • Communications
  • Lack of access to information
  • Social isolation
  • Distractions at home

Here are a few essential tech tools you'll need to get through the virus outbreak. While you may already be using many of these tools, they may take on a new function and significance during this extended period of remote work.

Chat/Instant messaging

Communication within the team can be the biggest challenge when your workforce is remote. Chat software like Microsoft Teams allow seamless communication between individual team members, departments and the entire company. Different chat "channels" allow people to discuss work, brainstorm ideas and stay connected to each other throughout the workday. Many companies already use these instant messaging tools, but you'll want to encourage your staff to pay extra attention to their messages right now, as this will likely become the primary method of communicating during your quarantine.

Whether you’re relegated to working from a spare bedroom, coffee shop, the library, or the lobby of your apartment building, Microsoft’s Office 365 has the tools you need to work anytime, anywhere, on any device. It has the same Office apps you've used for years, plus all the benefits of the cloud.

Video conferencing

Video meetings where the attendees can see each other's expressions and react to one another in real time can replicate the benefits of face-to-face meetings you would have had in the office. Video conferencing software typically includes screen-sharing capabilities, recording and live chat, which can add an extra layer of communication and understanding to your meetings. MS Teams can be used for this purpose as well.

Project Management

Keeping your team on track and maintaining everyone's regular workflows while you're all working remotely will require a top-notch project management tool. You can use MS project, project online or planner for this purpose.

Access to business documents

One of the challenges of working remotely is the lack of access to your company’s internal servers. You can use SharePoint online or OneDrive for business for this purpose. By moving all your files to the cloud, you ensure that your team has uninterrupted access to important documents, spreadsheets, presentations, videos and more. Plus, it's easier to collaborate in real time and avoid sending edited versions of documents back and forth.

Productivity and time trackers

When working from home, it can be easy to get off task — especially if employees are quarantined at home with their families. MS Planner can be used for this purpose. You can also extend PowerApps or Power Automate to track employee outputs.

Information flow from leadership team

Communions and direction from the leadership team is critical. Intranet can be used for this purpose to promote messages, news & directions. Quick intranet can be developed as part of SharePoint online using Modern Site to promote this. This will make employees at ease when seeing constant updates.

Prometix as a Microsoft Gold certified partner and certified O365 consultants (Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne & Perth), we have extensive experience in delivering Office 365 based solutions. We have also developed toolset that will migrate records from your legacy system to SharePoint without losing the digital continuity. For more information, please contact us from enquiries@prometix.com.au

 

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