Cornerstone Business Solutions MD Chris Petty presents your remote-working checklist to ensure your team can continue to work as normal from home in challenging times…
Everyone knows the unprecedented and difficult situation we all now find ourselves in, but ensuring your employees can work from home can come in useful at any time.
We are all keen that we carry on driving our businesses forward and that means embracing remote working and datasharing on a scale that’s never been done before.
We have created a four-step checklist to ensure – as far as possible – it’s business as usual for you and your team:
1. Security
Protecting your business from cyber-crime should always be your biggest priority.
You’ve probably got security covered in your office already – all of your computers have anti-virus software, you use a secure virtual private network (VPN) and your data is stored away safely.
But if your team is working from home, you’re widening your exposure to potential threats. And cracks can quickly appear in your business’s protection.
2. Access to data
Another thing to think about is how your employees can access business applications and how your IT support company can access your server remotely.
For each department in your business, think of all the different applications that are needed and create a list like this:
| System | How do we access? | Who needs access | Actions / Options |
| Email/Office 365 | Online | All team members | Buy laptops for remote working |
| Documents | Individual devices and Dropbox | Account management team | Ensure all data is migrated over to SharePoint |
3. Home office set up
The obvious question is do your team have the right equipment and broadband capability? Most employees have desktop computers and may require laptops/tablets. You mustn’t also forget telephony systems.
If your team does require an internal phone system, you could consider Microsoft Teams (in Office 365) to minimise costs.
We do not suggest that you go out and buy everyone a desk and a chair.
But we do advise that you clarify with your employees what their home working environment is and offer support.
4. Communication, collaboration and management
There’s always the worry that employees are not as productive working from home. This is why clear communication, collaboration and management channels should be implemented.
This could be a great opportunity to look at current processes with a view to improving.
Things to be considered:
• Project management software
• Video conferencing
• Instant messaging/chat
• Reporting and time management
• Office 365 applications such as Teams, SharePoint, OneNote and Planner
Whatever your situation, with today’s technology, home or remote working isn’t as bad or as complicated as it sounds and we can communicate effectively.
At Cornerstone, we have implemented lots of remote working solutions. If you’d like advice, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Tel: 0845 223 2400
E: [email protected]
W: cornerstonebs.co.uk
