Some of our customers have been asking how we’ve been working throughout COVID-19.
Working from home or remotely is something we’re well-versed in and encourage our staff to do when they need to.
If you’re new to this way of working, here are some things to consider.
1. Digital Tools
The first thing to do is to make sure your staff are equipped with the devices and apps they need to work remotely. Laptops, smart-phones or maybe even tablets are generally a must, and of course good quality internet access is a necessity these days. You might also want to think about whether you need to use your device outside of a WiFi area, in that case consider choosing devices that can take a SIM card.
2. Data
Some of your team may be able to rely on their home WiFi to connect to the internet, while others may need to rely on their mobile data for work. An Endless Data Plan* means your team will never run out of data. They can also hotspot their phone data to other devices like laptops or tablets. You could also consider a Business Team Plan as a cost effective way to get each of your team on an Endless Data Plan*.
3. Cloud
You can make business-critical documents accessible on any device by using the cloud. For example, Microsoft Office 365 allows your team to access it on devices from anywhere using. the internet, or Google Drive offers a free way for your team to share documents so multiple people can work on them. When moving to cloud based software, you may want to first do a test with everyone working from home at the same time. This will include checking the quality of your internet speed, the devices you use as well as the type of cloud software.
4. Security
Wherever you decide to work, it’s important to be mindful of security. Public WiFi may not be safe, and free online apps can be risky. Before your team uses online apps or programmes, advise that they only use the apps for low-security projects (i.e. no customer data). If you’re concerned about security talk to your Vodafone Account Manager.
5. Enhanced Collaboration
While email, phone and text is great – some projects call for more enhanced collaboration. Self-isolating means person-to-person contact is out, so an all-in-one collaboration tool might just be what your business needs. It combines features like audio-conferencing, file-sharing, screen-sharing and instant messaging into one easy-to-use mobile phone application. So your team has the same accessibility from their phones as if they were in the office.