Virtual working has never been more cost effective or easy to implement

How can you begin creating your virtual workforce?

A plethora of technological advances have put the possibility of creating a virtual workforce within reach for most companies.  No longer is the virtual workforce only relevant to international organisations or businesses that depend primarily on office-style working.

Technology which supports virtual workers can now be used by anyone.  This could be warehouse workers to wholesalers, from delivery drivers to directors, from consultants to contractors.  Technology allows access to crucial data and documents wherever the User is, whatever device they use to connect to it.

However, whilst the technology is now widely available, many employees continue to use existing and often outdated software.  This requires them to be in a physical place at a specific time to be productive.

Creating a virtual workforce and accessing the benefits it promises will require some investment.  Although this need not always represent huge up-front costs.  Many tools used to build a virtual workforce are provided as a service, meaning you pay a relatively low monthly fee for each individual licence.

So, what are the investments you’ll need to make to build your virtual workforce?

Equipment and hardware

While the virtual workforce can help you spend less money on maintaining Servers in your company’s buildings, you will still have hardware requirements.

First among these will be devices for ‘virtual’ staff.  You may opt for a policy that allows workers to use their own computers, laptops and tablets to access company data, but it may be more effective to provide your own tools for consistency and training purposes.

Additional materials

If some employees are spending much of their time in home offices, you may need to think about providing appropriate office chairs, desks, keyboards, headsets for voice calls and additional monitors, for example.  You will also need to consider broadband in their homes.  While internet connections are generally improving in the UK, there are areas where coverage is still poor.  You will need to investigate this for your area, and explore the costs of providing employees with the best service possible.

A central document storage and online hub

It will be essential to provide access to company data in the cloud.  Typically, this will require file storage, sharing and collaboration tools which allow virtual employees to access data from wherever they are working.

Effective enterprise mobile apps

Major enterprise IT providers offer their tools as apps which can be used online via mobile devices and laptops.  However, if you currently use any custom apps in the business, investigate how you can bring them online so that distance workers can access them.

Telecoms, video and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

Communication is central to virtual workplace success, and you will need to select a communications tool which supports this; allowing virtual workers to make and receive calls and communicate with colleagues regardless of location.

Security

Essential in any business but especially so when the workforce is accessing data from outside the office, you will need to decide on a security strategy.  Central to this will be the granting of permission levels and methods of authenticating the identity of employees accessing data from outside the office walls.  However, you should also investigate mobile device management tools which offer the ability to wipe all data from a device remotely in case it is lost or stolen.

While creating a virtual workforce may involve some upfront investment, the long-term benefits and ROI will outweigh any initial costs.  An immediate benefit is that you reduce your IT costs and end the need for expensive upgrades.  Instead, your service provider takes charge of hardware maintenance and you pay a much lower, scalable and predictable monthly fee.  Longer term, you provide staff with more flexible working that fits better around how they actually want to work.  This then encourages greater loyalty and higher productivity.

Ready to start your journey to virtual working? Get in touch with us today to find out how we can help.