The coronavirus revealed how many companies were unprepared for a pandemic, and remote working has become more important than ever. How can businesses prepare for another disruption?
First of all, having the infrastructure to support collaborative and video conferencing capabilities will be essential. This is particularly important as in the future, remote working will become a bigger part of the workforce and companies will need to be able to meet the needs of workers who continue to do so. On-site server-based video conferencing is limited to specific conference rooms, so moving towards cloud-based solutions is a good first step in supporting remote workers.
Physical meeting rooms will also need to be rethought as physical distancing requirements will likely be in place for the time being. Including stricter cleaning measures in shared spaces and encouraging workers to keep their distance from each other.
Managing a secure workplace when remote working is also important. Cloud-based systems are the most convenient tools for these workers, but they can also pose security risks. This means companies will need to use powerful VPN services, encrypting files, using secure communication channels and implementing guidelines for physical computer security.
The impact of our current situation is going to change how we work forever, so it is up to companies to prepare for future pandemics and the changing workforce.