Working from Home Series: Getting Started

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Is it Possible to Work from Home?
• The Benefits of Adopting a Work from Home Policy
• Conclusion
• Disclaimer

Introduction

These are challenging times for everyone as we try to do our civic responsibility by staying at home to flatten the COVID-19 curve, but at the same time try to keep our society and our world functioning.

Many of us who work in the Software & IT Services industry are very used to working remotely, whether from home or from a client location or while on the road, even for extended periods of time. Therefore, my friends/colleagues and I wanted to share our experience with you all, especially Small and Medium Enterprises, in the hope that it will help you, in these trying times, to join the telecommuting ranks. I thank them for their contributions to this article.

Other Articles in the Series:

• Quick Start Guide for Employers
• Primer for Employees

Is it Possible to Work from Home?

The most fundamental question is whether your business can function using a Work from Home model. The short answer is “Yes”, albeit a qualified yes. In most cases, the answer might be a partial yes, where some aspects of the business can be conducted and managed remotely but not others. A fuller answer depends on a number of factors such as,

• The Nature of Your Business
• The level of automation both in the front-end (customer facing) and back-end (process)
• The accessibility of your IT infrastructure
• The IT literacy of your company
• The hardware and software supplied to your employees

… which we discuss in detail further below.

Shared Services 

When talking of a “partial yes”, the Shared Services functions in most organizations can be driven remotely 80% of the time, assuming the IT infrastructure is in place. For example,

• Finance. Almost all finance functions short of physical audits can be performed remotely.
• Human Resources. Practically all the administrative aspects of Human Resources Departments can take place remotely including hiring, meetings with staff, providing updates to management, etc. There are of course times when physical interaction helps such as building rapport with employees. 
• Information Technology 
• Outsourced Help Desk  

The “Can Do” Attitude

Ultimately, the ability to adopt a Work from Home policy will depend on how willing your organization is to make the necessary changes to your business model to derive the benefits of a work from home model, and how employees rise to the challenge.

Often times the first step to moving to the digital realm could be by using simple, easy-to-use tools and progressively moving to purpose-built systems. For example, using simple collaboration tools to interact with customers and partners like WhatsApp and Google Forms, as has been done in the recent past by many vendors.

It should also be stated, that the changes required to your business model and the corresponding IT infrastructure can very likely increase the efficiency of your organization, reduce costs and open new sources of revenue. 

The Nature of Your Business

The nature of your business can be defined using attributes such as,

• The types of products or services provided by your company  
• The types of customers and partners
• The level of interaction needed with customers and partners in order to provide those products and services
• Extent of outsourcing and partnerships for core business functions

A few examples are listed in the table below,

Extent of Automation (or Digital Transformation)

The current level of automation both in terms of front-end (customer facing) and back-end (production, operations) activities determine how quickly you can transition to a WFH model. The more that your operations are driven using technology accessible over the internet, the easier it is to manage it remotely.

Accessibility of IT Infrastructure

The ability to access your IT infrastructure remotely in a secure manner is a critical component of moving to a WFH model. This could be through a combination of approaches that include,

• Software hosted on on-premise hardware accessible over Virtual Private Network (VPN)
• Software hosted on Public Cloud such as SaaS offerings like Salesforce or WorkDay accessible over the Internet (HTTPS)
• Software hosted on Private Cloud or Private Data Centers accessible over VPN or Internet (HTTPS)
• Any combination of the above, i.e. Hybrid Cloud

Note: VPN connectivity can be over the Internet or via dialup numbers.

Alternatively, you can make a conscious decision to make your IT infrastructure accessible, e.g. by using Cloud Services Providers, SaaS software, etc.

IT Literacy

The level and extent of IT knowledge across your employees is a key factor in terms of speed to adopt a Work from Home policy. There are a number of tools that employees will need to use to master the world of WFH, e.g. a shared file repository like DropBox.

The good news is that knowledge gaps can be quickly and easily addressed through training, guidance and support that is readily available online.

For example, here is a link to Microsoft’s Digital Literacy Course.

Hardware & Software

The hardware and software supplied to your employees will also determine whether you can immediately start working from home or can start WFH with some challenges or need to put the equipment in place to do so.

For example, at minimum an employee will need a smartphone with a reasonable data package to be able to WFH. Ideally, employees will have a smartphone and a laptop with a good data package. The cost savings from a WFH policy can potentially offset these costs.

The Benefits of Adopting a Work from Home Policy

5 Key Benefits to Employers

1. Business continuity

That is the ability to keep the business functioning when unforeseen events impact the running of your organization. For example, during times of crisis like COVID-19, which has forced employees to either work from home or follow strict protocols.

2. Employee happiness and wellbeing

Providing flexibility to employees to work from home can be a key contributor to an engaged, positive (higher morale) and loyal workforce (lower attrition). There are many reasons why employees may prefer to work from home at least for a few days a month, which may include,

• Taking care of their loved ones while getting work done
• Avoiding long commutes on a daily basis, which time can be put to more productive use and results in less stress
• Helps take on shift work like night-shift for support roles

3. Increased employee productivity

There are many reasons for an increase in productivity,

• A happy employee is a more productive employee
• Elimination of the commute will result in more available time and less stress
• Greater flexibility in work times to engage with people from other time zones

4. Reduced expenses (improved bottom-line)

A lower number of employees in office means that there is less consumption, which translates in to cost savings that include,

• Reduced energy consumption, e.g. lighting, air-conditioning, electricity consumed by computers, laptops and mobile devices
• Reductions in sundry expenses for office supplies and in-office employee conveniences, e.g. paper, pens, food and beverages
• Transportation savings. Where companies provide transportation services or recompense transportation costs, there is a reduction in costs when employees work from home.
• Reduction in property rentals/leasing costs. There is an opportunity for employers to opt for “hot desks” or “shared desks” instead of permanent stations for every employee. This reduces space requirements and corresponding leasing and rental costs.

5. Positive impact on the carbon footprint of the organization

The numerous reductions in energy and resource consumption can have a positive impact not only on the company and the employee but also on the environment.

5 Key Benefits to Employees

1. Work-life balance

Better manage both your work commitments and obligations to your family. For example,

• Ability to take care of a loved one whilst attending to your work
• Engage with customers and colleagues in other time zones
• Lower your stress

2. Reduced costs

Lower your overall monthly expenses in a number of ways,

• Work further away from your workplace in less costly regions (lower rent or property prices)
• Cut down on your transportation costs
• Reduce your food bill

3. Get more time back; Be more productive

Save time as well as use time more productively. For example,

• Reduced commute both ways will save most people at least 60 minutes
• Cut down on unproductive meetings and other time consuming activities that are ubiquitous in an office environment
• Focus better, in a relaxed setting, on the work at hand

4. Work for the company of your choice without physically relocating

The ability to work for a larger company or a company in a specific field of interest that supports remote working means that you don’t have to uproot yourself away from your family and friends, and way of life.

5. Better for the environment

There are many reasons why working from home is better for mother earth,

• Reducing your commute lowers carbon emissions
• Eating from home reduces the amount of food and disposable waste

Other Articles on Benefits to Employers and Employees

• Why Working From Home Is Beneficial for the Employer and Employee
• 20 Reasons to Let Your Employees Work From Home
• Is It Time to Let Employees Work from Anywhere?
• A Guide to Managing Your (Newly) Remote Workers
• Why Smart Companies Connect Remote Employees With Local Activities

Conclusion

We see this series of articles as evolving and improving with time, in usefulness. Feel free to provide feedback in the comments below about,

• Other activities that you might want to do remotely and therefore want more information on
• Other tools you have used successfully and would like to share with others
• Any tips and tricks

… and we will do our best to update this series of articles.

Disclaimer

We are not promoting nor have any affiliations with any of the companies that provide any of the products mentioned above. Nor do we provide any warranties regarding any of the products, information or approaches mentioned in these articles. We are simply sharing our experiences and opinions in the hope that it will be of value to you and your company, especially at this point in time. Any action you take upon this information is strictly at your own risk.