Is your data management helping or hindering your remote team?

By Andrew Carr, Managing Director, Camwood

Remote work, in some form, seems to be a lasting feature for many businesses. In fact, ONS figures show that between 5 and 30 June 2024, 11% of UK employees worked exclusively from home, while 28% adopted a hybrid approach. These arrangements offer numerous benefits, such as improved work-life balance and greater flexibility, but they also present challenges, especially regarding data security and access for remote and hybrid workers.

All too often, these data challenges are overlooked. Yet, addressing them is crucial for organisations to maintain efficiency, ensure compliance, and reduce the risk of data breaches. Let’s put them under the microscope.

What are the data management challenges of remote and hybrid work?

What are the chances that your organisation relies on Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive for storage, file-sharing and real-time team collaboration? Pretty high. Most eventually end up making the decision between the two platforms, depending on preference and third-party app integrations.

However, this can lead to various issues:

·??????? Document proliferation: Files are often emailed back and forth, each with different naming conventions, complicating data accessibility and version control

?·??????? Duplicated efforts: Continuous saving of duplicate files increases data storage costs and complicates management. 53% of businesses already struggle with duplicate CRM data, while 31% report that poor-quality data leads to at least 20% of annual revenue lost

·??????? Security risks: Sensitive information stored in multiple locations increases exposure to unauthorised access and data breaches. Recent studies show that more than 80% of UK businesses believe hybrid working increases the risk of data breaches, and nearly 23% cite hybrid working as their top data breach threat

·??????? Legacy systems: Many companies still use outdated systems not optimised for cloud storage, making integration with modern data handling practices difficult. The finance sector, in particular, has historically been slow to migrate from legacy systems and adopt cloud computing

·??????? Compliance issues: Legacy infrastructure makes it hard for businesses to comply with current security protocols, leaving them vulnerable to breaches and cyber threats

It’s more than a tech upgrade

All the challenges combined prompt the need for centralised data management solutions that make it easy to collaborate on shared datasets. Many medium to large organisations have central policies, but the real issue is enforcement. Often, policies are enforced only after a data breach has occurred, which triggers an audit. This approach points to the importance of proactive data governance to prevent breaches and ensure data security from the start.

Despite security measures like multi-factor authentication and secure VPNs, staff often lack awareness of proper data practices outside the corporate network. While tech upgrades and cybersecurity tools are crucial, ongoing education and awareness are equally important.

Organisations must ensure that staff understand the correct protocols for storing, accessing and sharing information securely to maintain data integrity and prevent breaches. Initial onboarding should cover data practices, but as businesses adopt new tools, it’s important not to let re-education slip through the cracks. Regular refreshers can make a big difference in maintaining security!

Simplify your data management with Camwood

Managing data in a dispersed workforce starts with gaining comprehensive visibility and understanding of your data landscape. Knowing the quantity, locations, classifications, access histories, and storage types of your data is crucial. By partnering with Camwood, you can streamline these processes and transform disparate and unstructured data into a cohesive, usable resource.

This approach enhances data accessibility and lays the foundation for advanced AI-driven applications. Implementing our managed data services allows you to establish robust data pipelines, enabling continuous utilisation and refinement of data insights. With Camwood, you can drive informed decision-making and maximise the value of your data assets in today's data-driven business environment.

Find out more about Camwood’s data services here.