The mass shift to remote work has revolutionized business environments worldwide. According to Forrester, the remote workforce at the end of 2021 was predicted to be three times the pre-pandemic level. Furthermore, close to 75% of professionals expect remote work to become commonplace.
The Anywhere Operations framework is a people-centric and location-independent model embraced by many businesses and organizations across the world. Now that remote work is here to stay, companies are focusing on how to optimize that experience for their teams.
The Anywhere Operations model grew in popularity simply due to the fact that employees can be located anywhere, while serving customers everywhere.
Here are the key investment areas to budget by in order to ensure a smooth transition to this work-from-anywhere model.
The Key Budget Areas for Anywhere Operations
Transitioning to Anywhere Operations requires a series of investments in these critical areas:
1. Workstations & Devices
While some companies use a BYOD approach for their telecommuting and remote workforce, it is accompanied by cybersecurity risks. Some of these risks include inappropriate device use, data theft, malware, and shadow IT.
The best approach is to invest in business premium workstations and mobile devices. Doing so will help to secure your network access points and improve your company’s cybersecurity posture.
2. Secure Remote Access
With your staff working from anywhere, it’s critical to budget for safe remote access. You should provide a VPN connection that's optimized for Anywhere Operations and also encourage your employees to:
- Avoid public WiFi
- Use password-protected home WiFi
- Use a wired connection
- Use a 4G/5G connection to enjoy advanced encryption for greater security
3. Security Awareness Training
Switching to an Anywhere Operations model means building your organization’s cybersecurity culture in ways that appropriately match the challenges of remote environments. One aspect of that process includes Security Awareness Training that should explore topics such as:
- Social Engineering
- Phishing Attacks
- Passwords & Authentication
- Mobile Device Security
- Cloud Security
- Secure WiFi Use
- Internet & Email Use
4. Employee Experience
While you provide the right tools and online environment for your staff to work from anywhere, that’s not all that will be required to support your teams. Remote workers often feel disconnected from their teams and organizations, especially without a common watering hole or break room to experience face-to-face connections. Set aside a percentage of your budget for social events and outings to increase a sense of belonging and boost staff morale.
5. Cloud Collaboration Tools
Your remote workforce will need cloud-based tools for seamless collaboration. Tools such as Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, and Slack help your remote workers to stay connected and collaborate on projects in real-time. Any spending on these collaboration tools are guaranteed to yield a high ROI.
6. Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP)
Investing in contactless interactions, such as zero-touch provisioning (ZTP), eliminates manual IT configuration before deployment. ZTP empowers your remote workforce to initiate the setup of secure network devices themselves. You should also explore other types of automation that will help you reap the rewards of your Anywhere Operations.
7. Customer Engagement
A crucial element of Anywhere Operations is identifying investments that tailor your products for the virtual space. You should adopt a mobile-first responsive design for your online platforms to enhance user engagement. It also helps to build sales funnels that align with these platforms. Secure, on-demand access to your company’s offerings improves the customer experience and sales conversions.
8. Dedicated IT Support
Finally, choosing the Anywhere Operations framework requires investing in the right IT personnel and tools. Your teams and customers should be able to get effective tech support when needed.
Having on-demand IT support will increase employee morale and productivity, enhance customer engagement, improve your sales volume, and boost your company’s performance.
Implementing Anywhere Operations
The new normal for the world of work is Anywhere Operations. Are you ready to optimize your work from anywhere experience? Net Friends can help! Our suite of services will equip your teams with the required infrastructure and tools to work remotely while increasing productivity and efficiency. Contact us today to enjoy the advantages of Anywhere Operations, increase your profit margins, and grow your market share.
WHAT TO READ NEXT:
- 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Adopting Anywhere Operations
- 18 Questions to Ask When Adopting Anywhere Operations
- Is Your VPN Solution Optimized for Anywhere Operations?
