When it’s time for offices to plan their post-pandemic office strategy, they’ll turn to IT professionals to help guide them through the process. A new set of technology is needed to assist with new hybrid office formats, and IT professionals will be tasked with determining what is best. This document serves as a strategy guide to help installers, resellers, and IT professionals create a network and communications structure for the hybrid workplace that fits their needs in order to keep a business and their workers productive.
Every business is different, and the way they may want to approach returning to the office will be different as well. Before deciding on the type of technology to use, it is important to understand exactly how businesses will handle their office transition. Some of your clients may already have a firm idea on how to do this, others may not. Below are suggested methods to understand a business’s remote work needs to help you create a better solution.
Break Down Remote Work Time by Department
One of the best ways to organize a business’s remote work needs is by department. The functions of a particular department within an office deployment will typically determine how much onsite or video collaboration has to happen between the coworkers within that department, and as a result it will also determine how often they will spend working remote. In turn, it may also determine how necessary video collaboration tools are for these teams. For example, an accounting department most likely will require very little departmental collaboration, as a result they may spend as little as 20% of their workweek onsite. On the other hand, a marketing team will most likely require greater levels of collaboration, meaning more onsite time or video conferencing software/hardware to help bridge that gap and push productivity.
Understand How the Business Works with Its Customers
The deployment that you create won’t only be impacted by how coworkers within the business work together, but also how the business works with its customers. As remote technology and collaboration have become the new norm, collaboration with customers has begun to shift to a virtual space. Video conferencing technology is a crucial tool in this aspect. According to research by Lifesize2, 90% of survey respondents felt that video conferencing makes it easier for them to get a point across. Another 89% say that video conferencing reduces the time required to complete projects and tasks. If a business requires customer interaction beyond simple email, providing workers with the ability to work in a video conferencing space will help drive productivity and close projects faster. This may take the form of cloud conferencing solutions, room-based video conferencing, and personal collaboration devices.
Step 2: Leverage Technology to Meet Department Needs
Prior to the pandemic, the technology has been out there to help create productive remote work and virtual collaboration environments that help workers excel. The trend of remote work has only been catapulted by the pandemic as businesses have learned the wide variety of benefits that come with remote work. According to a study by Global Workplace Analytics3, “56% of the U.S. workforce holds a job that is compatible (at least partially) with remote work.” Additionally, UC Today4 reported that the remote workforce increased by 140% between 2005 and 2019, that number has only been increased in 2020. Once the dust settles, we are expected to see businesses permanently adopting remote work and hybrid workplace practices, along with the technology to support them.
Organizing Software and Hardware Technology by Type
For a hybrid onsite and remote solution, there are several categories that products should be organized into. Following is a brief outline that should be used to determine the hardware and software that will be utilized both onsite and remotely in the deployment. Cover this list of devices with your client and then begin structuring the technology department by department. For a more detailed look into available solutions, check out our blog post here.
1. Desktop IP Endpoints
Desktop phones and video phones will always play a part in the workplace. Likewise, desktop devices may be needed for users who are frequently operating remotely and require access to advanced telephony features out of a home office. Advanced solutions, such as Grandstream’s IP phones, can support the same extensions and features on multiple devices for a seamless experience whether in the office or
at home.
2. Room-Based Video Conferencing
Video conferencing and collaboration has already taken a bigger role in project coordination between teams and customers. In a world where both customers and coworkers will frequently be geographically separated, a room-based device will be necessary to connect those in the office and those working remotely.
3. Cloud Video Conferencing
Video conferencing solutions have taken major strides within recent years. Originally only providing a place to simply see each other while you speak, cloud conferencing platforms now offer a virtual meeting space that anyone can come together in to collaborate. They frequently provide productivity driving tools such as interactive document/presentation sharing, Q&A features, virtual whiteboards, screen sharing, video sharing, and meeting recording. All of these features come together to make the experience as efficient as one held in-person.
4. Personal Collaboration Devices
Lastly, devices such as personal webcams and headsets can help a worker present themselves more professionally and stay more productive. Many of these devices can be taken in and out of the office, and paired with various hardware like laptops, IP phones, and even smartphones.
As an installer, reseller, or IT professional, the following steps you take are fairly similar to what you would experience from an entirely onsite deployment. Begin gathering details on desired features, needed SIP accounts/lines, and extensions, planning the backend network infrastructure, and allocating both hardware and software tools for workers. Grandstream offers a full portfolio of communication and video conferencing solutions that enable you to easily create an integrated hybrid solution, all under one brand. Follow the links and learn more about our various solutions.