Before the widespread adoption of cloud technology, people used to be chained to their computers. If you were in a meeting at a client’s office, you had to take copious written notes, then type them all into your computer when you got back. Having people work from home wasn’t really an option due to all the difficulties with communications back and forth, which were mainly relegated to email only.

Cloud services have changed all that, transforming static office environments into those where people can easily work remotely with the ability to access their software and documents just as easily from home and on the road as they do at the office. This transformation has also made it possible for companies to hire remote workers.

With technologies like Office 365 and Slack, you can have a team that works from their home offices be just as connected and collaborative as if they were down the hall from each other. 70% of the global workforce works remotely at least once a week.

Companies, both large and small, have taken advantage of this new remote workforce capability and enjoying several advantages, such as:

– Lower overhead costs
– Improved productivity
– Fewer sick days & time off taken
– Ability to continue operating in the event of a power outage or local disaster

Examples: How Remote Working Can Benefit Your Business

Let’s take a look at a couple of real-world examples of how utilising the remote working capabilities of cloud applications can make a positive difference both on a personal level and company-wide.

Example 1: Transformative Meetings

John is an architect visiting a client to get details on some of the changes they need made to a commercial building renovation.

In the past that meant jotting down everything on paper and then having to scan in sketches and type notes in the company’s CRM program once he got back to the office in order to share them with his team. But his company recently began using Office 365 for its cloud capabilities, which has been saving him time and reducing errors when he can’t read his own notes.

While at the client’s office John takes out his tablet and brings up a new Word document. As he’s discussing changes with the client, he types in notes in real-time and uses the drawing tool with his stylus to create sketch notes that are instantly captured as electronic files. All these notes are automatically saved to his company’s OneDrive account as he’s crating them.

His client has an important color change, and he knows that production will need to know that as soon as possible, so he sends a quick message to the production supervisor via chat in Microsoft Teams with a link to his OneDrive notes. They have it before he’s even finished the meeting. Once he gets back to the office his notes and electronic sketches are right there waiting for him. He pulls them up from his desktop workstation and can continue on without having to spend valuable time transcribing his notes.

Example 2: Retaining Top Employees

Tracey worked for ACME Wrenches in the customer service department for over a decade and had become one of their most valued employees. Her partner recently was promoted, which meant a move to another city.

At first her boss was stressed wondering how they would ever replace her, then he spoke with his IT service provider and realized he may not have to. They set up virtual desktops for the office, which allowed everyone to access to their computers from any device, which meant the special software they used could also be accessed virtually. They also set up a team chat tool to improve office communications and allow for instant voice and video calls and transformed their phone system to cloud-based VoIP.

All these upgrades meant that Tracey could keep working for the company even after her move and was able to do everything she had done before just as effectively. ACME also realized that remote workers provided considerable cost savings and the ability to hire talent from anywhere was a big bonus, so they began adding more remote staff to their team.

The Advantages of Working from Anywhere

Once you’re able to access your work, and even your entire office, from any location, you realize just how many advantages cloud services can provide. Here are just a few of them:

– Easily access all your applications and files while traveling
– Lower your office space footprint and associated utility bills
– Never have to struggle with emailing files back and forth to yourself again
– Always have the most recent version of a document
– Reduce email overload with real-time team communications
– Improve time efficiency with less re-keying of information
– Quickly share documents and collaborate with colleagues

Get Help Transitioning Your Office for Anywhere Access

If you’re unsure where to start when it comes to taking full advantage of cloud solutions, Enable Technology can help. From assisting you with a cloud-based workflow to ensuring all your remote working connections are set up correctly, our team of experts can transform your office in no time.

Contact us today for a free consultation at 0333 77 22 123 or reach out online.