With North Texas Counties mandating that non-essential businesses temporarily close their doors, the options for converting office staff to remote employees is something many businesses will need to implement. To make the transition easier, here are a few steps that might help.
Plan for the Worst
Information about how long “sheltering in place” will last is kind of spotty. Some say two weeks, some say eight, others say plan for sometime in May or June for things to get back to a semi-normal state. With that in mind, plan for your workers to work remotely for the next few months. With any luck, it will be shorter but it’s better to be prepared for the worst and pleasantly surprised if it turns out to be shorter.
Client & Team Meetings – Video Conferencing
Free software like Skype, Zoom, Bluejeans, Viber, or FaceTime can really come in handy for meetings with office staff or clients. Choose one that suits your needs and budget and make sure your employees have the proper equipment (camera and microphone) and the chosen software installed.
Skype – Works on multiple devices and platforms, easy-to-use, screen share, free version.
Zoom – Online meetings, video webinars, training, and tech support. Affordable pricing, cloud-based, easy-to-use, free trial.
Bluejeans – Multiple options, real-time intelligence, meeting highlights and transcription, automated alerts.
Facetime – Great for Mac devices or group Facetime chats. Requires an Apple account.
Viber – is another free option for video conferencing and is available for Apple and Android devices.
Quiet Environment – Have your employees designate a quiet spot in their home for video conferencing. No barking dogs or chatty toddlers during meetings will help to maintain a professional appearance.
Cloud Storage
Provide cloud storage accessibility for all remote employees so that projects and daily work can be easily stored and accessed by management and other employees who are collaborating. Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive from Microsoft are good options with easy-to-use dashboards and sharing capabilities. Paid options are available in all these platforms that provide more storage space if you need it.
Dropbox – Synchronization, allows collaboration, action history, tight OS integration, mobile app available, easy-to-use dashboard.
Google Cloud Storage – Generous free storage space, productivity suite collaboration, desktop-to-desktop file syncing, cross-platform apps, lots of third-party integrations.
Microsoft OneDrive – Easy-to-use interface, mobile apps for Android, Mac, and Windows, integrated with Office 365, file sharing, document co-editing.
Box – With files scattered across different sharing tools, document management systems and storage infrastructure, enterprises face an impossible challenge keeping data secure, processes compliant and teams on the same page. Box is a single place to manage, secure, share and govern all of the content for your internal and external collaboration and processes.
Project Management
Keeping track of project status is more difficult without the option to check in person. For followups whenever you need them, try project management software. Most of these offer free options to get started and paid versions to add more features.
Asana – Manage goals, projects, and daily tasks. Set priorities and deadlines.
Monday – Set deadlines with Gantt & timeline views, mobile app, integrates with other tools
Trello – Flexible, easy-to-use, collaboration, organize and prioritize
Zoho Projects – Great value, in-depth analytics and reporting, robust functionality
Managing Contracts
There’s no reason to put off signing contracts. Contracts and agreements can be signed online and protected for privacy.
DocuSign – DocuSign is the most popular online contract management tool and comes with a free trial. Clients can sign anywhere from any device and you can store and access paperwork from your dashboard.
Agree – Create “lawyer approved” contracts and send for online signatures.
PandaDoc – Customize, negotiate, and eSign complex contracts online. Build with pre-approved modules and re-use.
HelloSign – Works easily with Dropbox which is a consideration is that’s your cloud storage option.
Scheduling
Staying on schedule in order to meet goals and get projects completed is a must. Try these scheduling apps to stay on track even when working remotely. Some of the project management apps also include scheduling options.
Toggl – Free time tracking app with options for paid plans. Works on iOS, Mac, Android, Windows, Linux, and Cloud access. Track your own or time for an entire team, set up reminders, integrate with more than 100 apps. Reporting provides an overview of how time is spent to help get teams more efficient.
Visual Planning – Collaborative and flexible planning and scheduling software. Track projects, jobs, tasks, customers, work orders, employees, and even equipment in a single tool.
When I Work – Straightforward scheduling software for hourly employees. Puts the time clock in everyone’s pocket. Free apps for iPhone and Android. Free for up to 75 employees.
Mac versus PC – Make Sure it Works
The key to making remote office workers productive is to make sure they have the tools and equipment that are widely compatible, easy-to-use, and meet standards for your business. Provide clear instructions.
Final Notes
There’s nothing easy about making it through a crisis but there are ways to forge ahead without having an even bigger crisis for your business. Be prepared, be flexible, be understanding, and enjoy the experience.
The tools you use to establish your remote workforce can continue to be used to move your company to cutting-edge technology that will streamline processes and make your post-pandemic business even more productive.
Once we make it through this crisis and can breathe a sigh of relief, it may be time to take a look at your office space. Do you need more space or less space? Could you use some of these remote worker setups to accommodate employees who move, want part-time remote work, or are interested in job sharing? RepublicRealtyAdvisors.com can provide valuable resources to help you navigate the next steps. From space planners to optimize the space you have to detailed, long-range planning, Republic Realty Advisors is your trusted advisor for buying, leasing, and planning.