FOCUS FEATURE


FLEXIBLE WORKING


“Checking in and communicating with your people regularly is a big thing in the current climate. These are challenging times, but I think it’s important that people don’t panic and try to keep things as close to normal as possible. “The online communication tools that are available are


there to help. They might have taken some getting used to at first, but now people are getting used to them, they are becoming a way of life for so many people and firms. “When this crisis is over, I think we’ll see a lot of


businesses being more open to adopting a more flexible way of working and using these tools more every day. It just makes good business sense.” Technology has come a long way in a short space of


time. The advent of the cloud, superfast broadband connectivity, ecommerce and smart devices have transformed the way we do business and live our lives. The global economy is now 24/7, which makes being


able to stay connected with staff and customers critical to any business, regardless of size or sector. Ryan continued: “Technology has changed more over the


past ten years than at any other time and many firms are now waking up to what’s possible. “I’ve been working in IT for the past 15 years and while


there’s always been a way to work remotely, it hasn’t always been easy. When you look at what’s available now, some of the older technologies seem incredibly clunky and that probably had a big bearing on why so many businesses were reluctant to adopt them. “The big buzzword of the moment is collaboration, and


that’s what the latest technology enhances. “It means firms can communicate quickly with Skype,


Microsoft Teams or Zoom. “But the cloud also enables businesses to do things like


share files online and work on them together, in real time, so you don’t need all your people sitting around a table in the same office to make a project a success. “And when you think about what communicating with


your own colleagues might have looked like a few years ago, if you couldn’t do face to face, it would all have been done by phone. “But the new technology enables you to host virtual


meetings online, so you can see people while you are talking with them and share files. “It’s been a game changer and I think the current


situation has amplified not only how important the technology is, but the benefits it can bring to business of working in a more flexible way in the future.” In the current climate, security is more important than


ever. With more firms being forced to work remotely or dispersed, keeping systems and data safe and secure and protecting it against cyber attack is a big challenge. “One of the things that businesses need to consider in all


of this is connectivity and security,” Ryan continued. “Firms need a fluid approach that works and enables their people to connect to their networks from wherever they are. That’s the first thing. “The other consideration is how prepared businesses are


for this sort of situation. When the coronavirus first started to bite, we saw a mad scramble for things like mobile devices and laptops, but the market is running dry because everyone is chasing them.


“This is where good business continuity and disaster


recovery planning comes in, because the businesses which had planned for this, which had invested in all the right technology to enable them to keep running in emergency are the ones which were ahead of the curve and able to move to flexible working seamlessly and with minimal disruption. “The point here is that it’s OK having the technology in


place, but everyone using it has got to know how it works as well, so that when your business continuity plan kicks in, everyone is able to be up-and-running as quickly and as pain free as possible.” “Security is also a big consideration. If you have lots of


people working remotely, it’s about making sure their connection to your network is secure, using a VPN if possible. “It’s about making sure you're allowing the right level of


access and have things like multi-factor authentication in place to keep things as secure as possible. “And again, although the technology forms a key part of


this, it’s all about the common sense you apply to using it, making sure that you have the right policies and procedures in place and that your people have received the right level of training and know what’s expected of them.” With cloud technology being within the reach of even


the smallest firms, staying ahead of the curve in terms of what the future might hold is easier than ever, and is changing the way that most firms think about their investment in IT and technology. It’s an area that Ryan thinks more businesses should be


focused on. He added: “There are still businesses that have legacy


systems and infrastructure on site and just replace it as and when it breaks, but I don’t think you can afford to think like that in business anymore. “New technology can help firms become more efficient,


enhance productivity and ultimately save a business money in the long run, so businesses should always be looking at what they need to do to invest and improve. “Technology also moves so fast that it’s not just about


investing in a system for today, you’ve got to have a good understanding of what is coming down the line and take steps to try and futureproof as much as possible too. “Thankfully, advances in cloud technology have made it


easy to do that, because it means firms don’t need to invest in big on-premise infrastructure anymore. “They can have their data centre, their ERP software and


all their apps and collaboration tools stored in the cloud and access them from anywhere in the world. “And because most of these technologies are available


on subscription, it’s easy to switch or upgrade as new technologies come onto the market, to help businesses achieve even greater efficiencies.”


42 business network May 2020


‘The big buzzword of the moment is collaboration, and that’s what the latest technology enhances’


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