In 2017, the work-from-home trend was on the rise, with nearly 8 million Americans working from home office spaces. With the current COVID-19 pandemic, that number has escalated as more employers are moving toward telecommuting to keep their businesses running smoothly.
Interestingly, many employees who began remote working during the COVID-19 outbreak will continue to work from home, even after the crisis has passed. A recent survey by Gartner shows that 74% of CFOs expect that they will continue to employ anywhere from 10% to over 50% of their current workforce in home offices.
As noted by researchers at MIT, as employers begin investing in the fixed costs associated with remote work, the more likely they are to continue supporting the trend.
For employers, having permanent remote employees lowers organizational costs, reducing real estate expenditures and the cost of on-premise technology. For employees, working from a home office provides a simplified, less hectic schedule; removes the struggle of a difficult commute, and can offer the benefit of increased productivity.
However, for both employers and employees, getting the most from the telecommuting experience means acquiring a set of work-from-home essential to provide connectivity, security, and the kind of boosted productivity that the remote work situation can provide.
Top 3 Home Office Essentials for a Productive Remote Workforce
Regardless of whether you typically employ freelancers or you’re managing work-from-home employees for the first time, you’ll want to ensure they have the tools they need for optimal productivity.
This begins with managing technology to ensure smooth collaboration and networking. With 92% of employees noting increased work satisfaction and efficiency when the right tech is present, employers looking to build momentum that drives revenue must concentrate on providing the right tools.
Putting the appropriate technologies in place helps employees manage time and keeps them motivated. In addition, 87% of CIOs find digitally empowered employees increased business revenue growth by 5% over a three year period.
Here are the basics your work-from-home office staff will need to streamline workflows and stay connected to the rest of your team:
- Multifunction Printers for Streamlined Workflow
While an updated computer is a given, your work-from-home staff will need several other accessories to facilitate connectivity, collaboration, and a smooth workflow.
In general, to produce digital or hard copy output, employees need access to a fax machine, copier, and scanner. Because home offices typically have smaller footprints, a multi-function print (MFP) device is the right choice for both operability and scale.
With the right MFP, your employees have access to high-resolution scanning functions, copier functionality, high-performance printing, and the ability to send and receive documents.
- Make Sure You Have Remote Access
Since communication is key for keeping productivity at a maximum, home office workers should not only have a virtual desktop to connect with the company’s internal server, but they need remote printing access as well.
To enable access to a virtual desktop, consider deploying software such as Microsoft Remote Desktop, Citrix, GoToMyPC, or one of the other over-the-counter options available.
For remote printing, choose a MFP that provides remote configuration capabilities: That is, the home office settings can be configured to mirror your office network for seamless communication.
- Provide Easy Access to Necessary Data
Another critical issue for the work-from-home office is secure access to mission-critical data, an element easily provided through cloud networking.
Through cloud access, workers can access contract, spreadsheets, and supporting data to facilitate fast response times and manage internal and external relationships. Coupling cloud access with an MFP will allow for rapid communication and fast turnaround for essential documents and projects.
With more SMBs being targeted by hackers, companies must ensure that their cloud networks and the accessories that access them have security safeguards in place to protect sensitive data.
Today’s MFPs offer essential management features including cloud print abilities and dynamic security features to keep the home digital environment — and your company’s data — secure.
Let James Imaging Turn Your Home Office into a Productivity Hub
Make sure your Wisconsin-based work-from-home office staff are well-equipped to keep your business operating at full capacity with options from James Imaging.
We offer a variety of MFPs that make the most of a flexible work situation by providing remote employees with the options they need. Using our desktop printers or MFPs, your remote staff will enjoy uninterrupted service, a seamless connection to office-based staff and customers, and the functionality of full-size office tech in a home-office-friendly footprint.
Ready to ramp up the productivity of your Wisconsin-based work-at-home staff? Contact the experts at James Imaging Systems today!