2020 was a year nobody’s going to forget. Some businesses didn’t make it and many of those that did are still recovering. The challenges and stresses that businesses experienced persist. Those include various issues relating to IT and how organizations are using business technology solutions to address new workplace realities. Let’s look at how some of these issues are likely to manifest as the year unfolds.
Where Work is Based
Until recently, remote working and working from home was not something most employers wanted to talk about. It was either frowned upon or largely ignored by many. Even where businesses permitted remote working, the proportion of the workforce who were able to take advantage of it was typically only about 20%. This all changed in 2020 as businesses were forced to adapt to remote working in order to keep going. Of those that could, some businesses switched fully to remote working.
This huge shift in working practices has thrown up its own challenges, including ensuring the safety of employees on the one hand and productivity on the other. With offsite working likely to continue for many in the months to come, these issues remain a concern for business owners. One thing that companies need to do moving forward is to ensure that effective security protocols and processes are in place. This is especially important when staff are using their own devices to carry out work. All businesses should consider implementing remote monitoring and management solutions, if they don’t already have them.
Burnout and Downtime
Remote work doesn’t necessarily impact negatively on productivity, and it can even improve it. But there are other negative forces that can erode productivity or contribute to downtime. These should be taken seriously by business owners, since clients expect uptime all the time. Anything less and the trusting relationship companies have with their clients can be damaged. After the damage of 2021, this trust should not be put at risk.
If staff are feeling the stress then they might not be able to deliver everything that clients want. Employees need some TLC in testing times. Fatigue, burnout and low morale, rather than strictly technical problems, can all contribute to downtime and decreased productivity. Make sure your staff are supported.
Balancing the Budget
Many businesses saw their budgets flushed down the proverbial toilet in 2020, and money is likely to be tight in the coming year. Ensuring value for money and good returns on investments will be especially important moving on.
Our prediction is that cloud services will be used more and more by businesses, as a cost-effective way of sourcing services and technology solutions so things operate smoothly. We also expect automation and similar tools, such as AI, to play an increasingly important role in business technology.
Your organization may be changing as it adjusts to the new normal in 2021. Quikteks can help you with the adaptation process in 2021 and beyond. To learn more about how our business technology solutions can benefit you, call us at (973) 882-4644 today.