The Office of the Future Arrived Early and Needs A Lot of Work

The Office of the Future is already here, and it needs a lot of work. COVID has been a good thing because it has helped people who work from home. But now, COVID has been a bad thing because jobs are not as secure. In remote cultures, the home office is like an extension of your company. It is like another part of it. But we haven't yet built that into our workplaces or made sure that people can access the tools they need within their homes or at public spaces like coffee shops.

For the most part, people had not considered it in such terms previously. Certainly not to the extent that we have to now.

Setting aside venture capitalists and long-time teleworkers/freelancers, the typical home office and remote IT setup is as technically capable as a cube-farm from 2005. In a second, I'll explain more about it.

If you asked the average company's leadership the following questions:

1. Do you want your teammates to be able to perform at their full potential?

2. Do you worry about your workers and client data?

3. Overall, do you have a firm grip on things and high expectations?

Not a single self-respecting leader would respond to any of those queries with "no." But consider it from the perspective of a typical front-line worker's home office environment at the moment:

1. Tools' accessibility and useability

Which apps are they using? Who's supposed to be using them? Do they have everything they need? If they don't, how quickly can they get it in a way that is efficient, secure, and traceable? For most businesses, On a yearly basis, you simply need to purchase licenses as they become necessary and then inform the CFO at the end of the quarter. This has become a problem for a long time. It costs money and is not safe.

2. System performance is predictable

Some people live near a great ISP, while others do not. Some are unaware of what they have or could have. Almost no one has a business-grade router. Add in the computer, which is often used for personal computing as well as work – does it have regular system maintenance? The network and the computer management must be totally redesigned in a WFH scenario.

3. Collaboration

Replacement of in-person contact means employing externals, digital whiteboards, cameras, smart keyboards, and other technologies. To be the cultural glue of your firm, you must first become well-versed in certain aspects of your craft. Do you know what you need? Is it possible that everyone at your company knows absolutely what to do and how to improve? Has this been implemented in a cohesive way?

If you think that remote work will continue to grow in popularity, then the idea of a home office being an extension of your business (and therefore) your duty must stick.

The office at the home of the future should be built upon a few fundamental ideas:

Near-seamless production of work, free from technical problems and business risk.

1. Apps are installed, updated, and patched automatically and/or semi-autonomously as needed.

An app is accessible on-demand to a team member through automation. We developed an excellent self-service tool on JAMF and will release a similar one for Windows shortly.

2. Performance and security of laptops

The computer must be in good operating condition and operate effectively, and if it isn't, a remote assistance technician needs to repair it as soon as feasible. It's critical that users can access and use all of the devices from a single location. We automated JAMF and Kaseya deployment at Electric, creating a centralized management console so that even a non-technical individual can manage hundreds or thousands of devices.

3. Network / ISP performance

The majority of businesses want to do more with less, and IT departments are no exception. With a few minor changes and adjustments, you may streamline operations using virtualization technology to manage hundreds or thousands of home networks from one location. We're developing a common WFH IT Infrastructure at Electric, which consists of a relatively inexpensive business router that can be dropped delivered to someone's house and set up in minutes.

4. Peripherals

Standardize all office from home peripherals, including shipping and installation. "Just get a second monitor" may seem easy, but there's more to it - a designer and a salesperson require different monitors. Is there a digital whiteboard? What's your strategy for hard phones and softphones? Explain what you mean by that. There's a lot to consider!

The future of work has arrived early. It's either really cool or not so great, depending on who you ask. You're most likely in it right now. Perhaps a dog farted under your desk, or a youngster requested an iPad of you.

The idea is that the 'new' office, like any other part of your business, begins with properly utilizing IT as an enabler for your staff. It begins with a fundamental reconsideration of IT and the definition of "office" from the bottom up.