Let’s face it . . . 2020 was a crazy year and we were all hoping for a smooth start to 2021. After all, the COVID-19 vaccination process was underway; elections were behind us (well, mostly!); and we were all looking and hoping for a bit of normalcy. While the year didn’t start off as we had envisioned, there is still hope! Let’s focus on a few things we can control . . .
SECURITY has always been something that needs to continually evolve, but today it’s more complicated and important than ever given the remote access requirements that all businesses are now dealing with. Your environments need to be secured especially in light of new hacking and malware threats that seem to come out on a daily basis.
EQUIPMENT FOR REMOTE WORK is something every business should consider. Working remotely is becoming increasingly normal for many businesses, but while we had to move to remote work quickly, now is the time to take a step back and consider what’s working and what’s not. Is your team able to be productive with the setup it currently has? Do all team members have the right toolkit available to them? While many employees used their own equipment when working from home at the beginning, should this continue, or should employees be transitioned to hardware that the company owns and maintains? Ensure the hardware your employees are using is sustainable and what they need to maintain productivity as the work environment continues to evolve.
Also, make sure your employees are not dealing with connectivity issues. I often talk to people who have two adults and multiple children in a home – all on Zoom calls – and their internet can’t support that much bandwidth. Some firms are giving stipends to employees to get the right technology in place, and others are hiring IT services that go in, validate and improve home networks.
FINDING NEW EFFICIENCIES is increasingly important as we evolve in our workspace. I’m sure you’ve all considered why you’re using so much expensive office space when many employees are working from home – a trend that will continue even if at a reduced pace. So, if having expensive office space is a concern, what other options are available for gaining efficiency? You certainly don’t need a computer room within your office or even at a regional data center. Most firms are moving their infrastructure to the cloud. And if your systems are remote, why not also structure systems support, end-user assistance, training and all the other disciplines around effectively managing your IT environment that way? There’s been a trend for years to focus a firm’s efforts on their core competency – all other function can potentially be moved off-site.
So, while last year was a crazy one, let’s spend this year focusing on being as secure and productive as possible. At Keno Kozie, our IT experts can assist you with your firm’s technology needs. Reach out to us today to see how we can help.
