“Work from home is a continuation of the paradigm shift in digital transformation. The development of technology has now enabled the convenience of working and living under the same roof,” said Roldane Henry, Infrastructure Lead at MC Systems.
Working from home moved from imagination to reality for millions of businesses and employees in the global community. The seismic shift in how the world and businesses work requires agile adaptation and the right technological tools to survive and continue through and beyond disruptions.
The ideal suite of tools allows businesses to manage productivity, data, remote collaboration, payroll and inevitably, profitability.
Productivity Management
As businesses manage resources more critically and increase output efficiently, they are better poised to attain a high level of profitability. Digital Transformation introduces new technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and automation that allow businesses to execute tasks at a fraction of the time taken to complete these routine tasks manually. Less time being spent on routine tasks means cost savings for businesses based on reduced manpower costs and ability to reallocate human resources to revenue generating activities. As confirmed by US-based international management consultants Gartner, 69 per cent of routine work currently being done by managers will be fully automated by 2024. This means managers will be able to focus on strategic and revenue generating activities.
Henry’s advice? All resources should be available to employees whether by VPN, cloud-based collaboration tools or other network resources.
WFH Security and its ROI
Security solutions boast a plethora of benefits in preventing loss of data and driving revenue growth. As reported by Microsoft in February 2021, Azure Security Center records 219 per cent return on equity (ROI) over three years and a payback of less than six months. Microsoft’s Azure allows businesses which have undertaken remote work to secure multi-cloud workloads, shielding them against genius-level attacks. Businesses stand to mine increased financial benefits based on a 25 per cent reduction in the risk of a security breach, reduce time to threat mitigation by 50% and over US $200,000 in cost savings by reducing third-party security tools and services.
Traditionally, this level of protection in the industry was almost exclusive to larger enterprises. The sector focused on government sites, ports, mines and other complex organisations. Now, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) stand to benefit from a more secure experience while increasing customer engagement and the capabilities of management systems.
Storage
How does data storage influence the bottom line? According to Henry, cloud storage is likely to affect the bottom line since it is more cost-effective than on-premise solutions. Chief information officers (CIOs) are allowed to select the storage option they require based on cash flow, avoiding upfront payments and only undertaking costs for storage that they actually need. Some CIOs and chief financial officers (CFOs) lean more confidently towards having these costs recorded as operating expenses as opposed to paying for storage upfront, as a capital expense. This also allows businesses to scale their storage to the growth and demands of their business.
To unlock these massive savings, organisations will need to adapt to their data residing offsite, specifically, in the cloud. Modern integrations allow your business to decide which data centre your information is stored and which security type you employ.
Payroll Management
Employees working from home still expect to be paid promptly and seamlessly while receiving payslips and compensation related transactions and notices similar to when they are in office, but how does payroll directly affect a company’s profitability?
Payroll technology that can be accessed remotely aids profitability. Payroll solutions being in the cloud means businesses can convert to a digital workspace without incurring costs to move files and records, relocate security and server systems. This not only provides reduction in expenses but aids in surviving disruption and even natural disasters. Man-hours can be saved since tax calculations and compliance tasks are automated by payroll systems such as MC Systems BizPay Central.
Collaboration
Tools such as video conferencing allow businesses to continue communication without being in the same space. This allows companies to reduce the need for physical spaces, saving extensively on real estate and utility costs. Once the right security approach (such as encryption) is taken, virtual tools allow employees to execute tasks while maintaining business privacy for sensitive information and managing projects with insights, from a bird’s eye view. Several project management tools foster great collaboration, while providing savings on physical resources and actionable insights. Some remote tools that facilitate collaboration and cost savings include Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Monday.com.
The shift in the landscape has empowered businesses to become stronger and pivot, adapting to changes with a unique fusion of robustness and agility. This response has led to increased methods for performing a single task, growth in productivity, multiplied efficiency and a greater capacity to generate profitability.
We are here to support you as your technology consultant. Let’s start the conversation. Connect with us at solutions@mcsystems.com | 876 552-8124 | 876 564-2231.