Toshiba Opinion Piece A4 2pp
- 1. 01992 703 900 academia.co.uk /AcademiaLtdsales@academia.co.uk Foreword Be prepared to think about your mobile hardware & software strategy differently; according to Gartner IT, decision makers should be focusing on initiatives that increase endpoint independence. What does this mean? In essence the status quo of enterprise PCs and our working environments are being challenged to the core by the rise of mobile usage and the reliance on multiple devices & users. More and more employees are using alternative devices to view/edit and manage information even if not supported by their employers. BYOD is one of the much publicised mechanisms to deal with this new challenge but is not necessarily being adopted by everyone which means the mobile challenge still needs to be managed and controlled. There is a case for companies to embrace the technology change and create ¡°smart¡± working environments, keeping in mind that the workplace often extends beyond the traditional office environment. Using a device that travels with you is vital to help improve out of office productivity, keeping businesses ahead of their competitors and retaining their best staff due to improved employee satisfaction. Challenges Fully adopting a mobile & flexible workplace will not be without some challenges, whether this is organisational, technological or process based. Without stating the obvious identifying those risks and building a strategic plan that mitigates any exposure to issues is going to be vital. Some areas of concern that you will most likely come across are; Security, Device Management, Support and Employee Usage Policies. Benefits Rather than needlessly focusing on the challenges which are mainly technology based and can be overcome by an array of solutions we should focus on the business benefits. Sorry if that feels like this is being swept under the carpet but this opinion piece is aimed at the upsides! Flexibility in the workplace means embracing the defragmented workplace by using hot-desking, shared meeting areas and of course working from home. Desk utilisation should be considered to identify how many desks need to be apportioned but typically desk space is only being effectively used 60% of the time anyway. By allowing staff to have more flexibility in the workplace, a company is making sure that they are well provisioned but ultimately will mean using Laptops/Tablets with docking stations and additional screens. If we empower staff with mobile technology it is widely accepted that productivity increases when outside of the traditional office space and time constraints. Therefore by using mobile technology and creating flexible working spaces you can achieve the following; better workspaces, reduced office size/ cost, more productivity from staff, happier workers due to improvements in the working environment and use of ¡°cooler¡± tech which, believe it or not, means a lot to the staff and helps attract and retain the best employees. Other benefits range from business agility, scaling your IT and office space is much easier, reducing business disruption because you can have people work anytime, anywhere and reduces the impact of single points of failure, such as transport problems, or internet/power issues. This of course helps the environment due to reducing unnecessary travel and lowering power consumption etc. IT & the Flexible Work Place: An Academia Opinion Piece By Jesse Westgate 7th May 2014
- 2. 01992 703 900 academia.co.uk /AcademiaLtdsales@academia.co.uk Summary The flexible workplace is an investment and needs the right technology, and it¡¯s true to say most companies wish to spend the least amount of money for the largest gain; however some level of investment is required to increase agility within your business and therefore should be seen as a longer term investment. Choosing the right technology and the one that meets high levels of quality and security is paramount and demonstrates true cost benefits & ROI. Providing your staff with choices and utilising BYOD & YODAH schemes will allow the employees to choose the most efficient environment for them depending on their individual requirement, roles & responsibilities. The cultural shift of mobile devices is happening quickly as tablets & smartphones are being more widely adopted, however using your own device at home mitigates the need to roll out mobile devices to everyone when it¡¯s not wholly required. Hot-desking & shared work spaces are not new concepts but encouraging a collaborative workspace where employees are able to access mobile technology, will see improvements in morale and productivity for pretty much any company. Last thought on this is; whatever concerns you may have for adopting an IT strategy that improves flexibility in the workplace, you will find plenty of reference sites and successes for companies that have implemented successful projects, whilst lowering IT costs & demands within their business, quite possibly your closest rival¡ About Academia for Business: Celebrating 10 years of success, we are a fast growing, highly accredited, award winning group of tech companies which specialise in the supply of software, IT hardware, training and service solutions to the public sectors, not-for-profit, commercial and pro media markets. We have dedicated relationship Account Managers that specialise in providing the highest level of customer care and support. Established in 2003, we¡¯re approaching 100 staff ¨C these dedicated professionals work across multiple locations throughout the UK with a group annual turnover of ?50m. We partner with the world¡¯s leading technology manufacturers and have the accreditations, certifications and awards to demonstrate our expertise and ability. We have rocked the UK tech industry placing in The Sunday Times Hiscox Tech Track 100 for the past 4 years and the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for 2011 & 2013! Telephone: 01992 703 900 Email: sales@academia.co.uk Web: www.academia.co.uk Definitions: BYOD Bring Your Own Device YODAH Your Own Device At Home