In the before times (pre-COVID), planning your IT budget focused on in-office activities as a general rule. Now that most companies and organizations have evolved into in-office /working remotely hybrid work schedule, there are a some new considerations to take into account when adapting to this new employee working landscape.
Here are the questions we are asking our clients:
1. How are you going to approach the remote work question?
Each company has to determine what level of remote work will be available to their employees moving forward. Does your company require everyone to be in the office full time or are you providing the flexibility to your staff to have a hybrid approach? Have you specified the in office/remote ratio and/or are you allowing your staff to move entirely to remote work?
2. Depending on which approach you are taking, what technology and tools are you going to take responsibility for your employees? What will be your standard package?
When everyone was in the office, companies took care of providing everything from keyboard and computer to monitors and monitor stands, desks to chairs. Now that office/remote work environments are the new norm, what are you going to be responsible for providing your team and where will it be provided? No organization will want to provide duplicate technology for those working both in the office and remotely, and having a standard of what is provided and what can be taken home will save you from tough conversations.
3. What assets have gone home with employees and how are your tracking those assets?
Many employees have taken home extra monitors, chairs, and technology - how are you approaching having those assets tracked or returned to the office if they are no longer needed? If they are going to continue to work remotely, it’s a good idea to assess and start tracking those assets if you haven't been in the past.
4. What changes do you need to make in terms of technology and security to support hybrid work moving forward?
Depending on what route you are taking for your in office/remote ratio work environment, an IT Assessment is an important step to take to ensure that you are set up to succeed. Your IT Support Team or IT Consultants should be a part of those in office/remote work discussions to ensure that they are aware of the decisions being made, and how it can impact your budget. An IT assessment should look at how your team will be working moving forward. For instance, did you take any shortcuts to get people working from home quickly? This is the time to catch them and ensure that you have addressed any potential risks. If more of your team will be working remotely, are there technology changes you can make in your office to reduce costs? Does everyone need a desk in the office? Or can you change how your space was used?
Questions?
Our team of industry analysts can answer all your in-office/working remotely hybrid work questions as well as guide you to the right solutions for your organization.
Interested in an assessment? Get in touch with us and we can assist you in addressing your in-office/working remotely hybrid work needs.
Ascent3 IT is an Edmonton based IT Support and Consulting company focused on helping small and medium businesses get the most out of their IT budget.