Are you ready for “Lift Off” from Lockdown?
May was an interesting if not similar month to April in lockdown however on the up side another successful launch was achieved to send 2 NASA astronauts up to the international space station .
Their Dragon capsule – supplied and operated by the private SpaceX company then carefully attached to the bow section of the orbiting lab 422km above China which was broadcast live to the world … very impressive tech but crazy to think that the other astronauts on there have not been subjected to quarantine, lockdown or social distancing like the rest of our planet.
But, now back to this planet…..
Predictions are many and varied but broadly fall in to two views; we will need less space as more people work remotely and we will need the same (potentially more) space as we operate in a less agile way to account for the cultural/social changes primarily around social distancing/physical interaction.
It is likely that these transitional arrangements will need to operate for the remainder of the year, if not longer and this generates two critical questions.
- How do I prepare my business to operate during this interim period?
- What will the solution be longer term?
As a solutions provider we believe in keeping solutions simple and we help our customers assess and deliver a business communications solution based around People, Property and Technology.
Whether you are an SME in your own premises or a multi-national organisation in a managed office/estate, everyone working in an office environment will have to adapt. Whilst the long-term solution may include relocation or the introduction of intuitive IT solutions these will involve both planning and investment. In the short term we will all return to the same office, occupying the same space, with the same workforce and we need to adapt this space in a practical, cost effective way whilst addressing the human needs.
From a practical perspective we need to plan for what is likely to be a phased return to the workplace over a prolonged period, beginning with key workers and then business critical workers. Organisations that plan effectively for this initial phase will create environments where people feel safe and valued whilst providing a compliant and fit-for-purpose office which is also easily adaptable to any future requirements. In what is undoubtedly going to be difficult periods for lots of organisations doing this in a cost-effective manner will be key allowing businesses to concentrate on their core activity rather than office/estate management issues.
The benefits derived from the currently enforced lockdown and the new ways of working and interacting with both clients and staff should also captured as this will ultimately inform the long term strategy adopted, including defining the operating model; identifying actual floor space required; establishing mix between desk and collaborative space; developing the functional design of these areas; identifying most appropriate IT systems to use; infrastructure required and most importantly what your clients and staff want.
Medium/long term options will be driven by the outputs from the actions taken short term and ultimately client requirements but these need to be proactively considered and where appropriate addressed during the transitional phase as lease options allow decisions to be made on rightsizing options, operating models, renegotiation of leases, disposal and/or acquisitions.
Amid the speculation, and the difficulties in planning for the long term, Albion is supporting organisations with the challenges that are most pressing right now. We are helping our clients consider the key factors around People, Property and Technology and ultimately ensure that they create an environment which allows people to excel in a safe and compliant building optimising the use of technology and systems.
For further information please contact our Solutions teams.
01782 269494 or support@albionbusiness.com
Have a great week and Stay Safe.
Richard Brindley
Founder
Please take a minute to read our “Are you ready?” guide, which you can download here..click on the button.
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Home working and Isolation Plans
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Letting staff work from home brings many advantages, but it’s always better to plan for this eventuality in advance. With the right infrastructure, your staff can be just as productive as they would be in the office and more importantly, customers won’t even notice the difference. Also consider video conferencing like our Gamma Collaborate software that brings the customer to you and vice versa….
Ensure the plan is flexible and involve your employees . Conduct a focused discussion or exercise using your plan, to find out ahead of time whether the plan has gaps or problems that need to be corrected. Explain what HR policies are in place to protect them and the business.
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Business benefits & Great features – all in one place
Instant messaging : Online chat between users, reducing email inefficiencies.
Video Calling: Create a stronger collaborative experience using visual communication from mobile or desktop app.
Presence: Shows personal status such as ‘available’, ‘busy’, ‘meeting’,‘away’ that helps determine the best way to communicate.
Ad-hoc and planned conferencing: Quick and easy multi-party collaboration using My Room, a personal and fully managed conferencing space for voice, video and sharing.
Hosted PBX features: The full telephony feature set and service including bundled minutes.
Horizon Collaborate is suitable for any sized business looking to improve productivity, increase collaborative team working, attract more diverse talent and speed up business decisions.
Watch this short video to see how other customers Collaborate with their customers.
Call us today on 01782 269494 for more information on how to keep the business wheels turning.
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