Planning to go back to the office, and beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the modern workplace, forcing companies to move to a virtual, digital and remote model overnight. Many weren’t prepared. They threw together policies to help their teams work from home. Some allowed employees to purchase new technology from their local store or online dealer. Others suggested staff take their office computers or monitors home so they could continue to work.

It kept businesses operating, but in many cases it also caused chaos in terms of device and network management, security, and user support. Companies are still sorting it all out, even as they start to think about how to safely bring employees back on-site.

Does this sound like your experience? If so, you may be among the many who need an IT plan to reintegrate staff into the office. But this is also an opportunity to look ahead and build a longer-term IT strategy to transform for a post-pandemic future. Your Managed Service Provider can help.

A strategic IT plan can help your business prepare and adapt

An IT strategy, developed with the help of an experienced Managed Service Provider, prepares a company for any unexpected emergencies. It can also ensure that you are well-positioned to transform, adapt and grow.

Of course, your IT strategy must align with your business goals and it should take into consideration both your immediate needs and the direction in which you are headed. Emergencies aside, modern workplaces must be flexible and employee-centric, giving teams access to information when they need it, from anywhere. A good IT plan will help you establish an environment in which your teams can collaborate and communicate easily and securely.

All IT plans need to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis, particularly in times of change such as we’re facing now. So even if you had a plan in place pre-pandemic, you would be wise to look at what modifications it might require both for the short- and long-term.

Strategize for today

An IT strategy that allows people to transition back to the office safely and smoothly is crucial. It should extend to everything from sanitizing to cybersecurity.

Consider your immediate needs. What happens in the first few days back? You might find yourself with an influx of helpdesk queries as people transition back to the office; you will need a plan to handle that.

Employee safety must be first and foremost. Staggering work hours and dates, for instance, can ensure people can stay distanced. A schedule management tool such as Microsoft Teams’ Shift helps you create, update and manage schedules; it can also be used by managers to limit the number of employees working in a particular location at any given time.

You will likely need to revise or even create new policies and procedures. What changes will you need to make to your infrastructure to support a mix of in-office and at-home workers, if some people will continue to work remotely? If you weren’t allowing people to use their own devices before, will you be adding a BYOD option now, and how will you support it? How will you ensure shared devices such as computers, phones, printers and photocopiers are properly sanitized between users?

You may have other considerations depending on your company’s situation. The answers will form the basis of your plan and will be crucial to ensuring you are set up for a smooth reintegration.

Strategize for tomorrow

Now is also the perfect time to reflect on how your company handled the early days of the pandemic and how you can best position yourself for the future. Consider how you might have done things differently.

This is an opportunity to look ahead and be truly strategic, taking advantage of modern technology to drive your business forward. You may have begun a process of digital transformation before the pandemic and then been forced to accelerate, or maybe new ways of operating were forced on you. Either way, the post-pandemic world will require the strategic use of the latest technology in order for your organization to be competitive, adaptable, and able to access opportunities for business growth. You’ll need a solid, well thought-out IT strategy for that.

Let us help

FSi Strategies can support you in your short- and long-term IT planning. We can help to establish a plan to get your teams back into the office smoothly and with minimal impact on business continuity. And, as you work to recover and rebuild from the impact of the pandemic, we can also help you transform and think differently about your workplace and the technology that powers it.

Reach out today. We look forward to hearing from you.