Ever since the coronavirus reached pandemic status and most businesses started heavily relying on off-site workers, managers and employees started coming to terms with the fact that remote-working is challenging.
Especially when technology isn’t on the same side as you because, as we all know, technical difficulties aren’t the easiest to handle, especially without an IT specialist to come to your rescue. This list, however, promises to help you out with some of your common problems, especially the pesky complicated ones.
Bad Internet Connection
Unreliable internet connection is any remote worker’s bane of existence. Whether you’re working from home or traveling around, your internet connection can break down at any second. Even worse, if you’re traveling to a whole new country, then the risk is doubled since there is no telling what the signal might be like. A quick fix is investing in a strong router. Your best bet is something with a multi-core or a quad-core processor. If your work involves handling many clients and transferring large amounts of data online, a strong processor will provide you with the capacity to perform without delays. You’ll also want a router that operates over dual or tri-band. If you’re living in an area where most internet users are operating on a certain frequency, having a multi-band router will help you dodge the wifi congestion and operate over a different band. As for the traveling remote workers, they’ll want to keep with them a couple of mobile hotspots, each with a different network just in case one doesn’t work.
Troubles with Specialized Software
If you or your employees utilize a licensed software, paid for by the company, a company computer might be required for access. While the software can be downloaded on a personal device, it wouldn’t be possible to operate it and access a user’s data without a subscription. Instead of wasting your time and money, why allow your employees access to their desktops using an RDS (remote desktop service). While multiple users won’t be able to save their data, they’ll all be able to access a configured work desktop and operate their software through it.
Cyber Attacks
Working from an office is quite secure since you and your employees are using a work computer and a secure wifi network. You can control who gets in and who gets out and what sites they visit. Home networks and personal laptops and computers, however, are different for many reasons aside from the lack of guarantees. One, if you’re abiding by all the proper web security precautions, your flatmates or family members might not be. Two, your personal devices might not have the same security measures as your company. High-end firewall hardware and malware detecting software are two examples. In order to keep your business and your clients’ data secure from hackers, you’ve got to upgrade your security measures which is an easy task if you’re living in London. Because it is a culture and business hub, you can find a lot of managed IT services in London more than equipped to handle your security needs. This could come in handy regardless of how much you know about technology. It’s normal to be unsure of the effectiveness of your cybersecurity measures which is why having an expert take a look at your business’s network can help you.
Sudden System Failures
The best way to prevent a prolonged delay due to an unexpected system failure is by staying one step ahead. When it comes to companies with many remote-workers, it’s hard to diagnose problems early on. In order to keep yourself safe, an early warning system is the way to go. By analyzing a website/software’s response speed and compiling behavioral patterns, among other data, the system can tell you if your software has been getting excessively slow lately. It can also show you any anomalies which will give you sufficient time to locate the root cause and fix it regardless of what it is.
Troubles with Large Projects
For any business, attempting large projects can be overwhelming if most (or all) of the staff members are working remotely. While an RDS allows all users to operate on a common desktop through an internet connection, a VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure) allows each user to access their own private device, offline and online.
This means that when handling large projects, you can have users working on their individual tasks. Nevertheless, it’s important to keep in mind that to install a VDI you need to prepare your IT department and train your employees to avoid possible pain points.
As you see, there are many ways to combat problems, but the best way is always to get ahead of it through preparation. Whether it is through a software that analyzes your websites and specialized software and their performance or through upgrading your security before an attack happens, as long as you fortify your network, you can guarantee smooth operation. That being said, don’t forget to train yourself or your employees on any new system you implement in order to prevent the sudden dip in productivity.
