Central Illinois' IT Experts

What is a Hybrid Work Environment?

The workplace is something that most people look at as either in-person or remote, without much variation or room for both. However, a hybrid option aims to provide the benefits of a remote environment with those of an in-person one. Employees might spend a certain amount of time in the office and the rest of the time working remotely. You can look at a hybrid workplace as something of a compromise; it gives employees more freedom to work remotely when they need to while also promoting an in-person workplace environment for when it matters most.

How Can It Be Achieved?

Let’s say you want to implement a hybrid workplace, as you find the benefits to be something your employees might enjoy. You can make sure that your hybrid workplace is designed effectively by designing it in a way that favors remote work. Simply put, if it can be done remotely, it can be done in the office. The opposite cannot be said, therefore it makes sense to prioritize remote operations. This approach also helps those who work in-house by giving them more options, one of which is to work in the office without restriction.

It also helps to ensure that your in-house operations can accommodate any number of in-house workers. One way businesses do this is through a desk reservation system, where employees can book a desk or workspace for when they plan on working in-house. To accommodate this request, it also helps to make sure that your employees have the technology and access they need to effectively do their jobs, be it in-house or remote, including laptops, smartphones, software, data access, or otherwise. As long as these conditions are met, your employees should be able to transition from remote to in-house as needed.

Don’t Let Technology Be Your Sticking Point

When it comes to the hybrid workplace, you can bet that technology plays an important role in making it happen. Thankfully, you have technology professionals like Decatur Computers Inc. whom you can rely on to ensure you don’t fall short in this important aspect of running your business. To learn more about how we can help you build the hybrid workplace environment you’ve been looking to create, reach out to us at 217-475-0226.

Or, in other words, are your digital transformation efforts rubbing your team members the wrong way? Let’s discuss.

Are Your Team Members Annoyed by the Technologies They Use?

Here’s the thing: piling on new technologies and expecting your employees to keep up is only going to burden them and put undue pressure on them.

It really only makes sense, when you think about it. For all the benefits that new, modern business technology offers, suddenly springing it on your team members can have a few detriments, including:

• Disengagement from one’s tasks
• Lost productivity due to lack of familiarity
• Frustration and discontent
• Accelerated burnout

…none of which are good, of course. This gets even worse if the technology you adopt makes them feel as though they are no longer of value to your team. Things like automation—which literally does the jobs that once took up a lot of your team members’ time—could be perceived as a direct threat to their employment, only alienating them further.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

Used Correctly, Technology Can Enhance the Workplace Experience

When implemented properly, modern IT can greatly improve your team’s satisfaction—even in the case of automation. It all depends on how you introduce it into the workflow, and what purpose it serves.

For instance, rather than automating the tasks that your employees see as their primary work responsibilities, it makes more sense to remove the rote tasks from their day that keep them from their more skill-based responsibilities. Not only will this help to boost productivity, but the fact that their skills are being engaged will help them feel more loyal and increase their retention.

It is important that any consideration of adding automation into a process should involve a few critical questions, like what pain points the automated process could alleviate and what the return on your investment into automation can be expected to be.

We Can Help You Ensure You Automate Your Business Most Efficiently

Trust our team of experts to review your IT infrastructure and identify ways to make it better for you and your business’ operations. Give us a call and ask about an IT audit today at 217-475-0226.

Today, we want to discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of wired and wireless connections. With this information in mind, you can make the best decisions for your business.

The Benefits of a Hardwired Connection

• Speed - Wired connections are faster than wireless ones, so you can use an Ethernet connection to improve speeds for transferring data with your network and the Internet.
• Stability - The wired connection will be more stable and less prone to interference, so you are more likely to maintain consistent Internet speeds.
• Security - It’s easier to secure a direct connection between two network points compared to a wireless signal broadcast through the air.

The Benefits of a Wireless Connection

• Mobility - A wireless connection is not limited by the physical or wired connection, meaning you can take your work on the go to effectively collaborate and be productive from any location. Employees can work from their desk, a conference room, or anywhere the wireless access allows.
• Scope - Wireless connections give your team more devices to get work done with. This is incredibly empowering for businesses and employees, and it can even be a great perk for people visiting your office.
• Convenience - Accessing the Internet is made much easier when you don’t need a wired connection. Since collaboration and communication benefit from increased accessibility, a wireless connection makes sense to have.

A Hybrid Approach May Offer Maximum Benefits

If a business can embrace connectivity and still benefit from access to a network, then it should absolutely do so. If you can successfully implement wireless connectivity, then we are of the mind that you should, while also keeping its weaknesses in mind. Ultimately the choice will depend on your business’ specific needs and your employees’ demands.

To learn more about how you can take advantage of wireless connectivity and technology, reach out to us at 217-475-0226.