Use Managed IT to Boost Your Remote Employees’ Productivity

Remote work has risen despite the pandemic providing wind in its sails. Many companies have now adopted a remote workforce for the foreseeable future. More employees are asking for the same. Data from the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index shows us that 55% of US respondents believe that their industry can work effectively from home. Gartner found that 82% of executives now think they should offer the ability to work remotely at least partially post-pandemic. For more information on how managed IT services are benefiting remote work, Please refer to IT Support Los Angeles.

There are many reasons behind the meteoric rise of remote work. Remote work not only results in improved savings (estimated to be around $4,000 per year in personal expenses) and work-life balance for employees but also significant savings for the employer. Forbes found that employer savings from remote work per employee averaged around $22,000 per year. All the savings from diverse factors such as reduced overhead and office space and increased productivity cumulatively added to significant savings.

However, facilitating remote work doesn’t just mean allowing employees to stay at home during work hours. Remote work poses unique challenges for companies not equipped to handle them. Employees must be provided with the right tools and processes to maximize productivity. Companies must go out of their way to allow employees to accomplish day-to-day tasks and access tools for effective collaboration and productivity. Managed IT services can be an ideal solution for companies that struggle to maximize their employees’ productivity while working remotely.

Benefits of Utilizing Managed IT Services with your Remote Workforce

Data and Systems Security

Keeping sensitive information secure through effective data and systems security is a top priority for companies of all sizes. Remote work adds to the complexity of the challenge.

It involves multiple parties—internal and external to your business—working together to ensure that data is safe from breaches.

• Shared responsibility: Data security is often seen as solely an IT problem, but employees must understand their role in protecting company data. Employees can use encryption software or avoid public Wi-Fi networks when accessing sensitive information on their computers or mobile devices.
• Top concern: Data breaches can have serious financial consequences for businesses, including losses due to fines and legal actions taken by government agencies after unauthorized access (think Equifax). It is becoming increasingly common for employees with personal information stolen due to poor security practices at work to suffer from serious fallouts such as identity theft.

Managed IT services protect businesses using multiple security solutions, such as anti-virus software for all workstations and devices. Ransomware attacks and malicious emails are no longer a concern thanks to managed IT services’ solution of monitoring your network for threats 24/7. Additionally, reliable managed service providers – MSPs like Managed IT Services Los Angeles understand the seriousness of data recovery. They work with clients to routinely back up data and establish a protocol for speedy data recovery if necessary.

Better Collaboration and Communication

Remote employees don’t have direct access to their manager’s office during business hours unless there’s a reason for them to be present (like meetings). Remote workforces often struggle with building trust between employees and their managers because there might not always be face-to-face interactions that build respect between those individuals. When an employee’s actions are monitored through digital means (such as phone calls or emails), managers can get an accurate glimpse into who is doing what behind closed doors—or, more importantly—who might be slacking off or facing difficulties.

The importance of having the right communication tools and processes in remote work environments cannot be overstated. You need to know who in your organization can be trusted with sensitive information or if they will pass it along to someone who shouldn’t have access. And if they share sensitive data, you want a record of when and by whom it was shared. Managed IT services can help your business implement the right tools and processes to facilitate all this and more.

Support

Each remote employee requires the same level of support your on-site employees are used to. Managed service providers offer 24/7 IT helpdesk services to their customers. You can always access their team of IT experts regardless of the time or the issue. Remote monitoring will provide extra support to help you catch problems before they cause any damage. Working with a managed IT provider enables you to Adopt a more proactive approach to support services. Your provider will work as your virtual IT team, assisting with your remote workforce’s complex and straightforward issues. Most importantly, they are always available for your remote workforce, helping them solve their problems.

Flexibility

Desktop infrastructure enabled by MSPs ensures that telecommuters can access their data from anywhere in the world. Office 365 also offers mobile apps for Android and iOS devices so that users can get business calls on their phones. Office phones already come with call forwarding and hoteling features, allowing remote workers to forward their calls to internal phone numbers or transfer them to other users. IT Helpdesk also includes call-forwarding services, which allows remote employees to receive calls from clients easily. Managed IT service providers also offer cloud tools that remote workers can use for enhanced flexibility, collaboration, and productivity.

Compliance

Compliance is becoming increasingly important to all organizations in today’s regulatory-heavy business environment. However, remote workers can face unique challenges when it comes to compliance. Managed IT services can help your remote workforce stay compliant by providing a secure and reliable infrastructure that keeps their data safe and ensures they follow industry regulations.

Managed IT service providers are often more familiar with the ins and outs of complying with government regulations than small businesses are—not only because they work with lots of different types of clients but also because they have experience with these issues themselves as enterprises in their own right. Many managed IT solutions include tools like encryption or two-factor authentication that help keep data secure from hackers, which also helps ensure that your employees stay in line with federal regulations regarding information security (like PCI DSS).

Additionally, managed IT services often provide customers with tools for tracking how much time is spent working on company business versus personal matters (for example: checking Facebook at work). That makes it easier for managers to enforce policies about what kind of usage is acceptable during business hours or other times when you may want productivity from your employees instead of distractions such as social media sites!

MSPs understand the importance of security practices and industry compliance. They can help your company meet all regulations by using multiple security layers and separating the desktop environment from the physical device. The “virtual desktop” will contain all necessary data, files, and information your employees need to efficiently and effectively complete their jobs. IT Consulting Los Angeles Can you help your local business implement VDEs.

Conclusion

The ability to trust your company’s data and systems to be secure and the ease of access that these services provide through their interfaces and collaboration tools will help ensure your team stays connected and on the same page. With all of these benefits, plus the flexibility they offer in terms of cost structure and support availability, managed IT services are one of the most attractive options for businesses looking to implement remote work.

About Brent:

Brent Whitfield is the CEO of DCG Technical Solutions LLC. DCG provides specialist advice and Managed IT Security Los Angeles area businesses need to remain competitive and productive while being sensitive to limited IT budgets.

Brent has been featured in Fast Company, CNBC, Network Computing, Reuters, and Yahoo Business. He also leads SMBTN – Los Angeles, an MSP peer group focusing on continuing education for MSPs and IT professionals. https://www.dcgla.com was recognized among the Top 10 Fastest Growing MSPs in North America by MSP mentor. Stay connected via LinkedIn.