Technology for Remote Work

This is my fourth post in a series of articles based on discussions with people across Alberta about their experience with remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this post, I will discuss technology. 

On a certain level, technology is the least difficult area of working remotely. There are mature offerings that allow collaboration on the cloud. These include Google Docs and Microsoft Teams within Microsoft Office. Both allow the creation of documents and spreadsheets that can be shared amongst team members regardless of location. They have reasonably robust security features that allow access to be granted only to specific users. 

There is also a variety of video conferencing software, including WebEx, Google Hangouts(meet), and Skype. WebEx is seen as the secure corporate solution. Many companies have not adopted Google, as they had Microsoft and the transition to Teams is easier. Google Meet is having some traction. Slack would be in the pool for second choice and Skype tends to not be used by bigger companies. It tends be more for international communication.

Project management software such as Slack, as well as Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts provide good internal instant messaging functionality.  

Security is a key issue in remote work. At a minimum, access should be through a VPN. A VPN provides a level of security on each data packet that prevents others on a public network from seeing the traffic allowing remote access to internal resources on a secure basis. There are a number of reputable VPN providers that can be accessed. Some solutions include Zscaler and Cisco. 

This brings up an issue of computing assets. Allowing staff to access company systems on personal computers may increase security risks. If the company has a robust IT function, it would be preferred to provide laptops to staff for company activities. This way, the company has control over what applications are installed, and can monitor the computer without worries about accessing private information on a personal device. Employees must be aware that the company owns all corporate data, regardless of the device it is on.  

When staff work remotely, there may be issues with internet outages and power outages. If the individual internet connection is disrupted, what will be the policy or practice for the organization. Will the employee be expected to take time without pay, go into the office, or sit idly waiting? These are all decisions that should be addressed in advance.

Employees must be discouraged from saving data on the local drive. This data will not be backed up, and if the device is stolen, company data will be stolen with it. 

Regardless, there must be robust virus protection and security related to remote access and devices that are authorized to connect to company systems. As well the computer must be properly secured with strong passwords.

One of the recurring themes I heard in discussions was that of band width and access. Some have found that the increase in remote logins to company systems has caused access and availability issues. It has been more difficult to log in, and staff has been forced out of systems. If an organization is planning to implement remote work on a more permanent basis, there must be sufficient ports and bandwidth to ensure that staff has adequate access to company systems. 

As companies move to allowing remote work, there will be increased needs for digitized data. If there is a significant portion of the employee’s function that is paper based, there likely will be a need to digitize the processes, and to some extent historical documents. This also includes approvals and authorizations. There will be a need to move to digital signatures and authorizations. If a part of an employee’s role is to approve invoices, purchase orders, or disbursements, then there should be some form of digitized signatures or approvals. While it may be tempting to just use e-mail approvals, this is not sustainable. 

Many ERP solutions have the ability for online approval. Also, there are various digital signature functions. I am aware of that functionality in ADOBE PDF documents, when properly set up. There is other digital signature software such as DocuSign.

As with the other topics, there are many things to be addressed from a technical point of view. Each organization should decide what best fits the organization culture and vision. One size may not fit all. As with the other topics, it is important to address the issues prior to embarking on a sustainable remote work strategy.