We recently spoke with two of Ingram Micro's business development managers, Laura Peddie (Poly) and Craig Stewart (unified communications), who gave us with some insight into keeping the communication and collaboration flowing in the age of work from home (WFH).
See below for the full video.
COVID-19 has pushed the world into a whole new way of working as organisations have had to rapidly figure out how to empower their employees to stay productive and in the loop from their homes.
Stewart points out that many companies had to push out ‘band-aid' WFH stop-gaps. He describes how at Ingram Micro, they had the Monday before the Alert Level 4 shutdown to grab whatever they might need for the foreseeable, from laptops to desktops and even chairs.
Like many organisations in this position, it meant that employees were often just ‘making do' with the built-in mics and cameras in their laptops. Not an ideal situation when you are trying to maintain positive customer relationships and employee experiences.
Many could only see getting back into the office as the best solution, but Stewart refers to a well-regarded study from Stanford that shows that there can be major benefits to empowering employees to be as productive at home as they are at work.
Ingram's own experiment with remote working found similar findings to the study. These included:
- A 3.25% increase in productivity
- Hours back for employee's personal/family lives - an average a 50 hours a year on commute.
- Employees had more money, saving around $500 a year on fuel
- 12.5% reduction in sick leave, as those with mild symptoms or looking after loved ones, could still work from home
- Less voluntary staff turnover, reducing hiring costs
- Attracting young talent who see flexibility as highly desirable
- Lower operating costs on power and even real estate
So how can you see these benefits in your organisation? There are three main points that need to be front of mind:
- The right device
Make sure the device you provide is the one your employee needs. For example, if they have to talk on the phone a lot while moving, a good quality wireless headset will go a long way.
- Get trusted tech
Compatibility is not the same thing as certification. A device might get you audio, but the buttons will not control certain software meaning a loss of quality and extra frustration.
- Keep it simple
No one wants to be plugging and unplugging all day or having to mess with settings. Go for devices that need you to simply sit down and pick it up. This will ensure you are getting maximum productivity and return on investment.
Stewart explains how the impressive range of Poly devices can be used to meet these needs from the simplest setups to the executive boardrooms and everything in between.
One highlight is Poly RealConnect which allows users with legacy SIP or H.323 video conferencing devices, migrate to modern platforms like Microsoft Teams whilst not having to swap out their existing hardware investment. It also allows flexibility for organisations leveraging Microsoft Teams, to join other platform conferences.
For the full story, watch the video below. And if you or your customers are looking for a solution that will let you leverage the potential of WFH, get in touch with Ingram's Poly Business Development Manager (BDM) Laura Peddie or unified communications BDM Craig Stewart.
They might even provide coffee and muffins.