Remote Office Planning – The Time is NOW!

2.    Disaster Mitigation.  Several years ago, there was a big threat and a lot of talk about the “Bird Flu.”  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a recommendation for all businesses to create a strategy where a certain percentage of the company’s employees work from a location outside the major metropolitan area where the company is based.  Whether it is a pandemic, a hurricane, or a terrorist act, the companies that have a Remote Workforce plan in place PRIOR to the event occurring are much more likely to survive, or even prosper during this time.

3.    Cost Savings.  Office space is a large expense for most companies.  A company that is experiencing a large growth spurt can delay, or avoid entirely, the cost of moving to a larger facility if they could utilize labor that does not need full time office space in a building.  There are other cost savings including the high cost of commuting that each employee would bear if they had to drive 50+ miles a day to reach a central office. 

4.    Productivity Improvement.  There are countless studies out that have documented 10-20% productivity improvements experienced by a remote employee when compared to the traditional model.  This productivity comes from less time commuting and the ability to focus on the work tasks with fewer interruptions.

5.    Environmental Impact.  Even though the cost of gas has temporarily gone down, there is still a major need in the US to use our resources wisely.  Remote Workforce plans put fewer people on our highways each day, reducing fuel consumption and pollution.  In some states and larger cities, there are tax incentives or even penalties based on how a company implements a telecommuting strategy.

Why Now?  There have been many companies that have successfully implemented a Remote Workforce strategy, but there have been more that have tried and failed.  There are two primary reasons why an organization has a much higher chance of success today. 

1.    Technology.  In the last five years, there have been significant improvements in technology, including the stability and security of high speed Internet access and other tools that help remote employees communicate with team mates and customers.

2.    Leadership.  There has been a shift with many leaders in the way they hold their employees accountable.  Instead of a mentality that is focused on hours worked, there is an increased emphasis on completing tasks, or getting the work done.  Along with systems that monitor employee productivity, the change in leadership makes it easier to supervise a remote employee.

Is it time for your organization to get serious about creating or improving your Remote Workforce Strategy?

Dave Reed is President of Remote Office Consulting, LLC.  You can contact Dave with your remote office questions at dreed@cccginc.com If you are a person who works from a remote office or you are a business owner with employees who remote office, we are happy to announce a brand NEW newsletter that is especially directed toward the specific topics that would interest you.  To sign up for this FREE newsletter click here and type “Remote Office” in the subject line.  That is all you have to do to sign up and begin receiving this newsletter twice a month!