Is It Time to Get Your IT Ready in Light of the Three-Tier Government Strategy?

Government’s three-tier lockdown strategy to cause widespread uncertainty and anxiety with small business owners

Working from home likely to become a more long-term solution than SMEs initially considered

Lift & Go I.T. systems will ensure limited productivity loss working from home
Just as we have opened our business offices across the UK, with expensive COVID-19 safety procedures, they now face uncertainty as to what tier they may be in week-on-week, and whether they will quickly need to revert back to work from home practices.

ILUX has been providing remote working solutions to businesses for many years, and our “Lift & Go” solutions are providing businesses with the ability to transfer to home working by simply unplugging, packing your laptop and moving to a new location.

Although many businesses and employees are now used to working from home, as we eased back to some kind of normality, it was widely assumed that businesses wouldn’t be subject to tight restrictions similar to those from the lockdown. As such, to save money, business owners delayed essential upgrades to their IT. Research undertaken by ILUX had previously shown that during lockdown there was a growing trend of a loss of productivity caused by poorly provided and maintained IT. Of the 2,000 home-workers we surveyed, over two-thirds (68%) felt that their systems were frustratingly ‘not adequate’ for the job they were expected to do.

As we face tight restrictions once again, small businesses could be facing yet another productivity issue. How can we prepare our IT for a second wave of remote working?

1. Review your businesses current IT systems
With work from home more-than-likely being a long-term business practice, a lack of productivity does not need to have the same timeframe. The team at ILUX can review your businesses current home working systems and advise on how to optimise them for your home working employees.

2. Speak to home working employees to find out how well the IT systems supported the job they were expected to do
Companies have suddenly realised workers hadn’t been honest about how difficult they had found using their systems at home – and how this is affecting their productivity and motivation. Providing basic equipment to your home working employees is essential. Basic professional home working systems – complete with relevant and up to date security software, appropriate business software such as Office365 and access to a secure VPN need not be bank-breaking.

3. Enquire about “Lift & Go” options
If the three-tier system allows your business to continue running with employees working in the office part-time, the “Lift & Go” service will allow employees to seamlessly transition between the office and home working. If the rules in your area change then the system allows your business to switch to remote working quickly and seamlessly, facilitating business continuity.

James Tilbury, Managing Director of ILUX, comments: “We totally understand why businesses were reluctant to invest in their IT at times of financial uncertainty however, as we face an uncertain winter of restrictions, now could be the time to get advice on the systems you have and spend the time before your business productivity and profitability is severely affected.”