In these moments of confinement due to the Coronavirus, many companies are forced to telework in times of crisis and use telework as a way to continue their work.
In this article we will follow some basic steps that will help the worker to work remotely and the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking.
1.- Hardware
The worker will need adequate computer equipment to do the job remotely.
This equipment can be a Windows desktop PC, a Mac, a laptop or a tablet.
2.- Internet connection
A high-speed Internet connection must be available.
Lately many users have fiber optic connections with a speed of 100 to 600 Mb, enough to carry out our work online.
If we have a desktop PC we can connect via Ethernet cable directly to the router.
If we have a laptop or tablet, the connection must be via WIFI. In this case, the connection speed will depend on the access band and the distance at which we are from the router.
For the 2.4 Ghz band you can usually reach speeds between 10 and 20 Mbits
For the 5 Ghz band you can usually reach speeds between 50 and 100 Mbits
3.- Software
In our team we will have to have installed the necessary software for daily work.
Normally we must have installed some version of Ofimatica, Office type.
Other options would be to access free online office suites such as the one provided by Google (Documents, Spreadsheets ..) or Office 365
4.- Server hardware
In the company we should have a file server or applications that workers can access remotely
If several users want to connect simultaneously, we must have installed a multi-user version of Windows type Windows Server that will allow us to connect to the server with authentication and each user will have a separate work desk.
5.- Remote connection with the company
If we want to connect to the company’s servers remotely, there are several alternatives
Remote connection by Teamviewer
On the server we will install the Teamviewer and on our team we can connect remotely to the server
This solution is valid if only one user connects simultaneously
VPN connection
In this case, on the server we can install a VPN connection to allow access to the local network remotely
This type of connection is more reliable because the data is encrypted and there can be multiple users connected at the same time
6.- Digital workspace
Lately, technologies have emerged that allow us to have virtual work desks with our applications and data in the cloud.
The term “Digital workspace” refers to virtual workplaces by connecting online to virtual machines or connections to virtual servers hosted in the cloud
Companies like Microsoft, Amazon or Google offer pay-per-use services that will allow us to implement these solutions.
6.- Contact with customers
Being employees out of the office makes contact with customers a bit difficult.
Many companies give company mobiles to their employees so that customers can contact them directly.
Advantages and disadvantages of Teleworking
Teleworking favors the mobility of workers as they can carry out their tasks anywhere without having to be subject to a fixed schedule and company facilities.
Flexible hours tend to increase productivity.
Some employers think that if employees are not in the office they will not be able to supervise their daily work and will spend their time on other things and not on the work assigned to them.
To avoid this, you can contact the employee periodically and supervise their work online.