As many organisations adopt hybrid working models, companies that are managing complex in-house technology or haven't optimised their IT infrastructure for growth may face challenges supporting and delivering solutions in a rapidly changing work environment, especially with the shift to remote work.
This shift requires organisations to put strain on their pre-existing IT infrastructure to enable their remote teams to collaborate and communicate. And it doesn't come without challenges. The good news is, there are many ways to optimise and enhance your IT infrastructure for growth.
In this blog, we aim to help you understand how to set your business’ IT infrastructure for growth to ensure hybrid workplace success.
Work out what is and isn’t working
The first step towards getting your infrastructure sorted is to take a look at where you are right now. The best way to do this is with an audit of your current systems.
Often growth or transformation can expose your organisation to security breaches, especially with the recent deployment of remote workers. As you establish your hybrid work environment, the security risks will be greater as employees rely on virtual workflows, networks and collaboration tools to achieve their goals.
An audit can identify any potential risks, as well as breakdowns in workflow, costs and document management.
Get the right workplace hardware
Once the audit reveals the areas of weakness and opportunity, take a look at the hardware you have in your workplace. As you equip your hybrid workforce, you have the opportunity to reassess what the best devices are for your business’ needs both now and into the future.
Did you know there is now a multi-function printer with a drum life of up to 600,000 pages? Can yours do that? There’s a huge range of sophisticated, intelligent hardware solutions that are fit for hybrid workplaces and they can be easily upscaled with the growth of your business to save you time and money.
Workflow and processes
Implementing a hybrid workplace strategy is a great opportunity for organisations to improve and streamline their workflows through business automation, achieving significant time and cost savings, while also freeing employees up to focus on higher-value tasks.
The five Ss of Managed Print Services
Running inefficient machines alongside poor processes can be a dire move for companies who haven’t got a reliable managed print service (MPS) in place with their provider. A good MPS provider will improve scalability, savings, security, sustainability and service.
- Scalability: Make sure there is a network in place to properly support rapid growth of a hybrid workforce, where security and quality control are not compromised should your organisation grow overnight or shift rapidly to a fully remote model.
- Savings: Like a well-oiled machine, the more efficient your document workflow and MPS is, the healthier your bottom line will be. There is money to be saved by implementing efficient systems. Do you know the real costs associated with running your IT equipment?
- Sustainability: Whether you’re a socially conscious company or not, running more efficient systems and infrastructure has the added bonus of being better for our environment, as well as the bottom line. This comes mainly through sophistication and technologies that support energy consumption and recyclables.
- Service: A renown provider who can ensure a reliable MPS is integral to ensuring you get the service you need to work with you as you expand and adopt new ways of working.
- Security: Protecting data is paramount and a good MPS solution can not only identify security risks, but it can also enhance security to ensure your data and information is protected as your business grows.
Think it might be time to optimise your IT infrastructure for growth? Take the first step by getting an onsite audit completed to discover where your inefficiencies are.
Building a resilient and productive hybrid work environment requires the right hardware, software and processes. Download our Guide to Hybrid Workplace Strategy for a step-by-step strategy for implementing an effective hybrid work model that equips your employees to work anywhere, any time.
