In this second article looking at the challenge of the hybrid workforce, let’s look at how IT teams have been impacted. As the backbone of every organization, IT technical support keeps things going, even in a global pandemic. Change doesn’t come without challenges, and IT teams have been thrown into the deep end.
The exodus of the office: the first challenge
Working remotely became an overnight necessity for many workers at the start of COVID-19. Understandably, many companies and organizations were not prepared for this sudden change, and they had to adapt quickly. This presented many challenges for IT.
There has been a flurry of new technology and devices to support, including personal ones. New hires were onboarded over video calls and inducted remotely. We saw the boom of video-conferencing tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Personal printers, devices, and home internet connections became commonplace.
Naturally, this led to an increase in IT support requests and security risks.
From home to hybrid: the second challenge
After more than a year of remote working, a seismic shift to a hybrid workforce is inevitable. This is a workforce comprised of a blend of remote and office-based working. It isn’t only the location that is flexible but working hours too! Offices will likely become more of a business-center and a place to support real-life connections. Benefitting from the best of both worlds, the hybrid model of working is good for both employers and staff. To achieve this, the business’ hybrid workforce needs to be underpinned by an integral and solid IT foundation.
With two different employee experiences to support, the challenge to the IT team is going to be intense. Technology is now expected to facilitate and nurture communication. It needs to enhance engagement, productivity, culture, and collaboration. IT teams need to stay flexible and adapt to the ever-changing demands of this working environment.
Easing tech support
Making technology work for a hybrid workforce doesn’t have to be an extra burden on IT support. Looking specifically at printing and hybrid working, Y Soft can help busy IT teams via
YSoft OMNI Series. OMNI Series, utilizing Universal Print technology from Microsoft, supports hybrid working scenarios. Every print job is transferred, using your business’ Microsoft 365 subscription, securely to printers in any location – in the office or at home.
OMNI Series is a plug-and-play solution which uses auto-detect methods to automatically connect printers to your company’s Microsoft 365 Cloud account. This makes printing easier, less time-consuming, and secure for users and IT teams. More organizations are looking to transition their print infrastructure to the cloud to drive cost efficiencies and reduce the burden on IT. Since a large number of help-desk calls are print related, reducing this will release the team to focus on other tasks.
Future tech
With apps to help plan schedules, desk booking systems, and video conferencing equipment in every meeting room, there is much for IT teams to do to support your hybrid workforce. We envision this to be a fast moving arena, and reliance on IT teams will be critical. Take the burden of managing print off of IT’s plate with OMNI Series.
A hybrid workforce is here to stay, and organizations should seize any opportunity to ensure that technology supports the workforce wherever they are. The concept of printing from anywhere is no longer future thinking. It’s here. It’s secure, and it’s cost effective.
Check out our
YSoft Store pricing to learn more.
Other articles in this series: