How to Manage Remote Teams and multiple sites with Technology & Communication
Organisations who operate multiple sites and have remote teams report multiple advantages of this way of working. For example, it allows businesses to utilise skills and resources around the country (and world), be located closer to major clients and/or clusters or centres of excellence within a specific industry whilst at the same time giving the business a physical presence in a number of locations thus helping to increase the awareness of the business and brand. However, this way of working does bring with it challenges that must be addressed to ensure business runs smoothly.
We’ve created this guide to highlight and address 3 key factors that will help businesses utilise and thrive with remote teams and multisite locations.
Find the Right Team Members
A key factor that will determine the success of remote teams working in different locations will be the type of team members your business brings on. Due to the fact that these teams often can’t be micromanaged, the type of employees must be those who thrive when given more responsibility.
This type of workforce also needs to have very high communication skills. As the project manager or team leader may not be in the same building as them, they need to be able to effectively communicate updates and raise issues quickly. Many businesses utilise technologies such as VoIP services as a means to ensure they communicate effectively with each other.
VoIP allows team members to share multimedia files as well as video chat to ensure they can communicate to the highest level both internally and externally. Mobile devices also mean that team members should be able to be connected to the business network and a wider network infrastructure, 24 hours a day.
It is now possible to find employees from around the world to help your business achieve their targets. This is particularly useful for technical disciplines whereby it might be hard to find qualified people. Being able to build remote teams and build out multisite organisations can allow businesses to take full advantage of global talent and resources.
It’s worth thinking about the type of employees who will work well in a digital environment and who embrace new technologies. Although a remote team member may not be physically in an office, the rest of the team needs to be confident they are working hard and doing all they can to achieve goals and targets. Being confident using project management software or video chat is an effective way for these team members to help be present on a project, without needing to physically be present.
Network Infrastructure
It is very risky for a business to rely solely on websites and apps for their communication. It is even riskier to rely on cheap Wifi options and home broadband to access these websites and apps. Building a network infrastructure to suit the needs and demands of your business and the employees will ensure there are no nasty surprises.
Many businesses are risking a lot with cloud storage that they don’t fully understand. PureComms CEO (Rob Vivian), discusses this in detail in this blog post. Data and information lies at the centre of most businesses and if access to this data drops, even for a few hours, businesses can be brought to a standstill.
It’s no good getting excited about all the latest apps and software that could help your business, if your connectivity and access to this data isn’t reliable. The telecommunications systems that a business implements will determine the speed, access and efficiency at using the internet and phone systems.
Data security and data privacy are also trending topics as more businesses hold personal data about their customers. Data breaches can be devastating to a business and their customers and if it is seen that the business didn’t follow correct data security measures, it may face serious consequences.
All these arguments point to ensuring a network infrastructure of hardware, equipment and software has been mapped out for the business. This will mean it can access the information and services it needs at a level that is reliable and comprehensive.
For multisite organisations, they want to ensure each location can access and share relevant information and communicate effectively. This is how large businesses can provide very coordinated customer service or sales operations through this comprehensive network infrastructure that supports communication.
Systems and Processes
The final key step to ensuring your remote or multisite business flourishes, is ensuring there are systems and processes established for all team members. Once you’ve found the perfect team, and set up a telecommunications network that can support business aims and objectives, a business needs to create the systems and processes that ensure each team member is doing a job that will impact business aims.
Each team member and business location needs to know what the expectations and goals are for them. This will help them structure their days and understand what to prioritise. Remote teams are often more effective as they end up focusing entirely on achieving a project/task, as opposed to clocking in and clocking out.
It’s useful to schedule internal calls and meetings with teams and individuals regularly to ensure the business maintains good company culture through the workforce. For multisite teams, it is important there is a strong flow of communication between each location/office to ensure each office feels appreciated and valued. Each office should be well connected to the main business and be able to communicate and access resources seamlessly.
Technology and Communication through PureComms
Here at PureComms we operate through 2 offices and practice what we preach in terms of valuing the need for reliable telecoms for multisite businesses. We are passionate about showing businesses how they can maximise their operations through comprehensive telecommunications. If your business is in need of some better connectivity or network infrastructure, then let one our friendly team help you get started.
