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How to Keep Your Hybrid Team Connected
Mon Jun 12, 2023 | Ameritel Corporation
Keeping your hybrid team connected is easier than ever with the available cloud options and latest technology. Distance no longer has to impact the productivity of your team, and you can continue collaborating from wherever you might be. Adopting hybrid work can give time back to your team and improve their sense of fulfillment with their job.
But how do you set your hybrid team up for the best success you can?
Implementing new systems is an important start, while equipping your team with the right technology is the cherry on top. Most of our day-to-day workflows can now be translated to a digital setting. From office printing to document sharing, everything can be seamlessly integrated to boost your hybrid team’s collaborative efforts.
Optimizing Your Current Workflows
Whether your team is considering adopting a hybrid work model or has already begun implementing it, it’s important to take a step back and reflect on your current workflows. There could be some loose-ends that you might not have considered that need refining with your new processes. Most “snags” in teams’ workflows occur when processes have to be halted for one reason or another. This can be especially trying for those who have to rely on another team member to help complete a job. If your team is spread out between offices, this might be a major concern for you. Luckily, there are lots of helpful solutions available to you.
One method that teams are adopting is workflow automation. They can take tasks that are simple enough, such as invoicing and file sorting, and allow an automated system to complete them. This will free up more time in your team’s day to focus on impending deadlines and collaborative work. It’s especially important that you maintain positive collaboration for your hybrid team, as collaboration can help boost morale. Employees who collaborate in their workplace are cited as being 17% more satisfied in their job and workplace culture than those who don’t (Envoy). Employees who collaborate are also more effective at completing their tasks by 50% (Envoy), helping to improve your team’s productivity and ensuring mission critical tasks are completed on time.
Workplace automation can also help to reduce the number of errors that your team makes. Stress and worrying about minor tasks can take time away from your team members, and it does nothing to boost morale when leaders have to point out a mistake that’s been made. Automation can help reduce these instances and improve your current workflows.
Some other helpful things to incorporate in your hybrid workplace are managed services. Take managed print services, for example. They help to reduce the need for your team to continuously monitor and maintain your print fleet by having a dedicated outsourced team tracking your print levels. They further boost your workflows by implementing smarter systems, such as routing print jobs to the most optimal device and automating your supplies management. These services can be especially helpful for hybrid teams, who need their print flows optimized as they manage the print efforts of many offices. An even bigger bonus for your team will be if you incorporate mobile print options (something we highly recommend you do!)
Incorporating Mobile Printing for Your Hybrid Team
Cloud-based and mobile printing are some of the most effective methods for keeping your hybrid team connected, enabling them to collaborate both in and out of the office. As you make the effort to optimize your workflows, be sure that you don’t overlook the importance of print during your review. Even people who are working from home say that they’re still relying on print, with almost 80% of people saying they print the same or more (HP). This means that you’ll need to pay close attention to how your team is printing and ways that you can improve your current methods. Cloud-based and mobile printing is definitely the way to go!
With mobile printing, your team can send their print jobs back to the office while working remotely. This means that no one will be stuck waiting for a team member to return to the office just to receive a crucial document. Documents can be sent back and forth securely between offices, and your team members can set up pins or passwords so that only the person meant to receive the document will.
Another great function for mobile printing is the ability to edit documents directly on the printer’s screen. Many new printers will have an option for this, allowing teammates to make any necessary changes to a document before printing them. This will improve the collaborative efforts of your hybrid team and your processes by mitigating some of the back and forth communication that would be needed to complete tasks.
By further pairing your mobile print efforts with managed print services, you’ll be setting your team up for more efficient printing! Managed print teams will help design detailed plans for your hybrid team that are unique to their print needs. They will consider your entire fleet and figure out which device would work best for mobile print efforts and how to keep your team well supplied in case the flow of print increases.
Digitizing Your Files
Remember how collaboration can improve your team’s satisfaction and help them complete tasks more effectively? Well, a great way to collaborate is to implement a digital file sharing system. Much like how mobile printing helps to better connect teams, digitizing your files is an excellent way to boost productivity and see tasks completed even quicker. Instead of having to wait to review a file at the office, digital files can be accessed from anywhere by the authorized personnel. You’ll be freeing up more time for your team by digitizing too.
Currently, the average team member spends approximately 1.8 hours a day looking for documents (McKinsey). When you pair this time with the “wait period” for hybrid workers––who might have to wait until they’re back at the office to track down these documents–– you’re looking at a lot of wasted time! To eliminate this, your hybrid team should implement a digital file sharing system. This will give all that time back to each member of your team. It will also boost the overall satisfaction of your team, as they won’t feel that your organization’s processes are bogged down by unnecessary time-wasting efforts.
With digital files, it’s as easy as typing in the document you’re looking for, hitting search, and voila! There it is! Your team can then edit the digital document directly themselves or work on it together with team members. This will be especially useful for hybrid teams, as they can connect from anywhere and still collaborate efficiently.
Ready to Improve Your Hybrid Team’s Processes?
The Ameritel team has lots of experience with helping teams like yours improve their workflows. We’re more than happy to sit down with you and find the best possible solutions for your hybrid team. Whether it’s our print management solutions or our mobile print options, we’re equipped with the right know-how to help you improve your processes.
Reach out today to learn more!
The right technology can make all the difference!
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The right technology can make all the difference!
Read our blog to learn all of our technology tips and tricks.
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