Microsoft
How to Create a Modern Workplace with Tech
Creating a modern workplace is all about using the right technology to make work easier, safer, and more efficient. With the right tools, employees can collaborate better, work from anywhere, and stay connected. This guide will show how technology can transform your workplace and take it to the next level.
Cloud solutions are a big part of modern workplaces. They allow you to store data and run applications over the internet, making it easy for employees to access what they need from anywhere. This boosts flexibility and ensures that everyone can work together seamlessly. The cloud also makes it easier to manage IT resources and reduces the need for expensive hardware.
Another key aspect is using the latest collaboration tools. These tools help teams communicate more effectively, share information, and work on projects together, no matter where they are. Think about video conferencing, instant messaging, and file-sharing platforms that make teamwork a breeze. When employees can collaborate effortlessly, productivity soars.
Security and compliance are also crucial in a modern workplace. With cyber threats on the rise, it’s important to protect your data and ensure that your systems meet industry standards. A secure IT setup not only keeps your information safe but also builds trust with your clients. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to create a modern workplace using tech, from cloud solutions to robust IT infrastructure.
Embracing Cloud Solutions
Benefits of Cloud Solutions in the Workplace
Cloud solutions are revolutionising the way we work. One of the biggest benefits is flexibility. Employees can access files and applications from anywhere with an internet connection. This means they can work from home, on the road, or in the office with ease. Flexibility boosts productivity and allows for a better work-life balance.
Cloud solutions also save money. They reduce the need for expensive hardware and maintenance costs. Instead of buying and managing servers, businesses can use cloud services that offer scalable storage and computing power. You only pay for what you use, making it cost-effective.
Another advantage is collaboration. Cloud platforms make it easy for teams to work on documents together in real time. Everyone sees the latest version of a file, and changes are saved automatically. This speeds up project completion and ensures everyone is on the same page.
Implementation Tips for Cloud Services
When implementing cloud services, start by evaluating your needs. Consider what applications and data will move to the cloud. Next, choose a reliable cloud service provider. Look for one with a strong track record, good security practices, and responsive customer support.
Planning is crucial. Develop a migration plan that outlines how and when the move to the cloud will happen. Train your staff so they know how to use the new tools and understand the benefits. Make sure to include a way to back up data to prevent loss during the transition.
Monitoring and optimisation are key. After moving to the cloud, continually monitor its performance. Use built-in tools to track usage and identify any issues. Regularly review your cloud setup to ensure it meets the needs of your business and consider making adjustments as needed.
Enhancing Collaboration with Modern Tools
Overview of Essential Collaboration Tools
Modern workplaces thrive on collaboration tools. One essential tool is video conferencing software. Applications like Microsoft Teams or Zoom allow for face-to-face meetings without being in the same room. This makes meetings more productive and fosters a sense of connection among remote teams.
Instant messaging platforms are also crucial. Tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams provide a quick way to communicate, share information, and collaborate on projects. They help reduce email clutter and keep conversations organised by topics or projects.
File-sharing services, such as OneDrive or Google Drive, are indispensable. They allow team members to store, share, and work on documents together. Changes are synchronised instantly, so everyone always has the latest version. This streamlines workflows and improves efficiency.
How to Foster Effective Team Communication
Effective communication is key to any successful team. Start by encouraging open and honest conversations. Make sure everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and feedback. Create regular check-ins, such as daily or weekly meetings, to keep everyone updated.
Set clear goals and expectations. When everyone knows what is expected, they can focus better on their tasks. Use collaboration tools to track progress and keep everyone aligned. Clearly defined roles also help minimise confusion and overlap.
Provide training on collaboration tools. Ensure that all team members understand how to use the tools effectively. Offer tutorials, guides, and ongoing support. The more comfortable they are with the technology, the better they will communicate and collaborate.
By implementing these practices and tools, you can create a workplace environment where collaboration thrives and productivity soars.
Ensuring Security and Compliance
Importance of Cybersecurity in a Modern Workplace
Cybersecurity is crucial in a modern workplace. Protecting your data and systems from cyber threats helps ensure that your operations run smoothly. A security breach can lead to data loss, financial damage, and a loss of trust from customers. For these reasons, investing in strong cybersecurity measures is vital.
Hackers and cybercriminals are always looking for vulnerabilities in your systems. Without proper security measures, your business is at risk. Implementing firewalls, anti-virus software, and regular security audits can help protect your business. Educating employees about security practices, such as recognising phishing emails and using strong passwords, also strengthens your defence.
Data compliance is another important aspect. Many industries have strict rules about how data should be handled and protected. Ensuring your business complies with these regulations helps avoid penalties and legal issues. It also demonstrates to your customers that you take their privacy seriously.
Steps to Achieve Compliance with Industry Standards
Achieving compliance with industry standards involves several steps. First, identify which regulations apply to your business. Different industries have different requirements, so it’s important to know what is expected of you. Research the rules and guidelines related to your sector.
Next, conduct a thorough assessment of your current practices. Identify any gaps or areas that need improvement. This might include reviewing how data is stored, who has access to it, and how information is transmitted. Implement necessary changes to bring your practices in line with industry standards.
Documentation is key. Maintain records of your compliance efforts, including policies, procedures, and audit results. This documentation can serve as proof of your efforts and provide a roadmap for ongoing compliance. Regularly update these documents to reflect any changes in regulations or business processes.
Training your staff is essential. Make sure employees understand the importance of compliance and are familiar with relevant policies and procedures. Regular training sessions can help keep everyone informed and vigilant about maintaining compliance.
Optimising IT Infrastructure
Key Components of a Modern IT Setup
A modern IT setup includes several key components. First, there’s the hardware, like servers, computers, and networking equipment. Using up-to-date hardware ensures your systems run efficiently and can handle the demands of your business.
Next, consider the software. This includes operating systems, applications, and security software. Make sure all software is up-to-date and properly licensed. This helps prevent compatibility issues and security vulnerabilities.
Network infrastructure is also crucial. Reliable and fast internet connections, along with robust networking equipment, keep your business connected. This includes routers, switches, and Wi-Fi access points. Ensure your network is properly configured and secure.
Data storage solutions are vital. Whether you use on-premises storage, cloud storage, or a hybrid approach, make sure you have enough capacity and redundancy to protect your data. Regular backups are essential to prevent data loss.
Strategies for Ongoing IT Maintenance and Support
Regular maintenance keeps your IT infrastructure running smoothly. Start with routine check-ups of your hardware and software. This includes updating software, applying security patches, and checking for any potential issues. Schedule these updates during off-peak hours to minimise disruptions.
Monitoring your systems in real-time can help spot issues before they become major problems. Use monitoring tools to keep an eye on system performance, network traffic, and security events. Set up alerts to notify you of any unusual activity.
Having a support plan is essential. Establish a helpdesk or support team that employees can contact when they encounter IT issues. This team should be knowledgeable and responsive, able to resolve problems quickly to minimise downtime.
Finally, invest in ongoing training for your IT staff. Technology is always evolving, and keeping your team up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices ensures your infrastructure remains efficient and secure. Regular training sessions and certifications can help maintain a high level of expertise.
Conclusion
Creating a modern workplace with technology involves embracing cloud solutions, enhancing collaboration, ensuring security, and optimising IT infrastructure. By using cloud services, businesses can provide flexibility and reduce costs. Collaboration tools help teams work together more effectively, regardless of location. Strong cybersecurity measures protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with industry standards. A well-maintained IT infrastructure supports efficient and reliable operations.
At ItVisions, we specialise in helping businesses create modern workplaces through innovative technology solutions. From cloud solutions to comprehensive IT support services, we’ve got the expertise to transform your workplace. Ready to take your business to the next level? Contact ItVisions today to learn how we can help!
Roadmapping Your Digital Strategy
I think we can all agree that if you want to have a successful business you need to have a strategy, right? As a leader or business owner, you have talked to your mentors and valued advisors, accountants and lawyers and you all concur with the plan. It is simple and effective, right? You know your target market, your product/service mix is clear, partners and suppliers are identified and supporting technologies chosen. Your workforce knows what they need to do to be successful and your differentiators and go-to-market strategy for 2023 and beyond have an edge on the competition. No need to waste time documenting it when that will take time away from actually executing it, right? WRONG!
You see, something happens when you start to write down the plan that is in your head and in the heads of other members of your team. What was once a group of (perhaps well ordered) thoughts, becomes a visual image in the form of words. Still not crystal clear, but a lot clearer, especially to new team members or those with a different (read diverse) background, education or perspective. These team members, likely to be the senior members of your business, will then ask questions to clarify their understanding and they will give new information and opinions that supplement what you thought were the best possible ideas. The strategy will get tweaked and sometimes parts of it will change completely based on the new information and additional viewpoints. At the end of this process the strategy is likely to be much better than it was when it was rolling around inside your own brain.
Another thing happens during this process; something far more powerful than the improvement of the strategy itself! The communication process leads to engagement, alignment and commitment to the execution of the strategy. Add to this the action planning process to map out the execution of the strategy over time and you have something even more potent, because once you start measuring the execution of the plan, you can better manage its implementation. What you measure, you can manage. Don’t ever forget this concept; what you measure, you can manage. A dearth in measurement makes the day to day, tactical management of any strategy nigh on impossible.
The same communication, improvement, alignment and commitment magic occurs whether we are talking about the development of an overarching business strategy, a marketing strategy, a HR strategy or a product development strategy. To show you how this can work for your business, the below looks more closely at the development and articulation of a digital strategy and tactical execution via a road-map.
Development and Execution of a Digital Roadmap – Understanding the Battle Field
Today’s business strategy, both the theory and its practice, has roots embedded in military warfare. How far back and from what nation or civilisation…it’s not clear. One thing that is clear though, is that you cannot fight a war (or build a business) in a void. Imagine a battlefield. Be it thick lush rainforest, sand dunes or mulga scrub, the terrain will impact your attack and defence plans. How about the competition, your enemies; Sun Tzu’s famous quote is instructive, “Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.” In the business context this is about understanding the competition and their product/service offering, being clear on your own offering and the underlying capabilities of your team and your organisation. Apply this to the development of a digital strategy and roadmap and ask yourself:
- What does the digital environment look like; is it dated racks, servers and MSDos-esque software, or best of breed, cloud based systems?
- What is the existing digital security like? E8 compliant, or wormholes everywhere?
- How supportable is the existing technology infrastructure, both locally and remotely?
- How manageable or useable is the hardware, especially in a hybrid world; old desktops or is there a fleet of slick new, work-anywhere laptops
Once you have answered these questions you are only just at the starting line. You have positioned yourself on the roadmap to your technological future. In process mapping terms, you have adequately described your “As Is”. In order to get to your “To Be” position, more thought is required:
- What is the objective of the technology to be used; what business plans and outcomes must it support?
- Is the existing technology infrastructure scalable to support business growth in terms of volume, users, geographic diversity etc.?
- What is falling apart and in need of urgent attention/replacement to avoid a catastrophic breakdown in production/revenue?
- What systems are limiting business growth?
- What software is out of date, unsupported or nearing end-of-life?
- What improvements will create a huge step change in the way you execute your business, or, will create multiple time/cost efficiencies that will, over time, accumulate to have a significant impact on systems reliability, security or performance?
Answering the above questions is instructive in understanding where you want to be in your digital landscape; at first glance. However, this stage of the digital road-mapping process also invites a lot more questions that generate options. And these options need to be considered and evaluated. Once the options are considered and decisions are made, there is the matter of priorities. How do these changes and improvements fit into the overall business strategy roadmap? And what is the financial cost?
However, before you do this I’d encourage you to ask yourself one more question; “Do I want to play the game, change the rules or change the game”?
Play the Game, Change the Rules or Change the Game
This is a question of innovation appetite. Do you want to use technology to create a competitive advantage against your opponents? Is this even possible in your industry?
Perhaps you just want to play the game: this means limiting spend, working technology assets hard and minimising risks as they become evident. Perhaps this is enough to support the business in the executing of its overall strategy and satisfies the ROI expectations of the investors. No problem! Consider the options, make your priorities and create your digital roadmap.
Or perhaps you want to play the game and also change some of the rules to give you a technological advantage over the competition: this means exploring technology options more broadly, considering tech advances and learnings from other industries, taking measured risks and investing in the future, rather than protecting what you have now. This strategy is likely to raise some investor eyebrows and elicit concerns. However, through solid research and a bit of effort, risks can be identified and mitigated. No problem! Consider the options, make your priorities and create your digital roadmap.
Finally, for all of the out of the box thinkers out there, maybe you want to implement a new/untested technology in your industry or geographic market; one that will put the cat amongst the pigeons. Consider a technology that you or one of your people saw while abroad on holidays, or imagined while thinking deeply on a significant business challenge. Maybe you could create your own technology, like ItVisions has done with the in-house development of its proprietary Adonis ITSM, or otherwise change the game through the application of an existing technology in a way that has never before been imagined? This strategy is very likely to create some opposition amongst the powers that be! Unless of course there is open communication, deep consideration of the risks and plans to mitigate them, alignment, and ultimately a firm commitment to the plan. Once again, no problem, create your digital roadmap.
Measure and Manage across the 5 Digital Pillars
The last this to consider for any complete roadmap is addressing the 5 digital pillars:
- Security
- Supportability
- Manageability / Useability
- Scalability
- Future/Growth
Most of these have been touched on above. However the main reason for repeating them here is a reminder to consider how your business will measure the success of roadmap implementation for each of the pillars. Once again this will depend largely on your digital landscape and business strategy. Remember, regardless of the way you measure success, make it transparent for the appropriate people in your team to support the management of the plan. Partnering with a trusted MSP like ItVisions can make this entire process seamless.
Summary
In summary, any successful business that relies on technology needs a digital strategy and roadmap. The strategy/roadmap development and communication process leads to engagement, alignment and commitment to the execution of the strategy. While developing your roadmap, first seek to understand your digital landscape and be clear on how technology must be integrated and configured to support the overall business strategy. Decide if you want to play the game, change the rules or change the game. Do the work to manage and mitigate the risks of your chosen approach, then prioritise, set you budget and finalise your digital strategy. Finally, don’t forget to consider the 5 digital pillars and measure progress to ensure you are able to successfully manage the execution of your roadmap. Happy travels!
Cyber Security and Working From Home
Since the inception of COVID-19 there has been a significant increase in people working from home, and as lockdowns and restrictions ease people are remaining at home. COVID has redefined the modern workplace and consequently, IT support and digital and cybersecurity protocols need to keep up with this evolution to ensure protection for your business and workforce. Whilst working home has a wide range of benefits it can open businesses and staff to cybersecurity risks and as a result, precautions and considerations should be taken to reduce any cybersecurity threats. Common cybersecurity issues, such as phishing, are typically managed by office digital and IT support departments; however, when your workforce is dispersed it can be challenging to manage these cyber attack attempts. With a cyber attack occuring every 39 seconds, it’s never been more important to ensure you are protected. Thankfully, there are measures and precautions that can be taken by a remote workforce to reduce the likelihood of any cyber issues.
Set Strong and Frequently Changed Passwords
One of the easiest ways to protect yourself when working from home is to ensure that you are using a strong and unique password to maximise your password protection across devices and platforms.
It is recommended that you have a unique password for each device and platform, so that should one be breached your other platforms are not impacted. Your password should include a variety of symbols, numbers, upper and lower case letters, and not be something easily guessed like a pet’s name or your birthday. Changing your passwords regularly can also help mitigate any potential breaches, as old passwords become devoid of value once updated and can’t be used in a cyber attack should they become compromised.
Use antivirus and internet security software
With a wealth of malware out there, investing in a highly secure antivirus software is invaluable for your business and your team.
As hackers are evolving their techniques and strategies to exploit vulnerabilities of those working from home, these attacks could leave your business open to DDoS attacks, malware, spyware, and ransomware attacks. Antivirus software can help protect your business across a variety of breaches including malware, spyware and viruses, trojans, worms, phishing scams, and zero-day attacks.
Running in the background, antivirus software is one of the best strategies to utilise to keep you and your business safe and protected.
Multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication is a security measure that requires multiple proofs of identity for verification prior to granting access to a platform or device. To do this, the software requests a combination of something the user would know (pin, privacy question), something they have (card, token), or something unique to the individual (fingerprint, eyescan).
As multi-factor authentication is quite challenging to bypass, incorporating this level of authentication mitigates potential breaches and can alert you to a breach attempt should one occur.
Patch Operating Systems and Software
Patches refer to software and operating system updates that address security weaknesses within a software application or product. When software updates become available, vendors will typically make them available for download on their website or via an app store if it’s a mobile device. Installing these updates as soon as they become available can help to protect your phone, laptop, computer, and other devices against digital and cyber attacks.
Take care to ensure that any updates that are downloaded from trusted vendor sites, and that you are not downloading software via a link in an email. Attackers will often use emails to direct users to malicious sites under the guise of a legitimate site or service and as a result, users will inadvertently download malware to their device.
Who Can Help?
Cybersecurity can be intimidating, particularly when your workforce is remote or you don’t have experience within the field. ItVisions specialise in cybersecurity for businesses of all sizes. Utilising the ACSC Essential Eight, a series of baseline strategies extracted from the ‘Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents Document’, ItVisions’s IT Support can help you to maximise your digital security. To learn about how you can improve your cybersecurity and ensure your business and workforce are protected from cyber threats and attacks, reach out to our expert team today!