Travel pass: Pros may outweigh cons
IATA’s mobile application will allow travellers to store and manage certifications for Covid-19 tests or ...
A new global business survey commissioned by Xerox Holdings Corporation shows an estimated 82 per cent of the workforce in respondents’ organisations will have returned to the workplace in 12-18 months’ time, on average.
In preparation for a return, companies are investing in new resources to support a hybrid remote/ in-office workforce, with 56 per cent increasing technology budgets, and 34 per cent planning to speed their digital transformation as a result of Covid-19.
The Xerox Future of Work Survey, conducted by the independent research firm Vanson Bourne, polled 600 IT decision-makers, including senior C-level professionals, whose organisations have at least 500 employees.
Respondents reported challenges caused by the sudden transition to remote work, with 72 per cent citing that they were not fully prepared from a technology perspective. In addition to technology (29 per cent), the biggest pain points during the work from the home period were communication breakdown across teams/ employees (26 per cent) and maintaining focus (25 per cent).
Steve Bandrowczak, Xerox president and chief operations officer, said in an official statement: “While there is no doubt the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, our research found that over time many companies plan to have most employees back in an office environment. This could be for a variety of reasons, including communication, speed of decision-making and talent development.”
“At the same time, the sudden shut-down and ongoing hybrid work environment has exposed technology gaps that require new or additional investment in the coming months,” he added.
Prior to work from home requirements being imposed, 33 per cent of respondents said network/ data security and privacy was their biggest concern with a remote workforce. 24 per cent cited employee productivity, followed by 16 per cent citing technology infrastructure.
These concerns, coupled with the belief held by 95 per cent of respondents that in-person communication is important for personal development and assessing talent, indicate widespread remote work will not replace more traditional workspaces.
However, now that businesses are more comfortable with remote work, attitudes, and policies of C-suite leaders and IT decision-makers are shifting. Furthermore, 58 per cent plan to change their work from home policy within the next year, highlighting the need for companies to support a hybrid workforce.
The rapid transition to remote work was difficult for most businesses, with only 28 per cent saying they were fully prepared and 29 per cent citing technology as their biggest pain point.
With regard to technology specifically, respondents said their top challenges were remote IT support (35 per cent), inadequate workflow solutions (27 per cent), lack of communications and collaboration tools (22 per cent), and lack of cloud-based solutions (10 per cent). Eighty-five per cent of business leaders also missed the accessibility and ease of use of their office printers.
Further, as a result of technology gaps uncovered by having a mostly remote workforce, 70 per cent of IT firms globally are re-evaluating their budget spend, with companies increasing investment in remote technology resources (55 per cent) or a hybrid of remote and in-office resources (40 per cent).
The pandemic also has businesses prioritising investments in cloud-based software (65 per cent), remote IT (63 per cent) support, and collaboration software (52 per cent). Hardware such as laptops and printers was another important consideration.
The survey of 600 respondents located across the world was conducted by independent research firm Vanson Bourne in May last month. Respondents included IT decision-makers (including senior C-level professionals), all from organisations with at least 500 employees across a range of sectors, including business and professional services, retail, healthcare, financial services, and travel and hospitality.
IATA’s mobile application will allow travellers to store and manage certifications for Covid-19 tests or ...
A 2010 Act to regulate the medical sector flounders in implementation, even as healthcare remains ...
The scheme to boost local medtech manufacturing is timely, especially given the raging pandemic. But ...
Do pilots sleep on their job?
Fiscal stimulus, friendly monetary policy and firm commodity prices point towards normalcy, says the MD and ...
Price correction is a good opportunity for long-term investors to take the plunge
Q4 earnings, along with progress in controlling Covid-19 spread, will be in focus
Do keep in mind that premium may go up in case one of the members has a pre-existing condition
In an age of falling female workforce participation, worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic, policy makers and ...
Of an injured baby goat, young men on motorcycles and political tensions
It’s the birthday of Muttiah Muralitharan — the man who took a staggering 800 test wickets. What better way to ...
An ode to writer and great-uncle Ved Mehta, and Ekarat, the friend who wrote and quit on his own terms
Monotype’s 2021 type trends report points to a return to hand and the familiar
As ‘ear-points’ between a company and a customer grow, we are witnessing a rise in audio assets
‘Desi Twitter challenger’ Koo on connecting like-minded folks
Coca-Cola has just introduced an oat milk line in the US under its Simply brand. Smart move, say industry ...
Three years after its inception, compliance with GST procedures remains a headache for exporters, job workers ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies are altering the prospects for wooden toys of ...
Aequs Aerospace to create space for large-scale manufacture of toys at Koppal
And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ...
Please Email the Editor