Curbed travel. Canceled events. Closed schools. COVID-19 is jolting up how we communicate, and the workplaces are no exception. As businesses brace for COVID-19, the occurrence of remote work is set to rise steeply, as will the requirements for well-honed best practices. The capability to rapidly implement effective remote work processes is what will differentiate the winners from the losers.

The intensification of remote work popularity is because of the evolution of technologies like ultra-fast internet connections and mobile devices. Tools such as cloud-based storage solutions also empower individuals to collaborate with colleagues instantly from anywhere in the world.

Sustaining Business Continuity by Going Remote

While the judges may be out on the advantages of remote work, in general, undoubtedly, it can be the best option during crisis scenarios. Whether it is an outbreak like COVID-19, a natural disaster, or a security threat, remote working can safeguard employees and ensure business continuity during testing times.

Sustaining business functions during the disruption demands meticulous planning, streamlined communications, and a well-versed understanding of employee requirements and preferences. Digital workplaces can be leveraged to keep everyone informed, encourage collaboration amongst the scattered workforce, and centralize crisis response efforts.

How can Intranet Support?

When the business continuity is on the line, the intranet can be helpful in the following ways to help weather the storm:

1.  Keeps remote teams connected

Regardless of the industry or the office setting, employees are supposed to communicate efficiently. While most businesses leverage email platforms, email can only go so far. Did you know an average employee checks their email roughly 36 times a day? That is much distraction.

Intranet empowers people to communicate in real-time or face-to-face via instant messaging and video chats. This means groups can resolve issues and brainstorm keys from one simple platform. The intranet ensures no more lost communications in an email thread. Intranets are also a terrific tool to nurture a healthy company culture. Senior management can leverage the platform to share the organizational vision and objectives, promote ideas, and share topics of interest. HR professionals could post policy updates and new initiatives to keep employees engaged. Employees will feel more engaged in their workplace due to better internal communications.

2.  Boosts Employee Productivity

Even with the growth of the digital workplace, several businesses still use manual and paper processes to manage tasks. The intranet platform tackles these challenges by streamlining several processes to amplify employee productivity. Businesses that embrace automation are known to save time and cut down on human errors.

Depending on manual processes is a great time-waster. Employees must find the latest version of a document, fill it out, scan it, then email it to the appropriate stakeholder. On an intranet platform, all these tasks can be carried out online in an effortless manner.  The stakeholder is then notified through email and is reminded to act promptly.

3.  Makes Information Sharing Effortless

Regardless of where employees work, businesses have much information to store. Data is stored across numerous platforms like emails, word docs, Google Drive, etc. making finding information an arduous task. Instead, leveraging an intranet platform as a central, one-stop-shop for all business information means it will be hassle-free for employees to see what they require. The intranet must possess strong search capabilities so that employees can quickly locate relevant information.

One of the most remarkable advantages of having a single source for information is the familial information gained by everyone in the company. This can be an enormous competitive benefit for an organization, cutting downtime to onboard new employees, saving the knowledge from those who have left the organization, and making this accessible to present employees. Acknowledging that all the information an employee might require is trusted and accessible enables them to work faster and feel more confident in the work they produce.

4.  Keeps your Data Secure

Every business has confidential files or information that requires to be kept private. There are several types of internal and external threats that could compromise company data. Security violations, weak passwords, and unauthorized access could jeopardize everyone. An intranet is a closed, private network that safeguards businesses from unauthorized users. With a platform like this, employees working remotely can keep their projects safe.

While the intranet contains information that is useful to all employees, not everything is relevant to everyone. Some businesses want to restrict access to sensitive data. Remote businesses can create custom privacy settings, so only specific people can have access to information.  This adds an extra layer of security against everyone who may hack into your system.

5.  Improves Collaboration and Feedback

The finest way to encourage employees to make use of the intranet is to pull them in. Employees will naturally leverage a tool when they are drawn in by their peers or their work. Intranets have smart features like @-mentions, comments, easy document sharing, or some form of notifications. Leveraging mentions and comments facilitate to bring in the right people at the right time to add to work and keeps all feedback and contributions contextual.

A seasoned intranet facilitates real-time page editing with teammates and task assignments with deadlines. Having a central place to capture feedback and working with the team encourages collaboration, since all data is available to involved stakeholders and updates are in real-time.

6.  Helps build Transparent Company Culture

To bring out the best in employees, businesses need to create a space to feel comforting sharing thoughts and opinions. 87% of people want to work for a transparent company. An intranet can help building a transparent company. Everyone can contribute, like, and comment on anything shared within the organization, enabling transparency between execs and employees.

When employees feel empowered to open up realistically at work, they build robust relationships with peers. This nurtures a deeper understanding of one another, leads to more substantial levels of trust, and ultimately empowers everyone to contribute their value to the business thoroughly.

Provide employees with what they need to make the most of remote work

Doesn’t matter if the remote work is a longstanding policy or an interim solution, employees require support to flourish. If you are interested in implementing an intranet that optimizes collaboration and performance from any location, reach out to one of our digital workplace experts.