Page 27 - BusinessWest January 6, 2021

12/3/2020
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2021 >> W Technology
IT Expert Says It’s Time for Businesses to Move from
ISurvival to Growth
n 2020, virtually every business was caught off guard by pandemic restrictions, which forced them to focus primarily on ways to stabi- lize and survive. For those that are back in operation, 2021 offers a
chance to return to strategic growth — with the right tools.
“While businesses are not in control of whether or not there are second-
ary or terciary waves of infections, they can adopt a technology plan to sup- port their new workplace environment and ensure productivity,” said Sean Hogan, president of Hogan Technology.
While business owners may have been surprised that their employees actually kept working while remote, they also want to ensure the technol- ogy employees are using works, too, he noted.
“In 2020, many businesses were using workarounds to solve communi- cation breakdowns, but by now, there’s no reason for lapses in productivity,” he explained. “In fact, there are plenty of technology tools at our fingertips that businesses are utilizing successfully to keep team members engaged,
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SEAN HOGAN
The
Virt
“For this workplace-interaction strategy to be successful,
employees must be backed with https://www.tagn technology tools that support key functions.”
productive, and efficient, regardless of the physical limitations imposed by the pandemic.”
Successful small to mid-sized businesses are well aware of the benefits of strategic planning, Hogan noted, and even though the pandemic has posed unforeseen variables, businesses now have enough information to build workplace-interaction strategies that will support revenue growth in 2021. “Although businesses may consider themselves to be lucky to have survived, they need to expand their thinking in terms of setting new goals, instead of being caught in reaction mode once more.”
COVID-19 has forced companies to adapt, he went on, and at this point, every business owner essentially needs three distinct strategic plans for workplace interaction, and the most sophisticated businesses are creating contingency plans for all three potential environments.
The first is a fully remote workplace. Many organizations that were flex- ible enough to sustain a fully remote workforce have opted to keep every- one remote until further notice. Such a work environment presents its own unique set of challenges, Hogan said, but also new opportunities.
“For this workplace-interaction strategy to be successful, employees must be backed with technology tools that support key functions,” he explained. “For example, employees need to be empowered to remain in constant communication with other team members. Additionally, business owners need to provide them central access to data, with responsible levels of cybersecurity on the network.”
A remote team means more exposure to the network, he added, but it also brings more flexibility than ever before. A full transition to this model means the business won’t be interrupted by further restrictions or lockdowns.
The second model is a hybrid workplace, which majority of businesses believe will be the most likely scenario in 2021. Over the past year, com- panies have cycled through lock-
downs, partial openings, and full
reopenings depending on health-
Technology
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ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2021
JANUARY 6, 2021 27
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