Companies today are poised on the edge of a new frontier, the workplace is no longer restricted to a single location. The modern office is defined by technology rather than bricks and mortar. Working hubs, applications, remote log-in, mobile phones, mobile apps, cloud computing, information technology and paperless offices are just some of the technologies that make it possible for workplaces to exist anywhere, at any time. These distributed workplaces offer many new opportunities for greater productivity and higher ROI.
In this digital age, we no longer need significant amounts of expensive city space to run a business. Now, seats can be shared, staff can work remotely, and low-cost offshore employees can be engaged virtually. Video conferencing, an array of online collaborative work management tools and high-speed internet are making remote collaboration faster, easier and more accessible than ever. Only seven years ago, working remotely often involved slow connection speeds, frequent drop-outs and expensive information technology solutions. Whereas today cloud-based computing systems and high-speed connections have exponentially increased the quality of the remote working experience.
The advantages of these technological advancements have not gone unnoticed by the business world. Remote employees are now working part-time, full-time, for an hourly rate or project-based. As the demand for remote employees and new working arrangements increases, the range of companies offering contracting and employment opportunities have increased likewise. Unfortunately, the quality of these companies offering professional offshoring solutions varies dramatically.
If properly embraced and executed, engaging remote employees can greatly improve the speed, quality, and efficiency of work being done, resulting in higher output with reduced costs. Recognising this, many companies are fully embracing the opportunities of a distributed workforce. Working from small or even nonexistent central offices, a wide variety of services can be performed through distributed workplaces bound together by a virtual collaboration platform. As employees become accustomed to working this way and are equally as efficient, the potential for cost reduction becomes evident. Consider an employee working for you in the Philippines; costing on average 5 times less than your local staff member in Australia, but equally as qualified and efficient. The benefits are obvious.
The workplace as we know it has changed. Companies who recognise and embrace this have a guaranteed place in the future of business, whereas those who resist may soon find themselves with significantly less clients to provide their services to.