Whether your project team is new to working remotely or you’ve been leveraging offsite team members and other professionals for a while, now and then you may need support in making a dispersed workforce more efficient and effective. Adding remote work arrangements to project management can pay big dividends in productivity and employee retention, but most teams benefit from some targeted help in the early days of the transition.
We’ve put together a list of resources you may consider reaching out to as part of your remote access support structure.
Your organization’s human resources department. Stay in touch with your HR representatives as you implement remote access for your team. Not only will they be instrumental in helping you navigate any personnel issues that come up—onboarding new hires or bringing in temporary staff to ease the organization through the transition—they’re also the experts when it comes to working through any challenges related to changes in how your team is structured, which managers oversee the various disciplines, and layoffs or other workforce reduction measures you may need to undertake as part of your response to impacts on the business landscape.
Internal IT experts. Your company’s technology group will play a critical role in facilitating your team’s move to dispersed work arrangements. They’re your best resource for questions about remote access to the corporate network, internal systems, and any data storage you’ll need to tap into while away from the office. They’ll be able to troubleshoot issues with video conferencing and other collaboration tools, plus assist with the setup of home-based networking devices. They can also help you resolve problems with login credentials for existing employees as well as new hires, determine the appropriate access permissions for team members to ensure they can get into the systems they need to do their jobs, and deploy any necessary security tools to protect the devices your group uses to connect while offsite.
External technology providers. If your IT department is also undergoing its own WFH shift, they may already be stretched thin. To help offload some less urgent questions and requests, your company’s technology vendors can be a good alternative source for support. Many have made tutorials available online to help answer common questions about a range of issues, from configuring the security settings on personal routers and firewalls to launching a video conference from a desktop application.
Project management consultancy partner. Many of the initial challenges project teams encounter when transitioning to remote work revolve around operational and workflow issues. Consider partnering with an experienced project management services firm to help you streamline your processes to maximize engagement and information sharing while minimizing communication hurdles and other common issues. They may also have solutions available to facilitate remote access to project data and updates, so ask about any technology capabilities that could support home-based employees and stakeholders.
Industry, networking, and trade associations. Whether you just aren’t sure which remote access tools to deploy or you’re looking for the most cost-effective options, a number of professional associations are offering assistance to their members. Some have developed partnerships with trusted providers to make technology tools available at reduced prices. Others have recommendations showing which platforms have the widest adoption in your industry. This can be helpful to know if you’re concerned about interoperability with business collaborators or other stakeholders.
Moving your organization’s important projects toward a successful completion remains a top priority during times of transition. By connecting with trusted support partners that already have strong experience making remote access work, you’ll help your team maintain progress on the initiatives that matter most.
PMAlliance, Inc offers project management consulting, project management training and projec