The coronavirus outbreak has become increasingly gripping with a surge of COVID-19 positive cases in a number of countries including Indonesia. President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has taken several steps to suppress the spread of the virus, including issuing policies and appeals to both civil servants and the wider community to work online from home.
Fear caused by the coronavirus outbreak has caused a number of countries such as South Korea, Italy, and Iran to enforce isolation in certain regions to prevent human-to-human contact which is one of the reasons behind the rapid spread of the virus.
It’s no surprise that a number of corporations are providing dispensation for their employees to work from home. However, if not managed properly, this could potentially cut productivity and negatively impact the company’s finances.
The rapid spread of the coronavirus is forcing many companies around the world to quickly implement initiatives to manage the work environment in order to maintain business productivity. Workers who previously relied on attendance and physical activity in the office have switched to ‘virtual working’ or ‘digital workplaces’. Therefore, office productivity tools are believed to be one of the means of maintaining business productivity while ensuring limits on direct human contact.
Time is of the essence here and Indonesian companies must act now. Globally, several countries, including Indonesia, continue to confirm the increasing spread of the virus, which will of course lead to more infections in the future. The potential increase in the number of positive cases could put companies in Indonesia at risk of having to halt their operations.
On the other hand, Indonesian companies have also been less responsive in implementing modern systems of working remotely for their employees compared to what is being done by global companies. This is despite the fact that in the midst of the booming news of the widespread corona outbreak, the trend of modern remote work systems has become increasingly popular. Supported by a number of digital tools ranging from conference calls via the web, to online applications-based meetings, virtual collaboration in email and multimedia platforms.
In the current uncertainty of the coronavirus epidemic, most global companies have encouraged their employees to work from home — otherwise known as “WFH” — in particular, for those with health issues and flu-like symptoms. Some large organisations, such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Twitter, have encouraged their employees around the world to work from their private residences until further notice.[1] Online meetings using cloud technology and office productivity tools have been widely used to comply with instructions to prevent the spread of the virus, while allowing employees to continue to work from home and collaborate on work-related matters with their colleagues.
The development of digital technology has been able to provide solutions in such extreme circumstances. But unfortunately, the majority of companies in Indonesia are still not optimally using work collaboration technology. Many companies in Indonesia still think pragmatically, looking for solutions that don’t involve having to invest in collaboration technology. This is not to mention the complexity factor and user experience in terms of employees not yet familiar with using the latest digital technology.
Actually, a good work collaboration technology solution can connect devices owned by employees such as smartphones and office laptops through internet access to enable employees to work remotely. In choosing remote technology solutions and work strategies, organisations can consider suitable software that makes things easier for users such as software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions. Microsoft Teams, for instance, is the most innovative hub for teamwork that available within Office 365. All team conversations, files, meetings, and apps live together in a single shared workspace, and you can take it with you on your favorite mobile device. Whether you’re sprinting towards a deadline or sharing your next big idea, the solution can help business to achieve more even through remote environment.
In short, to adapt to the increasingly widespread nature of the virus, Indonesian companies must consider technology solutions for remote work management. It is also necessary to consider whether workers have the ability to work virtually wherever they are, using existing devices and applications. Workplaces in Indonesia must be responsive to the needs of employees, from the lower levels to top management. Appropriate office productivity tools and technology are believed to be able to help those in leadership to navigate this unexpected situation.
Telkomtelstra sees the urgency of this situation and will show you
how to be work from home ready. One of the most reliable and popular
productivity solutions out in the market is Office 365 as part of a
Software-as-a-Service cloud solution can provide facilities for employees from
top management to lower levels to work flexibly from all devices remotely long
distance. Office 365 is integrated with Microsoft Teams service, which is an
integrated communication and collaboration platform that combines workplace
chat, video meeting, file storage (including collaboration in files), and
integration of work applications from Microsoft. This solution allows employees
to work anywhere and anytime with supporting features to collaborate online
from telephone, video call, file sharing, to editing files together in one
document.
The time is now to act failure to do so can mean
loss of productivity and profit for your company. Let Telkomtelstra help your
company be work from home ready today..(*)
[1] Cited from https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/5/21166686/coronavirus-amazon-google-facebook-microsoft-twitter-seattle-staff-remote-work