The coronavirus pandemic has transformed how organizations and their employees operate by forcing many professionals into a work-from-anywhere model. Although some employees remain remote for the foreseeable future, others are starting their transition back to an office environment, putting pressure on companies to ensure their Telecom Expense Management (TEM) practices are prepared to handle the influx of staff members accessing their IT environments from the office and remotely.
A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) survey discovered that 75% of company executives polled anticipate that at least 50% of their employees will be back to working in the office by July 2021. Of the employees surveyed, 61% expect to be working in the office half of the time by this projected date.
As PwC asserts, “companies that may have been slow to adopt technologies that support remote work — or to create clear rules and a secure structure around WFH — are playing catch-up.” If your organization is preparing for employees returning to the office, follow these best practices to ensure your TEM solutions and TEM partners are up to the challenge of optimizing efficiency and cost-saving opportunities, reducing waste, and maximizing security.
Identify Your Working Model
Prior to implementing a TEM solution, your organization should first identify your employees’ new working model. Today’s workforce can be productive full-time in the office, at home, or split between the two. While some people are likely itching to get back into the office, others may prefer a more balanced approach. If you’re unsure which model is the best fit for your team members, try asking what their preference is to ensure they remain happy and engaged in performing their day-to-day tasks.
With employees working remotely, your organization will likely have to put some telecom billings on hold as you navigate next steps. Before reopening your office to full capacity, take a look at which telecom expenses should be prioritized and which employees need to be reprovisioned or reactivated to have appropriate access to your telecom environment. A trusted TEM provider can help your business determine which assets are necessary to maximize your employees’ productivity.
Make sure you collaborate with a TEM provider to analyze your telecom policies and ensure your employees can be accommodated, whether physically located in the office, working remotely, or participating in a hybrid working model.
The Benefits of TEM
The modern workforce has become more agile over time thanks to a myriad of interconnected devices that have made applications more accessible outside of an office setting. With a secure TEM platform and a trusted partner in place, your organization has the foundation needed to support an agile workforce thanks to:
- Complete asset inventory management and visibility to reduce costs and optimize spend
- Soft-cost management to more effectively evaluate invoices,
pay bills, validate charges, and process refunds
- 24/7 client support to meet ever-changing employee needs
Trust Your Users
Security has become increasingly more complicated during the work-from-anywhere revolution. Companies no longer have corporate data centers that are accessed by employees in the office, but have evolved to support different network gateways, devices, and applications that lead to increasing threats that put sensitive data at risk of exposure.
A leading TEM provider should be able to ensure your organization has access to the latest security measures that keep malicious hackers from accessing sensitive information. Recently, Zero-Trust Security has gained steam as a viable solution to safeguard telecom environments. If your business is planning on more employees working from the office in the near future, consider implementing Zero-Trust Security measures to:
- Encrypt data and block infected devices from accessing corporate data
- Leverage multi-factor authentication to require users to provide identity verification
- Selectively wipe or lock data from stolen devices or reset passwords
- Establish privileged access policies to ensure only system & network administrators (or specific employees)
can access system or network data
Before making a final decision about your employees returning to the office, consult a TEM provider about what security measures are needed—particularly those for mobile devices—to avoid unnecessary data breaches. A T-Mobile report found that 55% of companies cited mobile devices as the most vulnerable security threats to their businesses. The research also indicated that 41% of data breaches were traced back to lost smartphones, tablets, and laptops; mobile security cannot be overlooked with your employees returning to the office.
In addition to consulting a TEM vendor regarding mobile-device security, your business should also ensure a TEM partner offers 24/7 support to deliver quality services as employees seek wireless help desk, application & product, and policy & procurement portal support.
The business world has forever changed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although employees have thrived working from home, offices aren’t going anywhere any time soon. When it comes to your overarching IT environment, your telecom assets are essential for promoting productivity across the entire organization.
If your company is considering a return to the office, contact WidePoint Corporation
to discuss your unique telecom needs and ensure a smooth transition.
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WidePoint is a trusted TEM partner for Fortune 500 organizations and government agencies alike
providing Simple, Scalable and Secure TEM solutions.
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