In many ways, online productivity is about more than just giving your employees access to the wonders of modern technology – it’s about allowing them to work smarter, not harder, often for the first time. If your organization is looking for compelling new ways to increase online productivity in 2018 and beyond, there are a few key places where you’ll want to start.
Consider a Secondary Internet Service To Increase Office Productivity
Think for a moment about how much of your business is dependent on an active Internet connection. Now, think about how much productivity you would lose if that connection went offline for even an hour. According to one recent study, this type of downtime in the United States cost businesses a collective $700 billion in 2016 alone. To make matters worse, an estimated 78% of these costs were directly related to reduced worker productivity as a result.
This, in essence, is why a secondary Internet service is so important. This is a completely redundant, totally independent network that offers both wireless and fixed-point access with NO underground cables or wires to get damaged. More than that, many providers like Phoenix Internet guarantee 99.999% uptime to make sure that your business is able to move forward no matter what.
If your primary Internet connection goes down, your entire operation can switch over to the redundant network and keep right on moving while repairs are made. At that point, lost productivity – at least that which is caused by sudden and unpredictable Internet outages – become a thing of the past.
Consider Allowing Employees to Work Remotely
Thanks to technologies like video conferencing, cloud computing and more, working from home is a trend that has picked up steam in a significant way over the last few years. This is with good reason, too – remote workers are typically more productive than their office-bound counterparts thanks to a meaningful shift in their environment.
Remote workers don’t just have fewer distractions to deal with – they tend to be more focused on the task at hand, too. One study revealed that remote workers tend to be about 13.5% more productive than those who are still working in the office, which is about the equivalent of an extra full day’s worth of productivity in any given week.
Embrace the Cloud
If your organization hasn’t already embraced cloud computing, 2018 is an excellent time to start thanks to the productivity benefits alone. With the cloud, it is easier than ever for your employees to share documents and other information with each other – which means that it is also easier for people to collaborate with one another, as well.
If a document is stored in the cloud, it can be edited from any computer on Earth with an active Internet connection. If two employees NEED to get that big project turned in by Friday but one has to spend all of Tuesday out of the office, you haven’t just lost an entire day’s worth of productivity. The out of office employee can contribute on the smartphone, tablet or other mobile device – or even from their personal computer at home.
In the End
As you can see, making sure that your business can increase online productivity in 2018 is less the product of any one major move and more about a series of smaller, more strategic ones:
- Invest in a secondary or “backup” Internet connection.
- If it makes sense to do so for your business, consider allowing at least some of your employees to work remotely.
- Use 2018 as an opportunity to make the jump into the world of cloud computing if you have not already done so.
You can’t just put your businesses productivity in the hands of any service provider. You need one that specializes in business internet. You need a provider like Phoenix. If you have any additional questions about how your business can increase online productivity in 2018, or if you’d just like to learn more about the business high-speed Internet options that are available in your area, please don’t delay – contact Phoenix Internet today.