In our previous article, we pointed out the many technologies you can put to use for those times when communicable diseases threaten the health of your employees -- including the current coronavirus crisis. Even with the right technologies inplace, however, you shouldn’t just tell everyone to stay home; you need an intelligent strategy for rolling out an efficient telecommuting plan.

Step 1: Set Up the Tools

You can’t implement any kind of telecommuting plan unless you have already equipped your organization and its employees with the proper tools for the job. Our Austin IT managed services team can make sure that you have the cloud server setup, remote desktop capabilities, and cloud-based collaboration platforms in place.

Step 2: Educate Your Team

Don’t rush your employees into telecommuting until you’ve educated them on your policies regarding cloud-based security, including smart data-sharing and password practices. Equip any mobile devices to be used with VPN programs and other safeguards. If you skip this step, you could end up dealing with computer viruses instead of human ones.

Step 3: Identify Core Critical Personnel

If you’ve ever purchased “key man” insurance for your organization, then you may already know which of your senior employees are critical to your company’s functions. If you haven’t addressed this question yet, identify your core critical personnel and prime them for the initial rollout of your telecommuting plan. You want them safely homebound from Day One if at all possible.

Step 4: Roll Out the Rest of Your Plan

About a week after you’ve sent your critical core personnel home to telecommute, it’s time to start staging the rest of your transition. Extend the next legs of your telecommuting plan your various support teams in whatever order will best assure a smooth transition with minimal productive downtime.

Step 5: Protect Your Remaining Workplace Staff

Even if the vast majority of your employees can do their jobs quite easily from home, you may not be able to function without at least a few on-site workers. With this in mind, do your best to maintain a hygienic workplace. Use 70-percent alcohol to wipe off all devices before and after use, and insist that all employees use plenty of soap, water, and hand sanitizer. If anyone feels sick, they must stay home -- no matter what happens to your efficiency.

Here at Gravity Systems, we don’t just want you to get the most out of your IT system; we also want you, your employees, and our entire community to enjoy good health. Let’s all work together to stay safe!