Leveraging IT Consolidation For Enhanced Remote Capabilities

In an exclusive interview with Asia Business Outlook, Natasha Rock, Geo Alliances Lead, GSI, EMEA, GoTo (formerly LogMeIn Inc), shares her views on the obstacle of maintaining effective communication, implementation measures to navigate the regulatory complexities, how businesses fortify their defenses against cyber threats, the need for flexibility and autonomy in remote work arrangements and more.  She has 16 years of experience in the IT Industry, covering Business/Sales Management, Customer Management, Pre-sales and Quality Analysis.

In what ways do you perceive remote capabilities fundamentally impacting business success, particularly in light of recent global shifts towards remote work models?

Remote capabilities significantly enhance business success by fostering increased flexibility and adaptability in workforce management. Firstly, with remote capabilities, businesses can expand their reach into new markets without the need for physical presence. This facilitates international collaboration, market research, and customer engagement, potentially leading to increased revenue streams and market share. Secondly, remote work necessitates the adoption of digital tools and technologies for communication, collaboration, and IT support. Some of these key tools have now become an integral part of everyday businesses communication and collaboration, IT management and support solutions that are crucial for maintaining the digital workplace, and robust security measures in place ensure compliance with industry standards and laws regarding data privacy and security. Additionally, migration to the cloud has become imperative, given the redundancy of on-premises infrastructure in a virtual environment. These technologies collectively enable companies to navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by remote work models, ensuring resilience, agility, and success in today's dynamic business landscape.

How can businesses overcome the obstacle of maintaining effective communication and collaboration among remote teams, ensuring seamless workflow management and productivity? 

Businesses must implement a multifaceted approach aimed at ensuring seamless workflow management and sustained productivity. It starts by offering all employees access to communication and collaboration software that facilitates seamless collaboration from any location, empowering remote teams to collaborate efficiently in their day-to-day work. The approach also involves establishing clear communication channels to facilitate transparent interaction and information exchange among team members. Additionally, creating a centralized knowledge base enables easy access to essential resources and documents, fostering collaboration and reducing redundancies. On top of this, it is important to invest in training and skill development programs that equip remote teams with the necessary competencies to navigate virtual work environments effectively.

How can businesses address the disparities in access to resources and professional development opportunities among remote and in-office employees, ensuring equitable outcomes in business success? 

Employees working remotely and those in-office may encounter different challenges and opportunities, but it's essential to ensure fairness and inclusivity across the board. In addition to the measures mentioned earlier about equal access to work tools and clear communication channels, organizing virtual networking events, online forums, and social gatherings can promote relationship-building and professional connections. Providing regular feedback and recognition for remote employees' contributions is essential - acknowledging their efforts publicly and celebrating their successes helps reinforce a culture of inclusivity and appreciation.

What measures can businesses implement to navigate the regulatory complexities and compliance issues arising from remote work setups, particularly concerning local labor laws and data protection regulations? 

To effectively navigate regulatory complexities, businesses can implement a series of measures tailored to their specific needs. Conducting compliance audits is essential for businesses. This involves assessing current practices and policies to ensure alignment with local labour laws and data protection regulations. Implementing robust remote work policies is essential for ensuring compliance and mitigating risks, and this can be achieved by adopting technology tools that are built with a security-first approach. Another aspect of security and compliance is the ‘people’ practices. Through training modules and educational resources, employees can be educated on their responsibility towards data protection protocols and regulatory requirements.

In the face of intensified cybersecurity risks associated with remote work, how can businesses fortify their defenses against cyber threats and data breaches, safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring business continuity?

Gartner predicts that by 2025, 45% of organizations worldwide will have experienced attacks on their software supply chains, a three-fold increase from 2021. To combat this escalating threat, building a robust tech infrastructure that prioritises security across all levels is paramount. At GoTo, we recognise the critical importance of adopting a security-first approach. Our suite of IT support and management solutions enable organisations to establish clear guidelines and protocols for their remote work, encompassing data security, privacy, and employee conduct. With features like secure remote access, multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO), and zero-trust security, our platform ensures that remote work environments remain secure and compliant with regulatory standards. They are designed with stringent data protection measures, ensuring compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2 Type 2, and advanced encryption standards. We prioritize data security and privacy, providing our customers with peace of mind knowing that sensitive information is safeguarded against unauthorized access or breaches.

How should businesses balance the need for flexibility and autonomy in remote work arrangements with the imperative of maintaining accountability and oversight, thereby enhancing performance, and achieving business objectives? 

Integration of consolidated remote IT support tools can go a long way to strike a balance between flexibility and autonomy in remote work arrangements. But we must think about what the right IT support tool looks like and why consolidation is so important. First, an IT support tool must implement automated ticketing and task management – for efficient assignment of tasks, progress tracking, and performance monitoring remotely. It must also offer complete visibility into individual and team activities, ensuring tasks are completed on time. Second, consolidating the IT infrastructure enhances performance by streamlining workflows and reducing the need for constant application switching. Investing in consolidated IT support platform provides centralized access and visibility for employees and IT supervisors, simplifying task management and measurement of productivity. Lastly, to maintain autonomy in work arrangements it is important to define service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs). Establishing quantifiable targets related to productivity, quality, and timeliness promotes accountability among remote teams, ensuring alignment with business objectives.