Social distancing

Employers will not be required to maintain social distancing of two metres between workers. However employers are encouraged to do so where possible.

Employers should include additional hygiene procedures, physical screens and the use of protective equipment.

There will be a need to create greater space for users working in office environments. The users per square metre will go down. This will create the need to expand existing office space. There will also be a need to consolidate remote working practices.

Worker safety

Employers are also encouraged to stagger arrival and break times, minimise the use of equipment or office space by many users, and avoid chopping and changing worker rotas.

Workers considered vulnerable (for instance over 70, pregnant, or with underlying organ or respiratory problems) but who cannot work from home should be put in the “safest possible roles” in the workplace.

As with social distancing there will be a need to create greater space for users working in office environments. Worker safety requirements will mean fewer users per square metre. Office space will need to be increased.

A technical response to the new normal

Your business now needs to respond to Covid 19. It needs to transition to the new reality of working life.

The new small business journey

Hosted services are now a necessity. In a hosted service hardware and processing requirements are maintained and specified by others. Carried out in scale by fully resourced companies.

The new small business journey into hosted services should start with finance. The technical response to this should be the selection of a hosted finance solution. An example of this could be Kashflow. 

Kashflow has good integrations for other hosted solutions including hosted payment collection services like GoCardless and hosted CRM packages.

Finance

The new small business journey into hosted services should start with finance. The technical response to this should be the selection of a hosted finance solution. An example of this could be Kashflow. Kashflow has good integrations for other hosted solutions including hosted payment collection services like GoCardless and hosted CRM packages.

CRM integration with Kashflow would be with Capsule. This CRM service would allow the management of customer interactions and sales pipelines. From this your company could manage things like email campaign lists that can be integrated into solutions like Mailchimp.

Integration could be set up with a fully hosted business system like GSuite by Google. A comprehensive business solution that an entire company could operate collaboratively. GSuite could be deployed to aid customer support mechanisms. Google Groups and Google remote desktop could facilitate excellent support and remote support solutions.

The business would ideally move to a hosted telephony solution. This would allow for the full integration of business systems a user would require, at home or in the office.

All these hosted systems would allow for remote working. GSuite email system now comes with integrated video conferencing. So in essence the entire organisation could be deployed and shifted to remote working rapidly.

The new workspace journey

The new workspace journey will lead to the creation of physically bigger offices.

Physical office space can be increased by linking two or more distinct spaces together. This can be achieved by the following:

  • Expansion of office network by increased data cabling.

  • Fibre optic links between office spaces in the same building or intersite fibre optic links between buildings.

  • Wireless networks either internal or external point to point links.

  • Connecting offices or home workers via connection technology or services across broadband.

Why connect multiple office blocks?

Increasing the office space will allow for social distancing and safer working environments for workers. Increasing the office space by increasing the capacity of an existing network is a common-sensical approach. Connecting multiple offices in multiple buildings needs more planning but there are great reasons to do so:

  • Expand the capacity of an office space in a block that has reached capacity.

  • Centralised management of business systems.

  • Workplace relocation and business continuity planning.

  • Protect existing investment in property by allowing for expansion where this was once limited.

What type of linking approach would create the greatest benefit to your business?

A hybrid connectivity approach produces the most cost effective and flexible connectivity model for business.

Hybrid connectivity options

Get in touch.

These business journeys and workplace expansions can be complex. If you would like any assistance with the development of any of these approaches, contact us using the form, or via phone or email:

0191 257 5136

info@copo.co.uk