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Five Tips For The Perfect Working Environment In The Home Office
According to a study, people working from home have very good experiences. Ten million professionals worked from home, and even after the pandemic, most would like to continue working from there – at least daily. But the home office is not easy for all employees to implement. In some cases, paper-based activities are still necessary, which makes it necessary to be present in the office. In addition, numerous manual processes make it difficult to work efficiently. The following tips show how remote work can be implemented for all employees in the company.
Eliminate Manual Processes.
Many companies receive data via various channels and formats, such as email, letter, fax, data record, JPEG, PDF or Excel. Data is also increasing, leading to inefficiency and repetitive tasks. Employees often have to manually retrieve data records from a supplier portal and copy data from A to B via C by hand. Some companies have therefore been using software robots in the form of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for a long time to automate such repetitive tasks. This is a valuable first step, but in many cases, it is not enough. Although robots can perform many manual tasks, they are not particularly intelligent. This requires next-gen RPA, equipped with artificial intelligence and machine learning. The digital helpers are therefore much more useful and can relieve employees better. RPA can then recognize incoming documents, classify them, extract relevant information and forward them to the appropriate addressees. No human intervention is required for this. This form of RPA is often part of a comprehensive, intelligent automation platform that enables companies to automate processes fully. No human intervention is required for this. This form of RPA is often part of a comprehensive, intelligent automation platform that enables companies to automate processes fully. No human intervention is required for this. This form of RPA is often part of a comprehensive, intelligent automation platform that enables companies to automate processes fully.
Use Multifunction Devices.
To be able to classify incoming data, however, also requires appropriate hardware. Manufacturers of multifunction printers (MFP) have worked with software providers for a long time to add additional functions such as capture, security, document management, cloud, output management and mobility to the devices. Enhanced with the technology of content-centric printing and capturing, all document content can be extracted. The software, in turn, can apply business rules to each document to ensure the information is in the right hands and to protect it from unauthorized access. In the home office, in particular, data must be kept secure.
Be Flexible.
Even though printers and MFPs have been left behind in the office due to Corona, the benefit of print and capture technology is that it doesn’t matter where employees are. Tools and their functions are available to users everywhere. The security of the content is guaranteed because each user can only access the workflows approved for them. Using your own printer or scanner for your daily work is even possible. So it is no longer necessary for companies to have to deal with stalled business processes. All necessary processes can be continued as usual.
Use Digital Signatures.
Orders or contracts can also be legally signed in the home office without paper and pen. Companies achieve legal certainty by employing electronic signatures. E-signatures can easily be used in all company agreements with customers, suppliers or employees. However, companies should consider that there are different e-signatures (electronic, advanced, and qualified signatures). It should also be noted that the software used for e-signatures always has sufficient encryption to secure the data. Especially in remote work, outsiders are not allowed to access sensitive contracts or other company documents. Corresponding certificates prove that the document was not modified during the signing process.
Be And Remain Competitive.
Especially in times of Corona, it is more necessary than ever to find possible approaches to automating processes to increase efficiency. Companies should not interrupt this plan even if most of their colleagues work from home. In doing so, they should still concentrate on the essentials: satisfying their customers and maintaining their business operations without restrictions. To do this, companies have to know exactly how incoming data can be processed quickly and which documents and data are printed and recorded exactly. This is the only way to keep a cool head even during a pandemic. Anyone with a precise overview of costs and security increases their productivity and ensures that all printing processes run optimally, even remotely, promoting digitization – and thus remote work. Last but not least, this also benefits the employees, who are freed from repetitive tasks and can devote themselves to important things such as customer service.
