Even as we may see a potential light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, there is a good chance many businesses will keep in place remote work policies. One reason large companies may choose to support remote work policies involves employee safety. Other reasons include such factors as it saves on office space and gives greater flexibility regarding talent pool,

Small and medium-sized businesses are still feeling things out. For them, it could come down to a combination of on-site and off-site employees, all trying to keep the business running as smoothly as they can.

That all said, you can improve how well employees manage remote work so your business can keep up with the rest of the world. Here are some suggestions for ways to reduce downtime and improve workflow for off-site employees.

Have a go-to for tech support

Just because people are working from home doesn’t mean they won’t, on occasion, face similar tech issues they might experience in the office. Hardware fails. Software gets buggy. Network connections drop without warning.

Employees need tech support no matter where they are physically located — someone qualified to help with computer and network issues and is empowered to solve those problems, whether they be hardware upgrades, software registration, or account maintenance.

This needs to be an immediate, on-call service. Productivity plummets when employees can’t get work completed due to technical issues bogging them down.

If no one on staff can fill the tech support guru role, consider contracting with a managed service provider. One advantage of this is they can usually provide technical support outside of regular working hours, so if remote employees flex their schedules a bit, they still have much-needed support.

Get on the cloud

With over 90% of businesses are using the cloud in some capacity, you’re falling behind the curve if you’re not taking advantage of what the cloud can offer. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Many companies now offer easy-to-attain cloud services, including such recognizable names as Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and Apple. You can set up public, private, or hybrid accounts — whatever suits your business best at a moment’s notice and for relatively low rates. Because cloud use is scalable, you can use as much or as little as you need, making it perfect for businesses of all sizes. It’s secure. And it’s become the go-to platform for online productivity apps such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Both are surprisingly affordable. Microsoft has an edge in brand recognition and familiarity. Google gets its advantage in that its apps work equally well on both web and mobile devices.

Use a project management app

Project management apps make sure everyone is on the same page regarding a project’s development. It will lay out who needs to do what by when, what updates have occurred, and generally how everyone is progressing. From a management perspective, it gives a sort of bird’s eye view of how projects are coming along. For employees, it’s a useful outline of what tasks need to be done and how they fit into the larger whole.

Of the many apps available, you want one that can update information in real-time across multiple platforms. It shouldn’t matter if the user is accessing the app through a phone, tablet, or desktop computer — the information should be current. Notion does a good job with this. I’ve personally seen a lot of success with ClickUp. Of the two, ClickUp has an easier learning curve, although Notion has more features.

If you operate a large business with multiple teams, start with ClickUp at the very least. Still, you may want to take a serious look at Notion, Google Workspace, or Office 365 as you get more comfortable with online project management.

The crucial thing to remember is to make sure everyone uses the same app. That’s going to streamline your projects and cut down on confusion and miscommunication.

Learn about malware, viruses, and phishing

Whether you use an in-house tech support team or a managed service provider, make sure every employee — on-site and remote — has the latest virus detection software installed on their devices and that its virus definitions are up to date. Likewise, with malware.

Train employees on the different types of phishing attacks, and remember that those employees can be the make or break point when it comes to a business’s cybersecurity. Anytime an employee interacts online with someone outside your network, your systems could be open to a malware or phishing attack. Put the tools in place to stop them before they can happen.

Have cybersecurity and encryption protocols

Good habits make for good cybersecurity. Establish cybersecurity practices for everyone to follow — including sensible password use, two-step password authentication, and encryption.

This is especially crucial if you’re a business with regulatory compliance requirements such as the health and finance industries. Getting hacked is bad enough. Being fined or shut down for non-compliance is worse.

Both private and public cloud services use encryption to help keep your data safe. A private cloud will give you an added security layer by more strictly controlling who has access to your servers.

With network and computer speeds as they are today, encryption will not slow down data transfers or affect transmission quality and video conferencing. Failing to have that encryption in place, however, makes your business vulnerable.

Productivity and safety can work together

You don’t have to sacrifice one for the other. Even when employees are spread out and not warming chairs in the office, your business can still run with the same efficiency you’d expect from on-site attendance. It simply takes a little preparation and accommodation.

The arguments for allowing employees to work from home go beyond the current pandemic. While challenging for some, most people are taking to it well and even reporting high job satisfaction. In time, the option to work remotely will help attract quality talent when hiring.

On top of that, establishing smart work-from-home procedures will enhance your business overall and help you retain the kind of talented employees who build a strong business.