Building business resilience with a digital workforce

13 April 2020 | SMB, Digitalisation, Cloud, Software-as-a-Service, Voice and Collaboration | 5 min read

The COVID-19 crisis has forced much of the world into a standstill. Shops are pulling down their shutters earlier or staying shut, airlines are grounded and borders are closed.

The pandemic has hurt some businesses, and there is no telling when the situation will improve. But with the right tools, a comprehensive plan and an open mind, most companies can ensure continuity in their business operations while doing their best to keep employees safe.

Companies have a duty to look after their employees’ well-being, and one way to do so is to have a robust remote working strategy as part of your Business Continuity Plan (BCP).

In fact, remote work is even more critical today, as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve. Authorities found that interaction between colleagues at workplaces was one of the key contributors to locally transmitted cases of COVID-19¹.

But how can SMBs ensure that remote working or telecommuting does not disrupt business operations? With the right tools, the team can get together, share ideas and collaborate – virtually.

With Microsoft Teams, formal meetings and staff interactions can continue even as team members are apart through video conferencing. Employees can participate in larger, team-wide meetings through the app or a phone number. They can also present their work from anywhere, get face time with their bosses to discuss pressing issues, and engage in smaller group discussions with colleagues – to name a few.

In this virtual workspace, employees can share and work on files securely in real-time on the cloud – whether it is an Excel spreadsheet containing key company financials or a PowerPoint presentation for the upcoming pitch with a potential client. When working away from their desks, they can also continue to make and receive calls through their desk lines, via the Teams app.

Your company can continue to operate, and employees can remain engaged and productive – even with everyone staying away from the office.

For those with work laptops, remote working or telecommuting is not an issue. But what about employees who are stuck with a traditional desktop that is set up in the office?

With Singtel Virtual Workspace, employees will no longer be tied to their office desks. Powered by Amazon Workspaces, users can securely access their virtual desktops and share files from their virtual desktops easily from anywhere, using any mobile device or computer.

In a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environment, the personal computer now sits on the cloud. This flexibility means you can access your work – your applications, documents, emails, and contacts – from anywhere with an internet connection. Users can securely log in to their personal workstations remotely and continue their tasks from where they left off – just like if they were in front of their computers in the office.

Businesses can also be assured that the confidential data on virtual desktops are securely transmitted and stored in a private network that is protected with enterprise-grade encryption. Automatic back-ups are made every 12 hours, so you don’t have to worry about losing your work.

During a pandemic where people shun crowded places, brick-and-mortar businesses are among the first to take a hit. But every crisis also presents opportunities, and businesses could consider reaching out to customers through ecommerce.

With Singtel’s 99%SME and Shoptiq ecommerce platforms, it is easy for small and medium business owners to tap on the growing online shopping market by setting up a virtual storefront quickly. Customers can browse online and make secure payments through credit cards or popular mobile payment wallets.

This means businesses are no longer tied to their physical stores. Even calls to Singtel business fixed lines can be diverted to another mobile number.

Ensuring business continuity in times of global challenges requires the right mix of technology and planning. Using the right digital solutions can help ensure your business continuity during this challenging period.

¹ https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/stricter-safe-distancing-measures-to-prevent-further-spread-of-covid-19-cases