Working from home, even one day a month, used to be viewed as a luxurious perk reserved for the lucky few. Technology for hybrid working wasn’t even a part of the conversation. But the global pandemic changed so much about the way we live our lives, including where and how many of us work. Today, being forced to commute to the office is a huge turn-off for employees who have experienced the flexibility of remote work. It’s not just a general shift in our desires either. Studies abound revealing that the future of work is, indeed, hybrid.
- In Australia, three in five workers are looking for working arrangements that mix working from home with the office.
- Yet another survey found that 44% of workers were already doing some form of hybrid work.
- It was even found that attrition rates were reduced by a third when companies offered hybrid work options.
Employers are taking notice. A 2021 report found that 70% of firms — from tiny companies to larger enterprises - were putting together plans to implement hybrid working arrangements in some form.
It’s clear that hybrid is here to stay and if Australian businesses want to attract and retain staff, hybrid work models are essential. But arrangements that see employees splitting their working lives between the office and home poses many challenges for businesses. Technology for hybrid work provides many solutions.
But first, let’s take a step back and look at where technology has taken us so far.
In the early stages of the pandemic as the great lockdowns began, businesses had to rapidly rethink how IT architecture, platforms, and people could all support almost 100% remote work. Collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams were hastily deployed, Zoom was so prolifically used it became a verb and businesses once lagging on innovation lurched ahead with cloud applications to boost efficiency and performance.
It all happened almost overnight. With technologies in place to support collaboration and productivity, it was all business as usual for the next few years. But these were quick fixes. And we now know that hybrid working is the future, not just a pause in our regular programming. This is why many businesses are now shifting their focus to evaluate their entire technology stack, not just the software that allows staff to connect remotely.
This is where cloud ERP comes in as a critical technology for hybrid working. A cloud ERP solution not only delivers a purpose-built, single cloud platform that includes everything from financials and sales to warehousing, manufacturing and eCommerce. It also acts as your business's ‘brain’, helping to manage and automate end-to-end business processes across your company.
And If you haven’t already deployed an ERP solution in the cloud, it is time to consider the benefits to be gained.
Anytime, anywhere access
A study by Accenture found that just over half of CIOs prefer ERP systems in a private cloud, while 35% are still clinging to on-premises). For those relying on legacy on-premises solutions and disconnected business systems, the inflexibility impedes - not supports - a remote workforce. Because, while video conferencing and chat tools help, remote teams also need access to accurate reports, documents and resources for project management. Cloud ERP offers a single source of truth for all users, ensuring the teams stay aligned with the same information, no matter where they are located.
Scaling your teams
Hybrid work models are beneficial to employers beyond keeping attrition rates low. You can also quickly scale your teams by hiring talent from around the world. This drastically increases both your pool of prospective employees and the likelihood of sourcing applicants with the exact skills you require.
But predicting and anticipating workloads for remote teams can present challenges to in-office teams. But by delivering a 360-degree view of all team workloads in a central space, cloud ERP gives you the “big picture” of all your teams. Regardless of where they are located, you can quickly pinpoint where new talent is needed.
Easy integration with existing technologies
On-premises ERP solutions not only require IT to maintain, update, and secure their hardware, they are notoriously difficult to upgrade and enhance. If your solution has been customised or integrated with other business systems, when new versions and product updates are released by your vendor, your customisations may be wiped out or rendered useless, requiring the entire customisation process to begin again.
In contrast, cloud ERP solutions like NetSuite are continually upgraded by the vendor. This ensures you are always using the very latest version with any customisations and integrations carried forward. This enables you to integrate your cloud ERP solution with all those critical apps, tools and technology for hybrid working.
Greater security
Securing IT infrastructure across multiple locations has been a major stumbling block for the remote work experience and continues to add challenges to the hybrid model. On-premises ERP solutions put the onus of security onto internal teams. From managing access, preventing and mitigating cyberattacks, installing firewalls and plenty more. These challenges only escalate when employees are accessing the system outside the four walls of the office.
In the Cloud ERP model, vendors take responsibility for all security measures, and ensure compliance and regulatory requirements are met, effectively relieving IT of the data security burden.
Better together: Cloud ERP and hybrid work
As businesses adapt to the hybrid model, they must also accelerate tech adoption to support their people, processes and ongoing security across the business. And cloud ERP solutions are a foundational piece to the technology for the hybrid working puzzle.
More than just NetSuite experts
At Annexa, we provide industry-leading solutions customised to the NetSuite platform, including supporting the hybrid work model with cloud ERP systems. With our in-house integrations, extensions, partnerships and full-service capabilities, we deliver end-to-end solutions for our customers to help them grow and expand their business potential. Contact us today to speak to an expert to learn whether we are the right NetSuite implementation partner for you.
Annexa is a leading NetSuite partner with extensive experience designing and implementing comprehensive and customised business systems, including payroll solutions, financial management, warehouse management and ecommerce solutions