Working from Home and Operational Efficiency

Operational efficiency. What is it? Has it been maintained during remote working? Will this impact where you will work in the future?

Serviceteam IT’s Digital Continuity: UK Technology Research 2020 asked ‘after considering your current operational efficiency, where are your team likely to work when lockdown is eased?’ 

• 69% of respondents reported their team are likely to experience a balance between working from home and working at the office.  
• 15% reported their team are likely to work from home when lockdown is eased 
• 12% of respondents reported their team are likely to work in an office when lockdown is eased.  
• 1% were unsure 

What is operational efficiency?

Operational efficiency measures the efficiency of profit for the business from operating costs. If operational efficiency, as a metric, is greater, the business is more profitable. Products or services are delivered to customers in the most efficient process.  

Productivity 

In this unprecedented time, working from home meant employees had to quickly adapt. Whether this included office-specific challenges, including creating a home office and installing a VPN, or people-focused with children home from school and housemates potentially furloughed, remote work has presented challenges.  

There are numerous blogs about increasing productivity in lockdown. These tend to focus on social aspects or changing a mindset to be personally more productive. For an organisation however, this would focus on technology.  Office 365 or G Suite are two services from big tech companies which have helped to guide business and maintain continuity in these uncertain times. 

|How To| Implement Office 365 

Increase collaboration

Operational efficiency could be increased through collaboration. There are hugely popular services, including Slack and Teams, which ensure staff are always connected through technology. This can increase operational efficiency, but at what cost?  Tiredness, frustration or stress could be the adverse effects of possible 24/7 contact. A digital culture with boundaries should be created.

|How To| Create a Digital Culture 

Maintain creativity

When times are confusing and you are stuck in one area with one view each day, the creativity of staff could decrease. For a business to develop complex solutions to challenges, maintain the interest of customers or stay ahead of the business curve, an organisation needs to be creative. This is where technology and leadership come in. Without the interaction of the office, like collaboration services, new ways of training, working and reporting could be arranged

Business Continuity Checklist 

Final Thoughts

Working from home does not automatically mean that operational efficiency has decreased. The geographical shift in the location of employees has had a major impact on how organisation’s view tech. The challenges – productivity, collaboration and creativity – faced in lockdown has encouraged the adoption of technology and services in many organisations.