https://www.xperience-group.com/news-item/6-benefits-working-remotely-office-365/
We recently uncovered how Office 365 differs from standard Microsoft Licensing and how it enables business continuity. In our third blog of the series we list the benefits of working remotely with Office 365.
The ability to work remotely is highly desirable and continues to grow in popularity, with the Office for National Statistics stating the number of people that now work remotely is the highest since records began. Home workers now account for one in seven of the entire workforce in Britain, with those in higher paid, managerial positions accounting for three quarters of home workers. This combined with better accessibility brought by mobile and cloud technologies has encouraged businesses to accommodate remote workers. What’s more, as stated on Virgin.com, “A survey of business owners by Virgin Media Business predicted that 60 per cent of office-based employees will regularly work from home by 2022. And a separate survey by Office Angels found a third of employees think commuting will be unheard of by 2036.”
By providing access to business productivity tools anytime, anywhere, on any device, and at an affordable price, it’s no surprise Office 365 has been recognised as the No.1 cloud business application among enterprises. Technology is enabling us to do more, enabling growth and access to new markets. The remote working benefits of Office 365 include:
Users of Office 365 can remain productive at home, on the train, on holiday, anywhere! Enabling your staff to work remotely can significantly improve engagement, satisfaction and productivity by 36%. Added to this, deploying Office 365 on employee owned devices, something known as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), will result in a more receptive and engaged workforce, which will work out of hours. According to Inc Magazine, remote workers are almost twice as likely to work more than 40 hours a week.
By working remotely with Office 365, it’s possible to significantly improve your customer service levels. With the capabilities to respond to queries when away from the office environment, it is possible to provide customers with services 24/7, without the need to hire more staff. If utilised effectively, you can increase your competitive advantage, exceed customer expectations and increase satisfaction, allowing you to attract and retain customers.
A happy workforce is a productive workforce. Allowing employees to take advantage of remote working has the potential to make your business more efficient and successful. An article on FastCompany.com explains, “A recent study by economists at the University of Warwick found that happiness led to a 12% spike in productivity, while unhappy workers proved 10% less productive.”
92% of generation Y previously identified flexibility as a priority when selecting a workplace. To attract skilled workers you must offer alternative ways of working, otherwise it’ll be your competitors who do that benefit.
There are numerous financial benefits to remote working, such as a reduction in overheads. And, with Office 365 there are additional financial gains to be made as you only pay for what you use, licenses are paid for as a subscription, with no hefty upfront costs, and the need for hardware is reduced – which all helps to keep cash flowing through the business.
As explained on Businesscloudnews.com, those who invest in cloud technologies experience a 26% increase in business growth, and with Office 365 you benefit from a quick ROI, as explained by Forrester here and as you can see below.