Top Tips for SMBs to Make Hybrid Work, Work — Part 2

The right tools to rev up worker productivity

In part 2 of our story on tips for SMBs leveraging hybrid work strategies, we look at productivity issues and how to address them. (If you missed it, you can read part 1 here.)

Are workers productive at home?

The second major hybrid workforce challenge for your small-to-midsize business is productivity, notes Pete Munday, Global Marketing Manager for Xerox^® Workflow Central, which is something of a two-sided issue.

While there is some indication that home-based workers are more productive because they can be on the job faster without losing commute time and often work expanded hours, there is also a concern that home distractions can make them less productive and there is less management oversight.

Then there is the challenge of working without the same level of resources that are readily available in the office but not at home.

So, when you work from the office, all the tools that you need to stay productive are at your fingertips. What you need is on a server or a shared drive somewhere. Or you could move to a PC that has everything installed on it ready for you to go.

Getting it all when out of the office

There are an increasing number of productively-enhancing applications that help home-working and remote employees as well as those in the office. Xerox Workflow Central, for example, provides cloud-based tools that bridge the gap between physical and digital documents. Users can upload and digitize physical files and then choose from multiple time-saving options: summarize long reports, translate documents into multiple languages or convert documents to audio files for easy listening. They can even create automated workflows to simplify these processes and seamlessly share data more securely.

Another solution is Xerox^® DocuShare^®, a content management platform that digitizes and manages your content and automates business processes. It can be deployed in the cloud or locally to support the business need, while offering secure access to users in any location.

These standardized tools help keep workers on the same page, no matter where they are working. An employee on the road may convert a document to audio so they can review it while driving to a sales meeting, while a home-based worker may use the audio option to screen out home-based distractions (children, deliveries, barking dogs).

With the right solutions and strategies, your business can embrace hybrid working to ensure all your employees have access to the right tools and solutions, while improving worker satisfaction in the process.

Talk to your preferred Xerox partner for more help on managing a hybrid working office.