Remote working made simple: The technology factor

The ability to work remotely and from any location has always been important, not least in light of increasing digitalization and internationalization. And in recent months, it has become even more relevant. But the fact that not enough employees have access to mobile devices is a significant obstacle. According to the latest findings of the D21 Digital Index, less than half of all employees who use IT in the workplace are supplied with a laptop by their employer, and a mere 22 percent are given a smartphone. The picture is very similar around the world. So if the majority of workers are suddenly forced to work from home, it is not that easy to implement.

The digital workplace plays an integral role in CHG-MERIDIAN’s digitalization strategy. We are continually working on improving it and on the question of how we can make it easier for our employees to work remotely. Technology provides the basis, and some procedures have proven themselves and become key elements of our remote strategy.

More and more companies are realizing that technology is the basis for increasing productivity of remote workers. Working productively over the long term requires the latest technology, including upgrades at regular intervals, and each workplace component needs to offer adequate performance. Our remote working strategy also focuses on the individual technology requirements of our employees. Each user group has its own requirements: If an employee spends a lot of time traveling, then a lightweight device is the best fit. Convertible devices are also very popular. Other employees might be working with large data volumes, in which case higher performance is key. The basic equipment that we make available always consists of a smartphone and a laptop. The employee can select additional options according to their specific needs, which in many cases includes a noise-cancelling headset.

From the outset, it was important to us to give our employees a say in device selection, as they know best what their requirements are. Having a choice between devices is increasingly important to younger colleagues, in particular. Getting them involved provides a boost to employee motivation.

End-to-end device management is handled fully automatically via our inhouse online ordering portal, TESMA®. Here, each employee can select the mobile devices they need, without the long approval periods and installation processes. Upgrades can easily be arranged for a personal surcharge and are delivered promptly – to the employee’s home address if required.

"It is important to me to be able to work remotely and have access to the latest communications technology. At CHG-MERIDIAN, I have the maximum possible freedom when choosing where I work from and the tools I use.”

Caroline Bruß
Employee at CHG-MERIDIAN’s Weingarten office.

According to research by IDC, 62 percent of companies have to contend with employees taking matters into their own hands and buying the equipment they need rather than waiting a long time for delivery. Thanks to the high efficiency of our processes, we avoid this particular phenomenon. What’s more, employees are permitted to use their chosen devices privately. This has several advantages: The employee only has to get used to one IT environment, and we can prevent customer data and company documents and information from being sent from personal devices. Important considerations when it comes to compliance, security, and data protection.

The risks to data security are higher with mobile devices, which is why we have created a solution that ensures that data on mobile devices is secure. Any time, anywhere. We have also developed robust solutions in the case of theft and other types of device loss. At the end of the useful life, our proprietary eraSURE® procedure ensures that data is secure by erasing storage units in laptops, tablets, and smartphones fully automatically.