Executive Summary
Technological transformation is becoming an inevitable issue among corporations in the contemporary business environment. Apart from the simplification of communication withing an organization, technology has also given the companies power to establish remote teams. Acme Technical Communication is one of the firms that are considering an operational transformation regarding virtual working. However, this is a major decision that will not only affect the operational procedures and the structure of the firm, but will also have a significant implication on the employees. To avoid disruptions of daily operations, Acme Technical Communication hired a team of experts to evaluate the feasibility of various alternatives regarding the business plans for remote operations. This report presents the findings and recommendations for this team to the firm.
Introduction
Remote teams have gained popularity among many firms with the rapidly developing information and communication technology (ICT) and many firms are currently adopting the approach for their human resources. Moreover, according to Ryder and Moon (2020), the covid-19 pandemic and the associated restrictions compelled many companies to adopt remote working strategies to ensure continued productivity amidst the pandemic. Considering the uncertainties exposed by the covid-19 pandemic, the changing working environment and the urge to adopt modern operation techniques, Acme Technical Communication is considering restructuring of its human resource management approach. Nevertheless, the company has not been able to settle on the best alternative to undertake since it has three options at its disposal. The alternatives include; complete remote working structure, mixed structure or retaining the traditional in the office culture. This report, provides a feasibility analysis of a fully remote system as an alternative to be considered by the company.
Background
Traditionally, Acme Technical Communication has operated a physical work environment for decades. However, just like a significant majority of firms in the contemporary business environment Acme Technical Communication has learnt that it can shutter the walls of its offices and allow the employees to abandon daily trips to and instead work from the comfort of their homes through a virtual arrangement. This reasoning emanate from the recent findings by Messenger (2019), that have shown that adopting virtual teams is not only convenient but is also cost effective to both the employer and employees. Nonetheless, one of the major challenge to embracing this shift in paradigm lies in identifying an appropriate model to suite all the functions of an organization in the remote operations. Ryder and Moon (2020) opined that, functions such as manufacturing and operations are more company specific and cannot be moved from the plant. However, general and administrative functions can be conducted remotely. To understand the feasibility of the remote operations considered by Acme Technical Communication, it is imperative to conduct investigation regarding the available alternatives to the firm and make recommendations on the most viable options.
Purpose
The purpose of this research report is to determine the current state of remote working adoption by Acme Technical Communication, and to assess whether or not it is likely that the firm will continue to adopt remote working in the future. Firms have been embracing remote working for years, but the practice has recently gained popularity as more and more employees have come to expect it. Remote working allows workers to work from anywhere they want, while still being paid a salary, which can help firms save money on office space, supplies and equipment.
Options Available For Acme Technical Communication
There are three options available for the firm on remote working. The first option is for the firm to require that all workers work in the office. This will ensure that everyone on the team is contributing more effectively, as well as making sure that no one is left behind or without support from their coworkers. It also ensures consistency across all departments and partners, which is important for any business. The second option is to allow some workers to work remotely, but require that others do not have this option available to them. This way coworkers can still interact with each other and share information even if they are not physically in the same place at the same time. The final option would be to allow all workers to work remotely, provided they are able to provide enough documentation that their work can still be done effectively and efficiently when they are not physically present.
Research
The operational, structural and economic feasibility of physical operation for workers at Acme Technical Communication might be considerably low since there are already existing structure. The alternative will have an operational feasibility because it is the same as the current system. The cost of implementing this alternative would be negligible since it can be done with a few modifications to the current operating procedures. The only additional cost incurred will be the change in management style that might need to occur if they are used to working under a different set of rules. Consequently, the structural feasibility of this option will not be involving as there are no changes required to the building or equipment used within the business premises. This observation means that any costs associated with modifying these items can be avoided by simply not making any changes at all. Finally, the economic feasibility of this alternative will be negligible because there are no new expenses incurred; instead, all expenses associated with maintaining these systems continue to be paid for out of current income streams. Overall, therefore, this alternative offers a good balance between costs and benefits for both businesses and workers alike.
The second alternative was to adopt a hybrid of remote and physical working environment. According to Messenger (2019), a hybrid of remote and physical working environment is proven to be more effective than either method individually. In fact, studies (Ryder and Moon 2020; Oba, Kagiwada and Kamada, 2022) have shown that combining both types of working environments results in higher productivity and engagement levels among employees. The cost to implement such an approach varies depending on the size of your company; however, Norton (2020) estimated that it typically costs between $1 million and $10 million per year to implement a hybrid approach; depending on how many employees the business has. For case of Acme Technical Communication , this cost may be higher since, the firm will have to establish new infrastructure for connectivity. Once implemented, it is important for businesses to evaluate whether or not their hybrid model is actually working effectively before making any major changes to their operations. There are many ways to measure success such as employee satisfaction surveys or customer satisfaction surveys where customers rate their experience while using the company’s product or service.
The operational, structural and economic feasibility of a pure remote and working environment is very high. It is possible to implement this alternative in many industries, including the financial industry. The first step for implementing a pure remote and working environment is to create an organizational structure that supports it. The next step is to identify all employees who can be replaced by technology and therefore may show resistant to the changes. This process can be difficult because there are many factors that affect a person’s performance at work, such as personality traits, strengths, weaknesses and personal history. It is important to determine which employees have the potential to be replaced by technology so that they do not feel threatened by this change(Oba, Kagiwada and Kamada, 2022).. Once this has been done, it will be easier for them to accept the new way of working because they will know exactly what their role consists of and how their tasks contribute towards achieving company goals. The cost of implementing this model is considerably high in the short-run but will also decline significantly in the long-run. Additionally, if well monitored, workers who work from home can be very effective because they have to manage their schedule to suit them and the goals of the firm. However, it is imperative to note that pure remote operations are not easy to supervise and therefore may lead to lack of accountability from the employees who are working from home.
Recommendations
Based on the research findings, the report recommends the adoption of a hybrid alternative which integrates both physical and remote working environments for Acme Technical Communication company. In order to provide a hybrid of remote and physical working environment for a technology communication firm, the following practices should be implemented.
- Establish a centralized location where all employees can access the internet and collaborate on projects, without having to move between different offices or locations.
- Establish an online portal where team members can view task lists, receive updates, and access resources. This will also enable continuous interaction among staffs operating from home and those in the office.
- Employee training on how to use technology effectively. This initiative will encourage workers who may be reluctant to change.
Conclusion
From the findings of this report, it can be concluded that, despite the high costs associated with adopting remote operations at Acme Technical Communication, the idea of incorporating the virtual working environment is not only effective in the long-rum but will also give the organization a face-lift in the modern technological dispensation. However, the firm has to monitor the progress of this alternative closely before transiting to full-fledged remote operations. The first step in adopting a hybrid of remote and physical working environments is to determine the right mix of work styles. The firm should consider the type of work being done, how it is being done, and whether or not it would be better suited to be done in a virtual environment. For example, if a certain type of work requires collaboration between multiple people, then it makes sense to have those individuals physically present at the same time. However, if one person can do all of their work remotely while others do theirs remotely, then that might just be the best method for keeping costs down while still doing what needs to get done. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the business to decide if it can adopt the provided recommendations or not.
References
Messenger, Jon C. (ed.). (2019). Telework in the 21st Century, an Evolutionary Perspective, ILO Future of Work series (Edward Elgar and ILO).
Norton Rose Fulbright. (2020). “COVID-19: Working from home and employer reimbursement of remote-work expenses in California and beyond”.
Oba, K., Kagiwada, Y., Kamada, M. et al. (2022). Evaluating the feasibility of a remote-based training program supported by information and communications technology in the older adults living at home. BMC Geriatr 22, 574 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03273-3
Ryder, L. and Moon, L. (2020). How To Embrace Remote Work. [ebook] Atlassian. www.info.trello.com/hubfs/Trello-Embrace-Remote-Work-Ultimate-Guide.pdf
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