Print.IT Reseller - issue 83

PRINTITRESELLER.UK 43 VOX POP continued... Despite the vaccine roll-out now being well underway, I don’t believe the world of work will return to what it once was that many simply don’t have time for, especially with many favouring more flexible working arrangements and there’s big opportunities on offer for those willing to embrace new systems that allow them to quickly adapt. “In that vein we have released remote services within the data collection agent (DCA) platform such as remote configuration, or using the DCA to capture a MIB walk for faster troubleshooting of devices and are currently working on even more remote device capabilities to continue to simplify the delivery of support. “Ultimately, this will make it easier for our dealers to support their customers without always having to send a technician onsite.” www.ecisolutions.com Pål Rødseth, CEO, Asolvi “It is reasonably uncontroversial to say that there will of course be some permanent changes, but the true extent of these is likely to vary by sector and by country and will probably only become fully clear over the coming months and years. One key continuing theme is likely to be collaboration. In some respects, this has got easier, as everyone, almost without exception, has embraced the opportunities of using Teams or Zoom to communicate. However, on another level, it has become harder because of the absence of informal spontaneous interactions, which can be critical for passing on ideas and information. Flexibility should also be a vital factor on all sides, as expectations, habits and practices have evolved dramatically. Working from home, travelling to meetings and attending conferences are all very different now and all will require flexibility from all parties once some semblance of normality is restored. “Asolvi has always had some remote working. Our policy has been to not let geography get in the way of hiring the right talent, so adapting to the pandemic conditions was essentially a case of making even greater use of processes and practices that were already in place. We are consulting with our staff members as regards how we will work in the future, as we don’t want to take a top down approach. Some people will be desperate to return to the office, some will be equally keen not to go to an office and others will prefer a blended approach. Flexibility will be key, but we also need to ensure that informal collaboration (the water cooler or coffee machine chats that can unearth really accessibility to resources, flexibility in dynamic working environments, shifting gears from technology dependent work to human interactions, are all critical aspects of how performance should be measured in the hybrid work environment. “The concept for this working model isn’t, of course, new. The pandemic has accelerated the pace at which it has been adapted en-masse. By doing so, it has established a whole new perspective on work, the workplace, hierarchy, team structures, and performance measurement. While there are many merits of the hybrid model, there are multiple challenges that leaders and businesses need to think through and overcome. But as organisations become more agile and flatter as a result of the fast-changing nature of the workspace dynamic, it is important for them to embrace this change positively, and look at the immense scope of possibility that it opens up by ‘knitting’ the world closer together... wherever employees are working from.” www.mpsmonitor.com Elise McFarlane, Product Marketing Manager, ECI Field Service Division, ECI Software Solutions “Last year’s sudden shift to remote working forced almost all of our customers to diversify in some way and many businesses are still having to adapt to meet new customer requirements or exploring new income streams altogether. “Despite the vaccine roll-out now being well underway, I don’t believe the world of work will return to what it once was and our customers are now looking for help to monitor and manage a growing number of devices in the field, keen to understand the true value of these devices and offer more flexibility for staff. “We’ve been really focused on helping our customers work smarter and this has driven product upgrades over the past 12 months. For MPS businesses, integrating purchasing processes with the central ERP system has saved a huge amount of staff time, streamlining operations and improving the end-user experience – two hugely important factors. “I think an increasing number of businesses have also realised the true value of data and this has been one of our key messages throughout the pandemic. Manually collecting metered device data is a strenuous task and one Elise McFarlane Pål Rødseth