Tag Archives: Remote

Business News, News

Go Beyond Smart MFDs to Connect the Dots between Present Needs and Your Digital Future

By Gabriela Garner, Product Marketing Director at Kofax

London 26th April, 2022: There’s no doubt about it—the hybrid workplace is here to stay. The majority of companies will adopt a hybrid work model, employing a mix of in-person and remote employees, according to the Forrester 2021 Predictions: Accelerating Out of the Crisis report.

But what’s remote work? During the pandemic, remote work became synonymous with people working from home, sporting “business on top and PJs on the bottom.” While this image can give us a good a laugh, it doesn’t fully encompass all that remote work truly is for the modern-day organization. Long before COVID-19, remote work of a different sort was in full swing as colleagues collaborated with other departments within the same building and different offices around the world. When we look at this expanded definition, most of us have probably been engaging in remote work for a long time.

Organizations have been able to support employees as they work with colleagues in different teams, buildings, cities and countries thanks to the vast improvements in access to digital information. The post-pandemic version of remote work, however, ushered in a sudden shift in the workplace dynamic. Many companies quickly realized they weren’t far enough along in their digital transformation efforts to support the rapid rise of this new type of remote work and the data it generates.

Instead, they found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place, trying to find a way to keep the wheels of “business as usual” turning while steadily rising to the level of digital aptitude required to help employees thrive in the new hybrid and remote work models. This may seem like an impossible battle to win, but there are innovative and effective technologies that can help organizations work toward the future without compromising the present. In fact, the right solution can even accelerate the speed with which today’s workflows are executed while simultaneously boosting strategic progress toward a more automated, digital tomorrow.

If you’re wondering how to get started and connect the dots between today and tomorrow, look no further than your multi-function devices (MFDs). MFDs have been a mainstay in most organizations for quite some time, but when the right automation technology is applied to them, they’re transformed into versatile powerhouses. Intelligent automation unlocks the full potential of MFDs, making them smart devices that can accelerate your digital strategy and serve as the connective tissue between your current state of digital transformation and where it needs to go.

The Journey: Today versus Tomorrow

Just about every organization—regardless of where they are in their digital transformation—is leveraging automation as part of the effort to achieve their vision for the future. But there’s much work to be done. Almost half (48 percent) of decision makers surveyed said their organizations have manual or only partially automated processes, according to The Kofax 2021 Intelligent Automation Benchmark Study Part 1: Successful Automation Requires an Integrated Vendor Strategy. Another piece of the study discovered that while the number of use cases for which organizations are utilizing automation is increasing, adoption rates for more mature use cases such as back-office tasks, decisioning and accounts payable are still fairly low. In other words, there’s a lot of room for improvement.

When asked what they consider to be the most critical use cases for automation, decision makers listed robotic process automation (RPA) (61 percent), artificial intelligence/machine learning (43 percent) and digital process automation (40 percent) as the top three responses. It’s interesting that all three require document intelligence in order to succeed. Organizations must be able to ingest, classify and extract unstructured data from all documents, regardless of format, so the data can be processed and analyzed for actionable insight. The only way to accomplish this is with document intelligence. A combination of intelligent automation technologies such as intelligent capture with advanced content-aware capabilities empowers organizations to classify documents, extract all relevant data and make well-informed decisions with the information as well as automatically initiate document-based workflows.

Where’s your business today when it comes to documents? Perhaps your company is moving away from printing completely. If so, you’re not alone. Digital scanning and capture are faster, more accurate, more easily accessible and more efficient. Just think about how much time is saved by searching for a digital document as opposed to flipping through stacks of paper or filing cabinets.

At the same time, there are several reasons why printing isn’t going away. Disparate systems within the company may not connect with each other, and in the new hybrid world, employees may not have access to paper documents when they need them. For these organizations, printing remains a critical element of the business infrastructure. But as the volume of data collected grows at exponential rates, the need to digitize becomes stronger by the minute.

The challenge, then, is how to progress toward digitization without interrupting the day-to-day operations. Is it even possible?

Bridge Today AND Tomorrow with Smart MFDs and Intelligent Automation

You may not think of your MFDs as a stepping stone to digital workflow transformation, but by applying intelligent automation capabilities to MFDs they become an on-ramp to transformation and a bridge that connects organizations to their digital futures. What’s even better is that smart MFDs also improve speed, efficiency and productivity now, enabling you to do a better job today while accelerating the journey to your future vision.

You may be asking, “Why intelligent automation?” Anything less, such as a piecemeal approach to automation, has several drawbacks. According to decision makers, a siloed approach results in high technical debt (46 percent), delays in successful outcomes (35 percent) and problems of scale (34 percent), as discovered in part two of the benchmark study, Automation at Scale: Bridging the Gap Between IT and the Business. Intelligent automation provides a comprehensive set of capabilities so organizations can achieve end-to-end automation with a flexible and scalable platform.

MFD fleets powered by intelligent automation software allow companies to meet (and even exceed) the needs of today, while speeding up the path to tomorrow by empowering companies to:

  1. Achieve continual improvement on short-term business objectives while sustainably executing on the broader transformation vision. MFDs can intelligently capture information from digital and physical documents, process the information and transmit it wherever it needs to go across the enterprise.
  2. Digitally connect disparate systems within an organization’s ecosystem and eliminate manual, error-prone, paper-based processes. Intelligent automation eliminates the need for separate systems to print, sign, scan and fax. Integration with enterprise applications, legacy systems, transforms enterprise document management workflows.
  3. Control the rate of progress based on the changing needs of the business. Keep printing where it’s still essential—manage everything securely and ensure compliance with redaction, watermarking and audit trail reporting capabilities. Meanwhile, other areas can shift to data capture and all-digital workflows. A flexible platform gives organizations a choice and supports growth, meeting your immediate and long-term needs.
  4. Improve productivity of the distributed workforce and delight remote employees in any capacity with access to critical business information from any location without connectivity disruptions. A consistent user experience for print, capture and mobile across all devices is convenient and simple, keeping your remote and hybrid workers agile and connected.
  5. Accelerate the business results of today while maximizing your strategic goals for business transformation tomorrow. Advanced capture and print workflows drive efficiency and productivity of the daily grind. Employees have easy access to more accurate information from any location and device, so they can get work done faster while the business simultaneously moves toward the digitization needed for future success. Predictive analytics allow users to harness the power of data, so you can make informed business decisions on the digital transformation journey.

No matter where you rank on the digital aptitude scale, one thing is clear—smart MFDs backed by intelligent automation help organizations build a foundation today for a complete digital transformation tomorrow. Connect the dots between the present and the future, faster than ever, and start working like tomorrow, today.

News

Globalization Partners on track to meet customer and revenue goals

Company ramps up hiring to 150 internal employees per month to meet market demand 

 

Globalization Partners, which simplifies global remote team building by making it fast and easy for companies to hire anyone, anywhere within minutes via its SaaS global Employer of Record (EOR) solution, today announced that at just nearly halfway into 2021, it is already on track to meet its forecasted 2021 new customer acquisition goal by 130 percent and similarly exceed its original revenue projections.    

 

The company’s dramatic growth reflects the demand for high-quality, scalable, global remote work solutions in a business environment that has quickly shifted towards a “remote-first” work culture. Globalization Partners is reporting record-breaking results with an upwards revised financial forecast of more than USD$1 billion dollars in annualised recurring revenue (ARR) by the end of 2021. To accelerate even beyond this unprecedented growth, the company is currently working to dramatically increase capacity, and capitalise further on its market leading position in what industry experts call a trillion-dollar remote work industry. 

 

At the onset of 2021, Globalization Partners planned to hire 300 new employees over the course of the year. Now, the company is upgrading that initial projection to 150 internal employees per month in the second half of 2021 and beyond, while maintaining its commitment to customers by ensuring a continued 97 percent customer satisfaction rating. 

 

“The pandemic proved global remote teams are the way of the future and companies increasingly want to hire great talent anywhere they can find it,” said Nicole Sahin, CEO and Founder, Globalization Partners. “We have built a legally compliant SaaS global Employer of Record platform that gives anyone the ability to hire great talent anywhere within minutes without establishing subsidiaries. Companies are turning to us because they know they can trust the quality of our world-class platform and exceptional customer support team to support their global remote workforce.” 

 

“Remote working has become a trillion-dollar industry, and in less than a decade, 50 percent of the western workforce will be permanently remote,” said Liam Martin, Co-Founder, Running Remote. “The Employer of Record industry will provide the framework for the global workforce of the future as it gives companies the freedom to hire talent anywhere and the ability to manage payroll internationally for their teams.” 

 

Strong Q1 Results

 

The following metrics highlight record-breaking results: 

 

  • Exceptional ARR growth: Globalization Partners achieved 50 percent increase YoY (Q1/Q1) in ARR between Q1 2020 and Q1 2021.
  • Rapid customer growth: Globalization Partners saw a 150 percent increase YoY (Q1/Q1) in the number of new customers acquired, with rapid adoption in the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific regions. 
  • Success with partners:  Key companies in the HCM space have chosen Globalization Partners as their key partner with fully integrated APIs, solidifying Globalization Partners’ position as the leader in the global remote work technology industry. 

 

“Globalization Partners’ impressive growth is a direct result of the agility and value its technology-enabled Employer of Record platform continues to provide for multinational firms,” said Pete Tiliakos, Principal Analyst, NelsonHall.  “Its vision, commitment, and steady investments to further innovate and de-risk global expansion have positioned it well for sustained growth by meeting the needs of emerging firms seeking to support a growing global workforce.”

 

As an EOR, Globalization Partners allows companies to hire anywhere in the world by serving as the legal employer, ensuring compliance with local employment laws and regulations, freeing up companies to manage and direct the daily work of their team members. To see a demonstration, please watch this video. 

News

Hybrid working is not a tick box exercise

Business owners and managers across the UK have accepted that the working world has changed. But any company simply ticking the ‘hybrid working’ policy box is in for a shock. Post COVID-19, the work environment is going to be far more complex than many managers have yet acknowledged for one very simple reason: employees’ expectations are worlds apart.

Ashley Carr, Founder and Managing Director, Neo PR, explains why active management will be vital to achieving successful hybrid working, not only for employees but also with clients and suppliers – and why it’s important to start the conversation now.

Remainers vs. Returners

The world is opening up and ‘back to the office’ is in the diary – albeit in a different, socially distanced and increasingly hybrid model. But have companies really got any idea of the challenges ahead? This is not a simple situation, where flexi-time is a given and the traditional ‘office’ can be reinvented as a hot-desking ‘touchdown’ space visited by employees once or twice a fortnight – while spending the rest of the time working from home. That may work for a handful of individuals – but employees are increasingly split into multiple tribes with very different needs.

As we begin to emerge from 12 months of isolation, companies need to recognise the growing number of ‘returners’, individuals desperate to leave the kitchen table behind, throw off the onesie and interact with colleagues, preferably every day. These people actively want the work/ home delineation provided by a commute, meetings and the daily coffee run.

At the other end of the scale, there are a large number of ‘remainers’ who would happily never endure a physical meeting ever again, and are perfectly content at home, with zero commute and no need to dress up. These two tribes may be at the extremes so how will companies plan to manage many very different expectations of working life – and also ensure individuals work together effectively for the business?

All for one

While the past year has proved the value and possibility of remote working models, it has also reinforced the importance of face to face contact. Social interaction – the shared tea breaks and water cooler moments – helps to build a company culture. Individuals gain knowledge and confidence simply from listening in to other people’s activity – from phone calls to meetings. Being together in a shared physical space will remain a vital part of a successful business, albeit less frequently than in the past.

The challenge for business owners and managers will be to actively manage employees to achieve some synchronicity in the way different tribes come together. Companies will need to create frameworks that help employees find the right rhythm – to be in the same space, at the same time, at the right frequency. This is not about setting rules and dictating how, when and where employees interact. The past year has changed employee perceptions too much to make that approach viable or successful: setting rules runs the risk of eradicating the flexibility employees desire. Managers will need to work with employees and highlight the importance of face to face interactions – not only for them but for their colleagues and the wider business.

Maintaining strong relationships

An essential part of this process will be the way the physical space – the touch down location – is framed to the hybrid workforce. The emphasis must be on coming together to build relationships and share knowledge. It certainly should be not the place where individuals have to catch up on HR tasks or get a laptop refreshed – that will set the wrong tone.

This is about showing employees how to get the best from a hybrid working model – as individuals, teams and the wider business, by highlighting the importance of shared experiences and ideas, of building relationships.

This thinking also needs to be embedded in relationships with clients and suppliers. No one wants to go back to the time consuming and exhausting face to face meetings that used to dominate client interactions – the four hour drives for a one hour meeting, before hitting the road again. And if companies successfully embrace a hybrid working model that achieves a great balance between remote and face to face interaction, that shouldn’t happen: regular updates will continue via video call, with an annual or biannual face to face meeting dedicated to essential relationship building.

Listen to your workforce

Offices are opening their doors soon – and business leaders need to start planning. That means not assuming a one size fits all hybrid model will suit all employees or laying down a set of rules that completely undermine the concept of flexible working. They need to work with employees to both understand their perception of hybrid working – and explain the upside of face to face interactions with colleagues. They need to highlight to clients and suppliers the value of hybrid working – before companies stumble by default back into unhealthy, unproductive working models.

Essentially, business owners and managers need to accept that employee management just got a whole lot tougher – and active management is going to be essential to create a productive, well balanced and committed workforce wherever and however they choose to work.

Please visit: www.neopr.co.uk

News, Technology

10ZiG® Technology Sets Record-Breaking Number of Customers for Remote Support Feature During Global Pandemic

10ZiG Technology has been a virtual desktop remote-working solution for years, but the number of customers and organizations requesting this kind of support feature has exploded during the global pandemic. The quality and functionality of in-office setup for employees who have been sent home to work has never been more relied upon when it comes to virtual desktop connections and management. With diversified 10ZiG cutting-edge Thin & Zero Client endpoints stocked and ready, The 10ZiG Manager Software with Cloud capabilities, and not having to close its doors for even one day, the Power, Speed, and Performance of 10ZiG Technology to assist its customers has kept organizations up-and-running as usual in a very unusual time.

Customers are turning to 10ZiG even more for powerful, reliable, and affordable Thin & Zero Clients for remote-working environments. 10ZiG endpoints are customized to provide the best performance in virtual desktop and server-based applications & desktops to fit hosted and Cloud environments. The 10ZiG Manager Software is an in-demand part of remote-working as the 10ZiG free enterprise centralized management tool, whether premise or Cloud-based. At no-cost or license limitation, it successfully and easily manages 10ZiG Clients, both Linux and Windows, in-office or remote locations.

Key factors to quality 10ZiG remote-working, as well as these record customer numbers, are The 10ZiG Manager’s Cloud Connector and Cloud Agent. The Cloud Connector provides configuring and managing of 10ZiG Clients through its bi-directional SSL tunnel communication between the Clients and The 10ZiG Manager. It also proxies connection securely between web browsers using the Web Console for communication to The 10ZiG Manager. The Cloud Agent is available on both 10ZiG Linux & Windows Clients and is used to connect to the Cloud Connector both locally and remotely, in both cases connecting via the bidirectional SSL tunnel. For 10ZiG Linux Clients, the Cloud Agent is native in firmware and for 10ZiG Windows Clients, this feature was fast-tracked and debuted in the 2.1.0 XTC Cloud Agent update, in line with the unprecedented demand for remote management from customers.