Submitted by: Ryan Cody, Business Development/Workshifting Specialist, Systems Solution, Inc.
I recently attended the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s Energy Management Strategies event, which included a discussion panel on the latest energy management strategies. Among other topics the keynote speaker and panelists addressed included changing user behavior, changing organizational behavior, energy efficient engineering, energy consumption awareness, and the fluctuation of energy prices.
While speaking about user behavior and consumption one of the panelists used the example of tenant companies in commercial properties having the air conditioning unit come on during the weekend. The panelist contended that this practice was a waste of money and energy because, “No one works in the office over the weekend anymore. They work from home, the bleachers at their kid’s soccer game, or by the pool.” The speaker was right. The trend of working outside of the office, however, is not restricted to the weekends. Businesses are increasingly finding remote working or telecommuting to be a viable option for their employees.
A recent study done by the Telework Coalition found that 89 of the largest 100 U.S. companies offer their employees some sort of telecommuting option. Similarly, the VDC Research Group noted the global mobile workforce population exceeded 1 billion in 2010 and is slated to exceed 1.2 billion by 2014.
In addition to the statistics, we see this shift firsthand in our everyday lives. Before I entered the technology field I was an insurance professional. Between 2008 and 2011, I witnessed no less than five major insurance companies close their brick and mortar operations and send their workers home to work remotely. During the same time period I saw the number of insurance companies who offered their employees the option to work from home increase markedly.
The reality of today’s business world is that work is progressively being done outside of the office. But why? Businesses have begun to realize that in order to stay relevant in today’s increasingly competitive global market they must become more nimble, agile, and mobile. The technology community has been quick to respond to market pressures. As a result “Workshifting,” the migration of work being done outside of the office made possible by advances in technology, is taking place.
Cloud computing is the primary technology that is allowing Workshifting, and all the benefits associated with Workshifting (flexibility, increased productivity, decreased overhead and capital expenditures, etc.), to become a reality. Although the majority of Americans have most likely had some sort of exposure to cloud computing, there is still a lot of confusion as to what exactly cloud computing is. Simply stated cloud computing is the access and delivery of resources over the internet that are accessible anywhere, anytime, by any device (tablet, smartphone, laptop, or desktop) that can be shared by multiple parties to achieve economies of scale.
Thanks to cloud computing employees and executives are no longer tethered to their desks and work is no longer restricted to the office between the hours of 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Furthermore, distance is becoming less of an encumbrance on businesses in general and professionals are becoming free to work when it’s convenient for them, allowing for a better work-life balance.
Workshifting is here. It is the new reality in business today. So please, feel free to leave the AC off over the weekend. Your tenants now have the option to work anywhere, anytime, from any device.
