Remote work was a concept long before the COVID-19 pandemic. Offices have been experimenting with work-from-home options for decades and slowly come to embrace the idea that people can be productive from anywhere at any time. The pandemic simply accelerated that trend.
Public health concerns make it unlikely that offices will return to “normal” anytime soon. Even if they could, professionals who have grown used to skipping their commute, working in comfortable clothes, and spending more time with their kids aren’t eager to embrace a traditional work day again. It’s too early to pronounce the demise of the office as we know it – but it will never be the same as before. That’s because the post-pandemic office makes remote work a priority and not just a possibility.
The issue facing all companies – especially young companies still plotting a growth strategy and building the necessary infrastructure – is how to make their own ambitions fit into the future of work.
Thinking Bigger Than Remote Work
Companies planning to embrace a remote work strategy are well positioned for what looks to be a dynamic, fast-moving decade ahead. But, as many companies have learned in recent months, remote work takes more than just the endorsement of the leaders to remain effective.
It also takes planning and support. Not surprisingly, the rise of remote work happened in parallel with the shift to cloud computing. Working out of the cloud untethers critical data and applications from someone’s work computer and eliminates much of the need to be in the actual office. In many ways, cloud computing makes remote work possible. The two concepts are inextricably linked, which explains why the pandemic has accelerated adoption of both.
That’s why decision makers should think about remote work and cloud computing as two sides of the same coin. As they permit more workers to spend more time outside the office, they also need to migrate more workloads into the cloud. Otherwise, remote work will never work as well.
Moving As Fast as the Moment
Marketers make cloud migration sound easy, even instantaneous. In reality it’s a long, laborious process that can disrupt an entire organization in unexpected ways. Important as cloud migration may be right now, it raises valid questions about whether a company can migrate fast enough and survive the potential setbacks.
Fortunately, there are multiple paths into the cloud, some shorter than others. With accounting and finance, for example, creating a cloud-based department poses serious technical, logistical, and regulatory challenges. But partnering with an accounting firm optimized around cloud-based technology and practices makes those challenges irrelevant. Think of it as a backdoor into the cloud.
At Edward Thomas Associates, we use Sage Intacct – a comprehensive financial management solution with capabilities specifically engineered for the cloud. This technology in the hands of our expert team offers companies a complete accounting solution and the freedom and flexibility that comes from operating out of the cloud first and the office second. When you’re ready to adapt – contact us.