It’s been some time now since we were forced to retrieve and seek the safety of our homes in the wake of one of the most shocking—and yet relevant—events we’ve faced in a lifetime. COVID-19 changed everything, and work was one of the things we had to adjust in order to remain functioning and relevant.

While a good amount of us started working from home and took a shine to this way of working, there are a ton of positions where on-site activities are mandatory by their nature. The physical dimension of work became an object of discussion. We became more aware and appreciative of jobs that imply the physical presence of personnel, like construction, security, food production, and facilities maintenance.

Let’s face it: we are able to work remotely because there are people out there taking care of our internet connection, electric infrastructure, and facilities. However, by the beginning of the pandemic, most of these jobs were performed without any digital support, relying on spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls.

“How do you combine activities that are done from home-office with ones that must be performed on a specific location by technicians and specialists?”

Remote Work is Much More Than Virtual Meetings

It feels like ages ago, but before the pandemic, most companies were trying to incorporate new technologies into their operations regardless of their industry. The crisis only sped up the digitalization process. Nowadays, digital solutions have been developed with specific purposes to bridge the gap between administrative staff and on-site teams.

ALIGNMENT Communication & Scheduling

Improve communication with everyone in the organization to share objectives and vision. Gain more control of projects and tasks with advanced scheduling tools.

VISIBILITY Field Monitoring

Keep track of dispersed teams and monitor on-site activities in real-time utilizing mobile applications and geo-location technology.

INTELLIGENCE Analytics & Security

Evaluate performances with digital metrics to continuously find new ways to be efficient, all while storing operational data safely in the cloud.

The Dark Side of the Home Office

Even though this way of working has grown on so many people, statistics show that it has more than a couple of downsides. According to a survey by Flexjobs, remote workers have experienced problems associated with alienation and the incapacity to establish time limits:

  • Just 55% of people admitted being more productive while working from home.
  • Almost 30% feel constantly distracted.
  • 58% have admitted having more technical difficulties than in an office.
  • 56% have experienced burnout during this period.
  • 39% said their mental health was better before working from home.

BRIDGING THE GAP WITH SWEVEN FM

The operational divide between remote managers and on-site technicians can only be solved through unified digital platforms. By adopting a specialized CMMS, you eliminate manual tracking, reduce burnout, and ensure your facility teams remain connected, efficient, and supported—no matter where the management team is sitting.