Business Continuity: Staying Resilient with a Remote Workforce

Business Continuity: Staying Resilient with a Remote Workforce 

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters occurring all over the globe have forced companies to improve resiliency by embracing the use of remote workforces. This is true in all industries, from retail and eCommerce to manufacturing and distribution. 

The use of remote workforces is not without its downsides: 

• Face-to-face interaction between employees is diminished or completely eliminated. 
• Employees can feel isolated and disconnected from one another, possibly reducing company morale. 
• Collaboration can become more difficult since employees are not located in the same physical environment. 

Fortunately, improvements in remote work technology are continuously being made, making it easier for companies to remain resilient by embracing the use of remote workforces. 

What does it mean to be resilient? 

In the context of business, resiliency concerns how a business can continue operations when those operations become disrupted. 

Businesses that have implemented plans to remain resilient typically come back stronger when the disruption no longer poses an issue. This is a result of resiliency plans being integrated into the normal, non-disrupted operations of the business. 

More than ever, businesses must be resilient simply just to survive. Businesses that have not developed plans to remain resilient through disruptions might not be able to adjust quickly enough to adequately respond to the disruptions. 

How remote working impacts manufacturing businesses 

Some industries are able to function with a completely remote workforce. However, this is not currently true in the manufacturing industry. For the foreseeable future, the manufacturing industry will always require at least some of the company workforce to be on-premises. 

This being said, due to advancements in remote work technology, manufacturing businesses are becoming better able to operate with only a skeleton crew physically on premises, with other employees working remotely. 

How to stay resilient with a remote workforce 

Experts recognize that the business world is trending toward more use of remote workforces. In other words, the use of remote workforces is not just temporary. 

Businesses that have established a well-functioning remote workforce have an advantage over competitors when it comes to being resilient. Such businesses are better able to react to a changing work environment, regardless of the reason why the work environment is changing. 

In order for manufacturing businesses to benefit from utilizing a relatively small on-premises workforce, supported by a larger remote workforce, the two workforces need to be able to work together seamlessly and efficiently. 

Developing solutions to accommodate remote workforces is an important investment, giving businesses the flexibility to relocate or expand into new geographical locations. 

How a Cloud ERP solution can help 

One of the most impactful ways manufacturing and other businesses can be resilient with a remote workforce is by using Cloud-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software. 

By using Cloud-based ERP software, businesses are able to keep members of the organization connected, no matter where in the world they are physically located. All that is required to access a Cloud-based ERP software solution is an Internet-connected device, such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. 

For those unfamiliar with ERP software, ERP software collects and centralizes data produced by a company. With all of the company data stored in a single database, companies are able to:  

• Ensure every department is working with the same data or “single source of truth.” 
• Analyze data and evaluate metrics in real time. 
• Easily share information between in-office and remote workers. 

 Cloud-based ERP software solutions, such as Acumatica Cloud ERP, are hosted in secure data centers located in different geographic regions. This helps contribute to business resiliency by ensuring the ERP software is always usable no matter what natural disasters or other disruptions might be occurring around the business premises.  

Adopting cloud-based ERP?  

 At Single Source, we are a proud partner of Acumatica ERP. If your manufacturing business is transitioning to ERP, contact us today to speak with a professional.