When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, many businesses around the world suddenly found themselves having to accommodate remote working arrangements for the sake of their employees’ and the public’s health. The transition has proven challenging for both businesses and employees.¹ But remote working can boost morale, productivity, and savings,² while also supporting the goal of environmental sustainability³ --provided it’s done correctly, using the necessary technological tools.

Many employees suspected as much long before the pandemic, and over the last few years have increasingly been seeking out flexibility in the workplace.⁴ And the technology is there to accommodate the demand. While no one would have picked a global pandemic to catalyze a remote work revolution, it appears that is precisely what has happened.

The novel coronavirus outbreak is exposing more people to working remotely than ever. Many will grow accustomed to the benefits, and businesses wishing to stay competitive in the race to attract talent will have to continue supporting it going forward.

Thus far, remote work appears to be a good thing for business. As McKinsey points out, working remotely can boost productivity by boosting morale: “Employees who spend less time travelling or commuting and have a better work-life balance are likely to be more motivated and ready to mobilize in extreme situations.”⁵ The remote work “experiment” mandated by the coronavirus pandemic could put to rest any lingering doubts that workers can be productive and motivated outside the traditional office.

Remote Working Solutions

Our hope is that for the outbreak and resulting worldwide pivot to remote work will prove the viability of remote work, not just as part of a fully functional business continuity plan but also as part of a business-as-usual business plan. Here at Exela, here are some of the solutions we offer that can help make that happen for your business:

• Digital Mailroom
• Transactional Print and Mail
• Medical Records Management

As you work through these challenging times, we hope you’ll find this glossary of COVID-19 terms helpful. For more on the topic of remote work, you’ll want to check out COVID-19: A Tipping Point for Remote Work, a special edition of PluggedIN, Exela's thought leadership news magazine, providing fresh insights from the cutting edge every quarter. We’re offering it absolutely free.

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1. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/a-blueprint-for-remote-working-lessons-from-china
2. https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/brags/news-releases
3. https://www.capital-ges.com/the-environmental-benefits-of-remote-working/
4. https://www.fastcompany.com/90481356/were-in-the-midst-of-a-massive-work-from-home-experiment-what-if-it-works
5. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/a-blueprint-for-remote-working-lessons-from-china

As of April 2, 2020, COVID-19 has infected 956,588 people and killed 48,320^[1]. Hoping to contain the spread, the World Health Organization declared a “pandemic,” leading myriad companies to institute remote work. Many companies were unprepared. Even those with existing remote infrastructure were not necessarily ready for a scenario in which literally no one is in the office.

Nevertheless, Exela remains optimistic this great remote-work experiment will succeed. That’s because solutions ensuring business continuity even with no one in the office already exist. In fact, they’re integral to Exela’s Smart Office suite of solutions, which many of our customers had already been using prior to the pandemic. Smart Office automates a variety of office processes, enhancing efficiency, productivity, and security and setting the scene for seamless remote work. Exela’s Smart Office is comprised of a selection of data-driven solutions--some front-office, some back-office, all of which are aimed at creating and supporting a more efficient, productive, and sustainable workplace. These include, among others:

• Digital Mailroom, which transforms paper mail into digital format, securely routing it to its intended recipient(s) anywhere with an internet connection.
• PrintShop, which prints and copies documents remotely on-demand and securely routes them to their intended recipients.
• Intelligent Lobby, which eliminates the need for staffed reception spaces and allows office access without unnecessary, and risky, interaction.

Over the next several days and weeks to come, we will be addressing these and other Exela Smart Office solutions and how they can help your office retain business continuity in these uncertain times. As you work through the current global crisis, please be aware that the best remedy currently known for COVID-19 is prevention. Here are the CDC’s best practices for prevention. And please do not hesitate to contact us at covidresponse@exelatech.com, and let us know if we can assist you in any way.

[1]  https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html