As the world works hard to prevent the spread of the coronavirus through testing and social distancing, more employers than ever are implementing work-from-home policies to promote the strategy to fighting the coronavirus. Even before the pandemic began, telecommuting was experiencing growth, with 4.3 million professionals doing their work at home at least half the time.
But even if some of your employees work outside of the office, shifting to a remote-first work environment isn’t easy. We have a few tips that can help ease the process.
Reduce Paper
As you look around, note the amount of paper you require for your various processes. When everyone isn’t under the same roof, team members can’t hand documents to each other. Sure, they can scan them and send them electronically, but that takes time and slows down productivity.
The first step toward freeing up your employees to work from anywhere is to eliminate the paper. Those invoices that come in via postal mail create extra work for your team. The elimination of the physical document enables your team to work from anywhere.
Create a Portal
When employees work remotely, there’s a need for a central meeting spot. This not only refers to tools that allow you to communicate and collaborate but also to the documents you access every day. You can grant access to only those who need it, whether those are your employees, your vendors, or a combination of both.
A cloud-based document management system brings a variety of benefits. When documents are in the cloud, you no longer depend on going into the office each day. That means if your building becomes uninhabitable due to some sort of disaster, everything you need to work will still be accessible. Additionally, cloud-based documents are backed up on a regular basis, keeping them protected. Paper documents and locally-stored electronic files don’t bring that benefit.
Adopt Video Conferencing
Video conferencing software enables your staff to stay connected even when they’re working remotely. Most video call conferencing software such as Go-To Meeting, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Hangouts have the same basic functionality: screen sharing to show other attendees what’s on your screen, a mute button that can silence barking dogs and loud kids when you’re not talking, and chat when typing messages helps move the conversation forward.
Automate Processes
Automating processes like accounts payable can benefit your business in a variety of ways. You’ll boost overall productivity, as well as morale, as employees no longer have to spend hours each day on manual, time-intensive processes. You can automate payment approvals, for instance, so that they automatically go to the next person in the chain, eliminating the need to send emails and wait for responses.
As employees start working remotely, automation becomes even more valuable. Employees receive notifications when items need their action, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. They also can manage incoming payment requests and view everything that’s awaiting approval using laptops, workstations or mobile phones so that they can follow up if they need to. For managers, automation means you can pull reports on a regular basis to show board members, investors, or auditors.
Whether you’re planning to implement a work-from-home policy soon or not, remote capabilities can benefit your business. When employees can work from anywhere, that means processes will no longer be delayed because someone is away from the office. For accounts payable, automation boosts overall productivity, as well as providing better oversight for your management team.
Interested in finding out how Centreviews can make your remote team more efficient? See how Centreviews can help you improve your accounts payable and accounts receivable processes today.
