What does your optimal working environment look like? A question that everyone will probably answer differently. But especially in recent years, home office and mobile working have gained in importance: According to surveys, about 50% of Swiss employees have worked from home as of 2020, and a large proportion would like to continue doing so even after the home office obligation. However, employers need not worry any further, because prejudices of “lazy employees” have so far not been confirmed. On the contrary: if employees are given freedom and the workplace where they feel comfortable and can manage their time well, they sometimes even work more effectively than on site in the company.
However, a successful working environment at home or at another location requires optimal equipment – from laptops to digital tools, there is a lot that cannot be missing for flexible working. In this blog post you will find a collection of the most important Microsoft tools as well as equipment that should not be missing at home and tips for the best possible work in the home office.
Well Equipped – With the Microsoft Tool Suite And Other Applications
In addition to the most widely used applications such as Word, Excel PowerPoint or Outlook, Microsoft Office 365 offers a whole range of other solutions that simplify hybrid working – whether from home or on the road. All tools are easily shareable in the team thanks to the connected cloud (Microsoft OneDrive). Share folders, documents, and images with your colleagues and collaborate on projects regardless of where you work.
Microsoft Teams
For communication within the company, MS Teams is one of the most comprehensive tools from Microsoft and offers the possibility of (video) calls, chat functions and data exchange. We have summarized a more detailed overview of the most important features and benefits of the tool and the app in this blog post.
OneNote
This digital notebook helps to quickly write down information about projects and to record and elaborate ideas from anywhere. Create not just one notebook, but several, which you can organize by topics or projects, as well as divide into sections and pages. Moreover, if you share this notebook with your team members, it is possible to make joint revisions.
OneDrive
This Microsoft Cloud provides a unified environment for all your data. This is where all documents connect, for example, those you have created in Word, Excel or PowerPoint. This makes it possible to access files from anywhere and easily share them with the team.
To-Do and Planner
Want to get an overview of all the tasks that pile up during the week? With To-Do you have the possibility to list all your tasks in one overview, categorize them and assign a date to them. The same function can be found in Microsoft Planner with the additional possibility of transferring tasks to work colleagues and visualizing the work progress using graphics. Thanks to the link with Planner, To-Do can also show the assigned tasks in the overview. We have gathered more information about Planner for you in this blog post.
Azure Information Protection
The security of your data is also essential in the home office. The cloud-based Azure Information Protection (AIP) application allows you to control and manage documents, emails, as well as confidential data under the highest security standards by performing simple classifications up to built-in designations and permissions. You want a reliable partner to support you? With the Managed Information Protection Service, Dinotronic takes over the monitoring and protection of your sensitive data and supports you with many years of expertise.
Skribble
Another tool that makes digital work extremely easy is Skribble. It is not part of the Microsoft tool suite, but should still be mentioned here. With the help of Skribble, contracts and deals can be legally signed electronically. This saves time, of course, but also guarantees the necessary security when sending confidential documents electronically.
Keeper
This application allows IT admins to share credentials, encryption and data vaults with employees and teams in a secure, customized and controlled manner. This means that passwords can be retrieved at any time for the user group you have defined in a protected environment – whether at home, on the road or in the office.
The Most Important Equipment At Home, In the Office And On the Road
When you arrive at an office, it is usually already well-equipped by your employer. Often people don’t even think about what else they might need besides a desk, chair and PC. If you then move to a home office, you should purchase some utensils to make working from home as comfortable as possible.
Webcam
It is not only pleasant to see the face of the interlocutor, it also helps to understand each other better thanks to facial expressions and gestures. Therefore, you need a high-quality webcam that is also optimally positioned so that you might even forget that you are not sitting in the same room during an online meeting.
Headset
Few things are more challenging for remote work than a poor voice connection. At best, organize yourself a wireless headset so that you are flexible during conversations. A good headset guarantees impeccable sound and is also important for minimizing background noise, such as typing.
Docking station
Whether in the company office, at home or on the road – everywhere you need various cables and connectors for keyboards, mouse, charging cables and much more. With a docking station, you bring order to the chaos and always have a place free for portable gadgets or similar.
External screen
A small, portable laptop is ideal for work on the go, but those who work in a home office for the long term should consider a large, external screen. This gives you a better overview and also relieves the strain on your eyes.
Office equipment
Good for your back and concentration: a desk with plenty of space for your equipment and an ergonomic chair instead of a kitchen table and couch help you get through long workdays better.
Tips and tricks for home office
A big concern for many employees who work in a home office is literally taking work home with them and no longer being able to find boundaries. Here it is important to find certain strategies and routines that help to separate between work and home.
(Morning) Routine
Find your routine in the morning and throughout the day. Those who have flexible working hours without fixed daily meetings should consider getting up at the same time every day and thus find a work routine to already mentally prepare for work.
Breaks
Don’t forget to take breaks! Without colleagues, it’s easy to lose track of time and eat at your desk instead of taking a conscious lunch break. Active breaks, such as cooking or a walk outdoors, help recharge the batteries and then get back to work fresh.
Movement
In the home office, commutes and minor trips to the office are completely eliminated. This means that the number of steps in a day is sometimes limited to just a small 3-digit range. Add movement to your workday – take a walk during your break, do some jumping jacks, or dance to a song. All this helps to wake up the body and head again.
Work-life balance
As described at the beginning, working from home often makes it difficult to distinguish between the different areas of life. Create routines for yourself here as well: If you have a work laptop, actively put it away after work. If possible, use your desk only for work and create free spaces in your home that are reserved only for private things. In addition, it helps to set fixed times when no work is done under any circumstances, but only leisure time is enjoyed. Above-mentioned tools like Outlook can help you additionally, for example, by setting necessary focus times and breaks in the calendar in order not to be disturbed during these times.
Conclusion
Our world is becoming more digital, and so is the world of work. So the home office has come to stay, and it offers benefits for businesses as well. Hybrid work, where you can flexibly determine whether you work from home, in the office or somewhere else, is becoming a future model for SMEs. Mobile working also entails setting up the new workplace optimally, both with digital tools and the appropriate technical equipment. Employers should actively support their employees in this regard and introduce uniform tools for the entire company. Once this has been considered, nothing stands in the way of successful collaboration – no matter where your workplace is located.
To ensure that working from your home office is also secure, Dinotronic offers you modern, mobile & secure workspace for SMEs as a managed service. Find out about our all-round carefree packages today!
