How Technology Helps Create Seamless Experience for the Remote Team

The remote team – we’ve heard a lot about this trend. The company that runs its operations with a team whose individuals are located hundreds or thousands of miles apart. It sounds like the ideal environment, especially for those individuals who don’t want to have to commute to an office every day. But, is this type of team always a purring engine, or does it have its own set of challenges?

The question was answered in a recent Huffington Post piece where the author highlights several of the challenges faced by the remote team. From the distance between its members to presenting a unified business front to keeping everyone on the same page, the remote team is not a utopia, but instead just another way of doing business.

The key is to identify those challenges that are a reality in your world. The distance may not really have that much of an impact, unless there are different time zones involved. Real-time chat options can help, but not if one of the team members has to get up in the middle of the night to participate. If the meeting is meant to simply share information, it can be recorded to replay later.

One way to streamline such communications is the implementation of the virtual PBX. By leveraging technology that doesn’t have to be simply on-premise, you can extend communications capabilities regardless of the individual’s location. It not only keeps everyone on the same page, it also allows for the creation of a unified business front. Customers don’t need to know that the three people on the line from your end are scattered throughout the world. All they really need to know is that you’re listening to them and providing a solution.

The single system delivered with the virtual PBX also gives you the opportunity to protect the phone numbers of the individual employees you have on staff. They don’t have to share a personal number just for the opportunity to work remotely. At the same time, they can also tell the difference between a work call and a personal call before they answer it.

Running a business isn’t easy, but you don’t have to be confined to the status quo to be successful. The virtual environment is very easy to manage, as long as you recognize and acknowledge the real challenges that can keep you from being successful and put a plan in place to overcome those challenges. In doing so, you’re much better equipped to enjoy the perks associated with the remote team while you’re driving success in the marketplace.