Print.IT Reseller - issue 80

01732 759725 44 VOX POP remuneration, but also for the love of the business and for those with whom they’ve formed friendships, often over many years. I fear it will prove very difficult for businesses who rely solely on home working to retain staff and to achieve an environment where staff flourish and grow.” Colin Blumenthal: “A good IT partner will be able to offer cyber security services that will help secure the endpoint device – regardless of whether the device is in an office, or in a decentralised home or remote working environment. “Robust acceptable computer use and data protection policy documents should be established and communicated to all team members to ensure the correct governance is in place, alongside appropriate training so all users are aware of and adhere to good computer and data security practices. Procurement and cost control should continue to operate in the same way as when the workforce was centralised.” David Warrington: “Something we have always endeavoured to do which seems obvious but often overlooked is simply to ask why and how? A lot of IT procurement has been based on historic activity, i.e. this is what I bought three years ago, now give me the latest version. “Never has true solution delivery been more relevant than it is now, remote methods of service delivery is absolutely made possible by technology as well as secure cloud- based applications and storage. The final piece to this is the ability to provide flexibility in agreements that will likely need to change. This flexible approach to procurement whilst still providing the same levels of support, is something we have worked hard on over the last nine months and is now showing its value in the business we are writing.” Sam Elphick: “In the realm of print, I believe it is important to have a clear understanding of the functions, solutions and tools that are available on the devices – a lot of the obstacles such as those listed can be mitigated by ensuring these are properly used. Print quotas per user, reporting and tracking are all great ways to ensure budgeting, as well of course as having clear running costs.” Mike Mulholland: “Distress purchasing of entry-level home tech led to an exponential rise in assets and destinations that IT teams have had to manage. This has naturally created some blind spots, with IT leads having less control over connected devices’ security settings, while having less oversight of maintenance requirements and costs. “We’re helping IT managers to manage this transformation and take control over their decentralised print estates by using managed print services. We extended our MPS offering with devices ideal for home working, helping IT managers to regain oversight and control. Meanwhile, we’re also providing other helpful software packages for our devices – including our free Remote Panel solution, helping partners to carry out remote diagnostics and repair of devices at distance.” Martin Roberts: “If systems aren’t straightforward or there is difficulty in using them, people are going to take advantage of shortcuts and start bypassing essential security procedures that can put themselves and their employers at risk. We must make sure families working on the same network at home are given the right protection Clive Hamilton: “The new services portfolio (mentioned earlier), that Pinnacle has invested in, supports this question. By using the contracted new service provisions that we have to offer, we can assist companies with the procurement, cost control, document security and management of most work from home/agile workforce requirements.” Michael Field: “I have been involved in various round table events and have written many channel articles on this subject recently. I believe that remote working will be viewed with less promise post-COVID. Aside from the additional pressures of procurement, cost control, governance and security; one must consider the fundamental change in workplace relationships. Many organisations’ success, including my own, is built upon the foundation of the working relationships between staff members. “Whilst collaboration is possible through platforms like Teams and Zoom, processes are slowed and it’s far more difficult to act on body language and direct communication. Team members’ motivation comes not only from financial ...continued PrintIT Reseller: A decentralised workforce brings additional procurement, cost control, IT governance and security challenges for IT, how can vendors help? Michael Field David Warrington