Print.IT Reseller - issue 83

01732 759725 40 VOX POP According to the 2021 KPMG CEO Outlook Pulse Survey , 45 per cent of executives do not expect to see a return to a ‘normal’ course of business until next year, compared to 31 per cent who anticipate this will happen later this year. The changes prompted by the pandemic have resulted in one quarter of CEOs saying that their business model has been changed forever by the global pandemic Post-COVID, only three in 10 of CEOs surveyed for the KPMG report are considering a hybrid model of working for their staff, where most employees work remotely two to three days a week. And according to Microsoft’s recent Work Trend Index survey, employees want the best of both worlds. Over 70 per cent of workers want flexible remote work options to continue, while over 65 per cent are craving more in-person time with their teams. This month’s panel shares their thoughts on whether last year’s sudden shift to home working has created lasting changes to the world of work and what the new reality will look like for both their own and their customers’ business. What will the post-pandemic workplace look like? Martin Roberts, Managing Director , Neuways “On March 23 last year we all had to move to working from home and that presented its own set of problems, with a lot of people outside of the secure corporate network of the office – with plenty of preparation having been put in to make it as safe as possible. “Going forward I think we’ll see an evolution to this hybrid working, where people will be working from home several days of the week and in the office for the remainder. We have to make sure the transportability of work between those two locations is as easy and as safe as possible, to allow us to provide the same levels of protection for those working both in and out of the office. It was important to us to maintain our employee’s health and safety, as well our customer service standards, and we are delighted to have kept both standards high throughout the pandemic.” www.neuways.com Andy Ratcliffe, Managing Director, Key Digital “During the initial lockdown we all decided to work from home. While internal communication remained simple, it became increasingly difficult to carry out our sales process due to unsuitable conditions, varying communication success and distractions at home. It became apparent that working from home would only be a short-term solution. “Everyone in our team wanted to return to the office as soon as we were able – I think this is testament to the relationship we all have and reinforces how much we enjoy working together. “After making our Burnley head office COVID-safe and by following the latest guidelines, we were eventually able to return to the office. This brought noticeable positive changes: enhanced productivity, reduced stress, improved team morale and made it easier to plan and execute ideas. “For us, our business model hasn’t changed but our route to market has. We’re no longer having two or three physical meetings before we confirm a sale, we’re not out canvassing, and we’re unable to attend networking meetings or hold exhibitions. However, we have seen an increase in incoming sales enquiries – and I think this is reflective of the market as a whole. “Our sales process hasn’t changed, but the way we work has changed. Instead of holding physical meetings we’re able to host these meetings online, this means we can have eight to ten meetings per day rather than three to four we might have seen before. “Furthermore, this way of working opens up the entire market to us. It is continued... Martin Roberts Andy Ratcliffe For us, our business model hasn’t changed but our route to market has