“Smart working for many has meant working on the couch, at the dining table or in a makeshift office that doesn’t exactly inspire a productive workday.” VanityFair
From Repubblica to Corriere to Vanity Fair to the prestigious Forbes magazine to government decrees, there is nothing but talk about Smart Working and the best solutions for working anywhere in the best possible conditions.
Everyone agrees, however, that thesmart office should be “agile,” economical and productive; let’s try to understand in detail what Smart Working means, the Italian situation and what are the most useful tips for adapting an office technology task force in line with current needs.
Sommario
- 1 Smart Working or Remote Working? Let’s have clarity
- 2 Smart Working: confusion reigns supreme
- 3 Millions of workers and SMEs in Smart Working: how to adapt technologies?
- 4 More productivity by adopting a mature model of smart working
- 5 Smart solutions for employees: how to improve efficiency in the Office
- 6 The office is smart when it listens to employees’ needs
- 7 Recommended solutions for SMEs:
- 8 Recommended solutions for smart workers:
- 9 Why buy Lenovo workstations with us:
- 10 Contact us for a free consultation
Smart Working or Remote Working? Let’s have clarity
Let us first try to clarify doubts about terms and meanings, to better understand what we are talking about and how to simply and effectively design the relevant work space.
Smart Working
Although under the Decree issued on March 1, 2020 by the Prime Minister, as part of the measures taken by the government for the management of the epidemiological emergency from COVID, smart working is referred to as “agile work,” placing emphasis on” organizational flexibility, the voluntariness of the parties signing the individual agreement, and the use of instrumentation that allows for remote work (such as: laptops, tablets and smartphones).”
Telecommuting
In the definition given in 2002 by theEuropean Trade Union Confederation., the Union of industrial and employer’s Confederation of Europe and the European Center of Public Enterprises (which signed the Framework Agreement on Teleworking): “Teleworking constitutes a form of organization and/or performance of work using information technology within the framework of an employment contract or relationship, in which work activity, which could be performed on the premises of the enterprise, is regularly performed outside the premises of the enterprise.” (Wikipedia)
Mandatory telecommuting
Per Treccani, telework is: “A figure that combines geographic relocation with the use of information technology, it has quite diverse legal sources for the public and private sectors.” In the era of pandemic emergency, mandatory telework is likened by government agencies to smart working, although, semantically it is not the same thing.
Coworking
Defined by Italian law as “agile work,” it is that which can be performed close to home or elsewhere there is a place equipped for the purpose. Where there are, therefore, “rooms, offices or buildings made available on the platform by anyone, professional, owner or public or private entity, who has vacant and often unused locations.” Republic.co.uk.
Famous coworking space Talent Garden in Milan.
Remote work
On this type of work Wikipedia writes that: “It should not be confused with agile work in which work is performed without a fixed location.” It thus requires “a way of working that is independent of the geographic location of the office or company, facilitated by the use of computer and telematic tools and characterized by flexibility both in organization and in the way it is carried out”; finally, it is spoken of as “a technique for relocating offices: it frees work from spatial and temporal constraints, and, as a result, people can choose where, when and how they work.”
Smart Working: confusion reigns supreme
La clearest thing is that there is still some confusion about it and that all the definitions are united by one fundamental factor: the need for high-performance workstations and technologies that can offer workers Intuitive, cost-effective and productive IT and management solutions, with a touch of design that doesn’t hurt.
In an article titled “6 Tips On Working Smarter, Not Harder This Year,” America’s Forbes magazine explains its take on how to work smarter but less difficult:
“A phrase that often conjures up an image of a high-level executive on a beach with a smartphone and a cocktail in hand.
The phrase touches on an individual’s emotional and intellectual desire to ‘have it all,’ but it doesn’t really tell anyone how to work smart, not hard.” Forbes.co.uk
Smart working, is not, as it would seem, synonymous with “working remotely” but literally means intelligent work; intelligence implies wisdom in the organization of space and the use of technology, with a fundamental purpose: make work more efficient with intuitive and user-friendly devices; to be clear, we are talking about the ideal solutions for new generation Companies, the start-ups of Millennials (people born in the 1980s and 1990s of the 20th century according to the Pew Research Center), also useful for Renew the fleet of all modern companies and the image and production model of the “older” ones.
Millions of workers and SMEs in Smart Working: how to adapt technologies?
“In the lockdown 6.58 million emergency smart workers, in the new normal there will be 5.35 million agile workers.”
Politecnico di Milano Smart Working Observatory.
According to the most recent research by theSmart Working Observatory, adaptation to the “new normal” will in the near future bring the 79% of companies to increase remote work, with an average of 2.7 days per week and one in two will modify physical spaces; ditto in PA, where smart working projects will be initiated (48%) with 72% of people involved and an average of +47% of individuals working remotely. And forecasts that would bring the current approximately 6.58 of smart working workers to
5,35
million in the so-called “New normal,” reaching up to 70 percent of Enterprises.
This model implies a mandatory change in mindset and approach to work, primarily by equipping oneself with “agile” and productive work stations and devices.
More productivity by adopting a mature model of smart working
Given that, again according to the Milan Polytechnic Observatories, the adoption of a mature smart working model (i.e., one with state-of-the-art technologies and a more effective and efficient modus operandi) would produce an increase in the +15% productivity per worker, with estimated earnings of about 13.7 billion of euros, we speak more about a change taking place than about a concrete reality to be reckoned with, providing the appropriate responses.
Having to resort to forced work from home in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic has revealed the technological fragility of public and private companies, from the smallest to the best structured.
It is estimated that 69% of enterprises have had to increase the technology fleet, while 50% of SMEs have even suspended operations without taking action on technology renewal; probably by absence of a orientation capable of discriminating between the solutions best suited to their needs, both in economic terms and from a practical point of view.
The Enterprises, on the whole, had to provide in a timely manner:
- Increase the availability of laptop PCs and other hardware tools (69%);
- Increase systems for remote and secure access of applications (65%);
- Increase tools for collaboration and communication (45%).
In addition, more than four out of 10 PAs have been forced to expand hardware and software tools available to staff and for secure remote data access.
This paradigm shift is not transitory, and a return to “normalcy” is an irrational invocation, as many companies, which have seen productivity increase and costs decrease, will never go back*.
Lenovo today offers the perfect solutions, both technologically and economically to make the office smart by combining efficiency, Design and high performance of its devices.
Smart solutions for employees: how to improve efficiency in the Office
A survey by Forrester Research*, in collaboration with Lenovo, found that only 17 percent of employers take employee opinions into account when they have to purchase new devices, and do not ignore the experience. Top companies recognize its importance
in relation to the level of customer satisfaction, considered a priority by 77 percent of companies.
Thus, there is a discrepancy between companies that consider the opinions of their employees on the technologies to be used important, making them feel that they are an integral part of the decision-making and production flow (as belonging, in fact, to that productive part of the company) and those that do not see employee satisfaction as a priority; therefore, it is crucial to bridge this gap considering that, Satisfied employees contribute to:
- Improving job performance;
- Decrease staff turnover;
- Increasing customer satisfaction.
In addition, companies that invest in employee experience are
4 times more profitable than those that do not. (Source: Manpower Group: Millennial Careers-2020 Vision)
The office is smart when it listens to employees’ needs
Theoffice is smart, meaning intelligent, when it meets and interprets, the needs of employees by offering the best technologies, which do not necessarily equate to the most expensive.
“For the next-generation workforce, technology is a crucial factor. Equipping it with technology that is not state-of-the-art is an inappropriate choice if you want to recruit, develop and retain top talent.” Lenovo.com
The requirements of an efficient work station in line with contemporary needs should be:
- High functionality: multiple functions packed into a single workstation;
- Aesthetic appeal: striking design and intuitive features that help you focus more easily on your work;
- Better performance and style;
- Power and portability;
- Security and data protection ensured by the system;
- Dedicated support included.
Recommended solutions for SMEs:
Lenovo ThinkStation and ThinkPad P series workstations. Con:
- Portable and lightweight workstations;
- Power and performance so you can work anywhere;
- Customized configuration;
- Optimization of creative space.
Lenovo Workstations are particularly well suited for scientists, developers, engineers, and other professionals and work intuitively with the Linux host operating system, offering comprehensive support with continuous updates.
Perfect for:
- Big Data
- Cloud
- Productivity
Lenovo stations, have also been chosen by Aston Martin to make the world’s most beautiful cars. The opportunity to use a partner like Lenovo allows the prestigious Brand to devote itself to what it does best: achieving perfection in the design and manufacture of each product.
Discover cost-effective and technological solutions designed for your needs.
Recommended solutions for smart workers:
Lenovo ThinkBook “Made for business, designed for you.”
These are “smarter” devices designed for the new generation, with numerous features that allow them to focus on work with less effort.
These notebooks add a touch of style to every task, from options for working seamlessly and with maximum productivity to safety in action behind the scenes. But that’s not all: ThinkBook notebooks boast some incredible entertainment features in a striking design:
- One touch is all it takes to start or turn them on thanks to hotkeys to answer Skype calls or close them;
- You can listen to music while the system is in standby mode, resuming use in less than half a second;
- With Cortana’s voice recognition technology, simply tell the device to wake up;
- Great focus on security with ThinkShield and with support, through Premier Support service.
With Lenovo ThinkShield, which goes on modern devices supported by Windows 10 Pro, data, device, identity and online experience are protected.
With Premier Support, you improve IT efficiency through dedicated telephone support with direct access to advanced level technicians and next business day repair service.
Extended Warranty
Investments in Lenovo technology can be protected by extending the warranty up to five years, depending on the device, model and country of purchase.
Why buy Lenovo workstations with us:
Fastbrain Engineering S.r.l. is a Lenovo Certified Partner and offers customized purchasing solutions tailored to the needs of professionals. It offers, in addition, pre- and post-sales support, including operational rental.
We are a central player in ICT wholesale distribution and one of the leading players nationwide in the IT and technology product distribution market. A key feature and competitive advantage is the selection of top brands and leading products in the most popular product categories.
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