Workflow Sample: Remote Work, 'Hours Worked Management' is Important than You Think

The evolution of "Remote Work platform" is awesome. Cloud-based services are evolving rapidly, for example;

Email
Calendar
File manager
Web conferencing
Workflow(!)
etc.

File sharing was achieved only on Corporate LAN when it was 5-10 years ago. But now, it can be 'Always synchronize with local' on the cloud. That means, there are no longer spatial constraints on the file sharing with coworkers, even if for translating job, for Web designing job, or support service job.

In recent, "Sqwiggle", a tool for remote work of which free use limitation has been expanded, is notable. Briefly, it is a device to share the appearance of work at home, etc. with the teammates, by 'still image of every 5 minutes'. The 'presence' of coworkers can be recognized each other in a natural way, for it is not the live broadcasting of video. After all, it provides 'motivations as if they are working seated next to each other'. Well, speaking in detail, there might be some negative opinions in various levels, such as 'possibility of information leakage from still images' or 'Load on CPU by the camera'. (Shall we federate Questetra with it?)

Anyway, the environment, in which we can experience the 'new ways of working' that we never knew, is growing.

As enterprises, they can only continue to experience "new ways of working", by incorporating the new information and communication technologies. If you do not go to experience sequentially in the trial and error, you will not be able to even experience the tools of the next. (If you are doing nothing but only feel pity for a person who attends to a computer beginner's class, you will be standing on the side to be pitied.)

The following is an Online timecard system, which also serves as a daily report.

If you provide it as one of the Workflows, the worker will be able to submit daily report, in the same way processing other tasks flowing on it. You don't need another dedicating timecard system. As the first step for "Remote working" (Telework / Telecommuting), how about experience for trial of clarifying 'Hours worked'.

[Daily Report-Timecard]

[Daily Report-Timecard:'1. Attend (Stamping)' screen]

By the way, the Japanese government has been endorsing "Remote Work" for a long time. Especially, since 2003, they have been promoting with a specific target number of teleworkers. There are a variety of great causes such as "expansion of employment opportunities", "reduce commuting costs" and "business continuity in times of disaster", etc. In recent, 'Local re-vitalization' is also another keyword.

However, I must say that there are many enterprises which have insurmountable barriers such as 'difficulty of Hours Worked management', for the time being. In other words, they have been believing that plain old employment is comfortable, when compared between the working style of 'all the employees attend to the office' and 'teleworking'.

Yet, in the aspect of evolution of information and communication technology over the medium to long term, I am sure that 'the number of people who think teleworking is comfortable' will keep on increasing.

Eventually, 'Remote working' will be implemented in most companies and governmental agencies despite few difficulties, just like computer in 90's and email in 00's. (A study room might become a standard for an ordinary house, as well as living and dining room.) If so, you should better try to bring in 'teleworking' even to a part of your business to experience on a trial basis, aside complicated discussions about 'Purpose of implementation of Remote working', or 'Guideline for teleworking'. Then finding the challenges peculiar to their respective companies, and face to each of them. Only through that experience, you can see the future of your company.

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