The effects of COVID-19 to the world has been nothing short of devastating. This pandemic has shifted everyone’s focus to making sure that the people survive. Whole economies are on the brink of collapse as multiple businesses all over the world are struggling to stay alive in this crisis we find ourselves in. The structure and business models of organizations have been toppled and reestablished in a hurry in an attempt to stay alive and keep going despite this pandemic. Though restrictions in Southeast Asia have begun to ease up, 73% of businesses have transitioned from face to face to work from home setups with their employees on a more permanent basis. With this change, physical offices will still remain but the dynamic of the workplace has transformed into something we’ve never seen before.
This sudden shift from face to face to work from home setups is a very significant step towards digital transformation. The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the world’s need for a digital transformation for organizations around the world. With this growing demand for new technologies to make our transition to a digital workplace easier, EPSON’s press release assesses the need for reliable technology to help reduce stress and increase productivity for employees, even at a work from home setup.
To help people navigate the new workplace, let’s take a look at some of the behaviors that are likely to remain in place in a post Covid-19 world.
A Virtual Workforce
Even after the pandemic when the economy recovers, many think that the businesses will make the shift to working with communication platforms ie. Skype, Zoom, etc. will be permanent. Having a virtual workforce greatly reduces the cost in maintaining a physical office and technologies on-site, rent and other transportation allowances given to employees.
Distance Learning
Containing the spread of the virus was the top priority of countries in their efforts to combat COVID-19 so the closing of schools, affecting a staggering 363 million children, was inevitable. Schools were forced to continue the education of their students through online learning in digital platforms. Despite the sudden shift, students and educators are constantly finding new ways to help them make learning fun.
E-commerce will become a way of life
The sudden shift of priorities during the pandemic has affected the customers’ shopping habits. Across Southeast Asia, there has been a boom in demand for online groceries as people choose to order online and stay safe in the confines of their homes. Online shopping has become the new normal as customers are becoming more and more accustomed to the different kinds of online stores and delivery services and people are sure to continue this trend even after the pandemic ends.
As we make the shift to a hybrid work environment where we have a combination of a face to face and virtual workforce, it is of top priority that the employees are given the proper technology and requirements to be as productive or more productive than before the crisis. Office workers are used to having access to a certain level of technology which can be missing or lacking as they shift to a work from home setup. With that said, it is important to have technologies at home that can fulfill your work requirements.
Driving sustainability in a hybrid work environment
The EPSON EcoTank Series can help you be more efficient and more sustainable in the long run due to the low running cost it requires. It has a large ink tank that produces a high page yield allowing people to print more papers in black and white and color. EcoTank’s spill-free ink bottles assures productivity, creating less waste than replacing ink cartridges and toners all the time.
EPSON’s EcoTank uses less energy because it is powered by Heat Free technology that allows it to use a unique printing process that does not require heat. Having lesser replacement parts, EcoTank is surely a reliable companion in this sudden shift of work environment.
Furthermore, the availability of a document scanner at home can help professionals scan various paper documents and connect wirelessly to a smartphone, tablet or computer, as well as online cloud storage accounts. In an era of disruption where data is at serious risk, the Epson scanners use modern technology to digitally archive vital documents and information fast, efficiently and productively. This improves productivity by quickly digitizing and organizing hard-copy prints such as invoices, expense reports, receipts, business and ID cards, and documents – turning them into searchable and editable PDFs.
To help individuals transit seamlessly from working to enjoying entertainment during down time in the same space, the use of a home projector can help provide dual benefits as it can be used to display clear and easy-to-read presentations, as well as state-of-the-art video and movie viewing.
Returning to new workspaces
Employees are starting to return to physical offices but it is highly unlikely that workplaces will go back to the way it was before all this. The top priorities now in businesses have become safe distancing measures, hygiene and social distancing. EPSON’s business inkjet printers can surely help your business be more productive, boost productivity and be more cost efficient since it uses 85% less energy since it does not require heat to print.
Different organizations are making drastic changes just to keep their businesses afloat as we face an uncertain future ahead of us, but the priority should be to ensure the safety of the workforce while also being able to operate and function properly. EPSON provides a wide variety of products that seek to solve some of the problems that we face in the change we face with sustainability and customer engagement evident in the design, optimizing time, resources and cost to help organizations on the journey into the new normal.
Photo Source: EPSON