The distributed model can only thrive with a robust infrastructure. With so many hardware and software possibilities, it's easy to get lost in which ones are really essential. Here's a guide to help you determine just that.
This article is part of our Distributed Enterprise Series
One of the crucial aspects for the functioning of a distributed company is establishing a robust and solid infrastructure. Given that team members in a company of this type will mostly carry out their work remotely and separately from each other, it is essential to provide them with the necessary tools to be successful.
Fortunately, we live in a time where there are many platforms and devices that can help people work wherever they are. In fact, the increase in the speed and quality of Internet connections, as well as the emergence of numerous cloud-based platforms, have paved the way for the distributed approach.
That's why, as part of our series on distributed enterprises, I'll cover the critical tools and solutions you'll need on your journey to becoming a distributed enterprise.
Hardware, the often forgotten part of distributed enterprises
I'm starting with hardware because some people seem to forget the importance of providing employees with the right physical devices and tools to do their jobs and focus primarily on offering them software solutions. While this is a possible approach, the reality is that the hardware and software need to be top-notch for a distributed enterprise to run smoothly.
When talking about hardware, this means ensuring your team members have access to the latest technologies and devices . These could be laptops, tablets, smartphones, monitors, cameras, digital pens or anything else your employees might need. This also means that your internal hardware infrastructure (the one you have in your central and satellite offices, if any) must also be top of the line.
First, let's focus on team member hardware. Here, you have three possibilities with distinct pros and cons:
- Let team members take care of the hardware. Basically, this means you ask your employees to use their own devices to get their work done. This is the most budget-effective method, but it has several disadvantages, mainly related to the actual security of these devices.
- Provide the hardware yourself. In this option, you equip your team members with any hardware they might need to get their work done. It can be expensive depending on the number of employees and their needs, but you can be sure they will get secure and up-to-date devices.
- Use DaaS. We've already discussed what Device as a Service means, so if you want a more comprehensive look at this, read this article. Suffice it to say, you can pay a DaaS provider to equip your team members with any device you need, thus freeing you from everything related to hardware maintenance, support, and updates and upgrades.
The hardware part of the infrastructure doesn't end there. You should also consider the hardware needed to power your offices (if you have them, of course). This goes beyond providing equipment for people who can work in-house.
You should also consider whether you need, for example, a private cloud to store and process some or all of your data. If this is the case, you will need dedicated servers and connections. Naturally, this does not apply to all companies, so you need to clarify your requirements before planning your internal hardware infrastructure.
The implications of developing a hardware structure in the office exceed what I will cover here. The suggestion here is simple: consider the requirements of the team that may work internally and your own strategic needs to define which hardware you will have to install in your facilities. You may find that you only need the devices for your employees, or you may find that there are more than that.
6 Types of Software Solutions for Distributed Enterprises
Besides hardware, the other crucial aspect of a distributed enterprise is software. Now, there are many types of digital solutions that can power a distributed enterprise. Which ones you end up adopting will depend on the type of work you do, the size of your team, and the specific needs of your operational processes.
This means you will have to choose the cloud-based platforms that best meet these specifics. There are, however, certain types of solutions that are practically unavoidable for distributed companies. By this I mean that they proved to be necessary for this type of company. But even if they don't seem necessary to you in particular, you should consider them anyway, as they can enhance your day-to-day life and boost your team.
Thus, there are 6 types of software that all distributed companies must adopt:
- Collaboration tools. One of the first things you'll have to worry about is ensuring that your team members can work with each other harmoniously and efficiently, even when they're apart. The best collaboration tools are those that bring together features that allow users to chat with each other (whether by text, calls or video), share files, create groups and even serve as a kind of record keeping. The best example of this type of tool is Slack.
- Project management tools. While collaboration tools primarily focus on establishing fluent communication between team members, project management solutions aim to provide support for meeting business objectives. These solutions typically include ticketing systems, reporting features, tracking options, organizational settings, and time tracking features. Two of the most popular project management tools are Jira and Basecamp.
- File storage tools. It's true that collaboration and project management tools offer their own file sharing and storage features. However, they may not be efficient enough to store certain types of data. That's why you need to provide your team with distributed file storage platforms so they can organize all their files into cloud-based folders to easily share and work on them. There are many options here, but Google Drive and Dropbox are among the most popular.
- Productivity tools. Adopting some of the tools mentioned above will certainly have a positive impact on your productivity (as long as you use them correctly and to their full potential). However, there are more specific tools that can help you with this, improving your processes and making your entire company more efficient. Take Pisca, for example. This productivity solution offers calendar management, discussion forums, employee directory, news feed, and even customizable apps to better fit your own processes.
- Billing and invoice tools. An essential part of conducting business remotely is being able to create invoices, manage payments, and even automate your invoicing. Fortunately, there are specific platforms that can help you with all your accounting needs and serve multiple team members wherever they are. There are many good invoicing solutions available online, including Square and Invoice2Go.
- Time zone management. This one may not apply to you, especially if you work with a distributed team across the same city, state, or even a few countries. This is because your entire team is in the same time zone. But if you have people spread across different time zones, you'll need one of these solutions, which helps you track team members across multiple time zones to better organize meetings and calls. There are many options here, including Timezone.io and Every Time Zone.
Following these points, you might be tempted to think that you will need 6 software solutions and be ready to go. The reality is much more complicated than that. Depending on your company and your activity, you may need less or more than these solutions – there is no way to know in advance. Therefore, you need to sit down and determine your needs, requirements and possibilities.
Additionally, you can always classify your software requirements by hiring a software development company to work on custom solutions for your distributed enterprise. Although it is more expensive than adopting off-the-shelf software already on the market, you may find that a single, well-developed platform covers most of your needs in a centralized location. It's up to you to decide.
Optimal performance
A distributed company absolutely depends on its infrastructure to operate properly. That's why you need to focus your attention on this when you're on the path to becoming distributed. You need to fully understand the requirements of your team and your offices (if any). The idea is to only adopt solutions that satisfy your specific needs.
Doing this can be tricky, especially if you've never done it before. Things get more complicated when you consider that requirements change over time and you may need to change your infrastructure in the future. However, you won't be able to thrive as a distributed company if you don't do this. Use this article as a guide for the first drafts of your plan and adjust it as you go to ensure optimal performance of your technology environment.
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