Covid-19 has undoubtedly transformed the world in ways that will persist long after the pandemic shut-downs and restrictions ends. Overall, remote work is here to stay, automation is becoming a necessity, and eCommerce is soaring. All of the trends are changing the labor intensive and physical nature of the manufacturing industry into a remote work system.

However, for a good transition into the new order of work, companies must be willing to adapt to the in-person connectivity measures and working across the cloud. Embracing the remote work will require companies to utilize tools and systems that help them communicate and operate on a more advanced level. Overall, implementing a hybrid work model for the manufacturing industry is not short of challenges and hurdles.

Fortunately, by using the right tools, technology and approach, companies can make their hybrid work models be successful. To understand implementation, you need to first understand the nature of hybrid work, and why it dominates the future of work for manufacturing.

Defining Hybrid Work

Many people come across the term, Hybrid work. But very understand the exact implication of this work into a flexible work model. Running a completely remote work model can be a farfetched attempt for many companies since there are some jobs that must require you to be on-premise.

For this reason, many companies are looking to go into a hybrid work model or a flexible work model that falls in between remote work and on-premise work. Hybrid model refers to deploying a percentage of the company to work remotely and assigning the other portion of the company to work in an office.

There is also the terminology of flexible work which refers to anyone that can either work completely remotely or anyone that can work inside an office.  Hybrid work therefore can be either a department or a certain component of your employees to work remotely, while also allowing workers to work remotely for a certain period, and switch to on-premise work when the time ends.

Transitioning into a Hybrid Work Environment

When transitioning into a hybrid work model, companies need to be ready for a significant change. It will first and foremost require companies to move operations to the cloud. Adhering to a shift in how operations use to work is not possible without having a mindset of trust. The companies that do not have a problem in placing significant trust towards the cloud transitions and virtual infrastructures will lead in these times of changing values.

To encourage remote work is to ultimately give more autonomy to faculty and workers. Managers today have to deal with the newfound expectations of employees wanting to work remotely. In fact, according to a research, 80 to 90 percent of people are looking for remote options.

This creates tensions for managers that want more in-person training, against people that want to stay remote. This means that you have to step away from being in control, and lean towards manifesting trust. This trust does not only have to be directed towards workers, but also towards the automated technologies that you will have to use to manage your systems.  Being controlling towards your business procedures is therefore not the ideal way of transitioning to the remote work model. You have to lean towards the trust side of the continuum.

Key Considerations When Implementing Hybridization

If you want to implement a hybrid work model for your organization, you have to start with asking key questions. These involve questions such as, “what do you want to accomplish with the hybrid work model?” Questions such as these will shape your hybridization strategy when making the transition. Answering them will also define the type of technology and services you will specifically need to run the Hybrid Work space.

For instance, if your aim from hybridization is decreasing costs, then looking at how much space you use compared to how much space you own may be key metric in determining how much space you need for your business. Once you have identified your aim, then you can move towards determining the plan and strategy for your organization.

Formulating a good plan will require you to look at all the metrics and variables available, and make a deductible prediction towards the investments and technology. For the manufacturing company, it will be critical to look at all the mundane and labor-intensive processes that currently exist, and then judging whether you can hand that work over to automated systems.

Automation mechanisms and systems help you proficiently manage the processes without the need for intensive labor. Preparing for this can be challenging as it pertains to making tough decisions. You have to then figure out how you can take your decisions and plan and communicate it to your workforce.

Technology and the Hybrid Work Environment

IT management has made is possible for the Hybrid Work Environment to flourish. Top Management Service Providers are helping businesses integrate tools and technologies to speed up their transitions to the Hybrid Work model. However, it is still important to note that building community now is more important than ever, and communication is the foundation of strong remote teams.

This is why companies are looking at virtual replacements of traditional gathering spots such as the water cooler hallway discussions and meetings. IT managed services can offer tools such as unified messaging systems that can help companies accomplish that.

Build a Strategy for Seamless Transition

Prescient Solutions has helped tailor strategies for many companies that are looking for a smooth transition into a Hybrid Work Model. Our expertise in technologies relating to the cloud, cyber security, communication, collaboration, support, and more make us your ideal partners when making the transition.  Call us today at (847) 240-3900, or fill in our online form for more information.