Remote working: Telecommuting from the trenches

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@cybertext
@astcnsw

REMOTE WORKING:
Telecommuting from the trenches
November 2012 Rhonda Bracey

“The virtual office has existed for at least a century...
Clothing factories used to drop off piecework at the
homes of stay-at-home mothers who would sew the
pieces together and receive payment on a per-item basis.
…it’s simple enough to give a worker a remote login to
your network, a high-speed Internet connection, or
whatever other connectivity service she requires.”

Lee, TJ. The Virtual Office: Part 2
www.thenakedpc.com/articles/v02/20/0220-03.html

© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd

“I’m sitting in a traffic
jam, in the car that I need
to get to work, so that I
can pay for the house
that I’m never in.”

How many minutes of this per day?
3
10? 20? 30? 45? 60? More?
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd <date>

4

Only to face this for 8+ hours…
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd <date>
http://dcdana.blogspot.com/2011/07/cube-life_21.html

 Worked remotely full-time since Feb 2007
 Several long-term clients in that time (WA, Qld, Tas, Israel, US)
 Main client since late 2008: [removed]
 Rarely, if ever, meet my clients/work colleagues
 Mostly do tech writing/editing for large teams of authors

About me

Positives
7

No commute; no madly running errands on the way home;
More discretionary time no ironing! More time for family, leisure activities

No expensive meals/snacks/drinks; no parking/public
Less costs (~$10,000/yr) transport costs; reduced fuel usage; no need to regularly
update wardrobe/shoes/makeup/hair/nails

No/fewer meetings; no water cooler chat; few ad hoc
Greater productivity interruptions (prairie dogging); little office politics

Few interruptions = meet deadlines; work hours to suit body
Less stress/better health clock/commitments; not rushing; fewer take-outs/meals out;
more time for exercise; don’t catch/transmit bugs

Reduced footprint on Not running car as often; not consuming as much
Earth
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012

Negatives
9

Miss ad hoc work and social relationships with co-workers; out of the loop;
Isolation no body language/facial expression nuances

Possible increase in power/internet/phone costs; equipment/software
Increased costs
costs if employer doesn’t provide; dedicated office space and furniture

Family/friends may assume you’re ‘always available’ to do other tasks
Interruptions
(chores, shopping, kid taxi, coffee/lunch etc.)

Managers/co-workers may assume you’re doing nothing or doing things
Perceptions
other than work

Overworking Can be too easy to work all hours and not separate home/work life

Self-discipline is essential otherwise you’ll get nothing done; beware of
Underworking distracting yourself with non-work tasks

It’s about managing…
10

Yourself and your time (discipline/routine)

Perceptions of others (ALWAYS be available during core hours)

Interruptions (train your spouse, family, friends)

Your workspace (dedicated is best, with a door)

Your mental and physical health (exercise regime, social contact)

Your employer/manager (who pays for what; negotiate core hours)


Helping hands: If you have these…
12

Existing
work/
network

Appropriate Existing
environment reputation
Consider
telecommuting
(at least some of
the time)
Good self- Supportive
discipline employer

Supportive
family


13 Connecting Technologies
Takeaways:
 Internet essential—the faster the better

 Remote access and collaboration tools are
getting better all the time
 Have regular voice meetings with
boss/colleagues


Internet
14

MINIMUM: Broadband connection (>1.5 Mbps)

Websites, email, social media

Conference calls: phone and video

Transfer/backup data files

Connect securely to another system (VPN)
Work on another system as though you were there (Windows
Remote Desktop: free)
Instant messaging (e.g. Microsoft Lync in corporate environment)

Telephony
15

Landline, mobile, VOIP (e.g. Skype, Cisco)

Skype:
• Computer to computer (free)
• Smartphone app, conference calls, video
calls, chat, voicemail, file transfer, screen sharing...

Cisco IP Phone option if already used in office:
• Office phone directory
• Dedicated local number/extension

Web conference/screen sharing tools
17

A Google search for screen sharing applications gives 50 million
results! Many are suitable for tablets too. Examples:
Provider Pricing (in US$, as at July 2012) Website
WebEx Free (up to 3 people); $24/month (up www.webex.com
to 8); $49/month (up to 25)
GoToMeeting $49/month (up to 25) www.gotomeeting.com
Adobe From $45/month; also ‘pay per use’ www.adobe.com
Connect option: 32c/user/minute
Microsoft Various prices depending on Office 365 http://www.microsoft.com/
Lync Online subs, corporate installations etc. en-us/office365/lync-
online.aspx
Join Me Free; Pro version from $19/month www.join.me
Fuze Meeting $15/month (up to 15); $49/month (up https://www.fuzebox.com/
to 25) pricing

Remote access requirements
18

If you need to  Domain name, username, password
access:

 your own
 Client sys admin to allow VPN access
system
while on
 Tools to provide access, such as:
the road
 Remote Desktop (Windows)
 a client’s
system
 Remote access to server and networked
from PCs via HTTP
anywhere
 Microsoft Outlook Web Access (if using
then you’ll
need this Exchange Server)
information…
 Commercial desktop and web tools

Remote access tools
19

A Google search for remote access applications gives 76 million results!

Examples:

Provider Pricing (as at July 2012) Website

GoToMyPC $10/month for access to one PC www.gotomypc.com

LogMeIn Free for basic access www.logmein.com

WebEx PCNow From $10/month for access to one PC http://pcnow.webex.com


Example collaboration tools
20

Content management systems, wikis, forums, blogs, Twitter (!)

Document sharing tools (e.g. Google Drive, Office 365)

File sharing tools (e.g. Microsoft Skydrive, DropBox)

Project management tools (e.g. BaseCamp, ToodleDo)

Microsoft SharePoint: Tries to do all the above in the one
package; success varies…

Why these?
21

• Simple file transfer/sharing
• Available for PC, tablets, phones
DropBox •
•
Free
www.dropbox.com

• Instant help from around the world
• Keep up-to-date with events/trends
Twitter in field
• Water cooler chat
• www.twitter.com


Twitter is good for information
you might not normally hear
about

Twitter is great for
quick answers to
questions/problems


24 Home Office
Takeaways:
 Essentials: dedicated space with a door

 Get a GOOD chair


Minimum equipment
27

PC and/or laptop

Modem/router

Printer (multifunction for single footprint – copy, scan, print, fax)

Headset (or microphone + speakers [often built-in to laptops])

External, portable hard drives/thumb drives

Phone (smartphone is ‘one device to rule them all’)

Nice to have…
28

Tablet (iPad etc.)

Wireless connection (built-in to later laptops; on phone)

Digital camera/camera on phone (if your work includes photos)

Webcam (built-in to later laptops; on phone)

Travel-sized bits and pieces (mouse, network cables etc.)

Digital voice recorder (try your phone!)


Stuff for your body
29

Decent desk + chair (you’ll spend a LOT of hours at both, so don’t scrimp)

Quiet/free from distractions (noise-cancelling headphones, ear plugs)

Good lighting

Temperature control

Exercise


Some facts…
30

UK companies spent 24 billion GBP on business travel in 20111

It costs employers 7000 GBP per person per desk for office workers1

90% of office workers would like to work from home some of the
time1

35% of tech professionals would sacrifice up to 10% of their salaries for
full-time telecommuting2

1. From "Home of the future" Episode 2: Work (TwoFour Broadcast Ltd, 2012; presenter Chris Sanderson)
2. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/040511-it-telecommute.html

31 Resources
Takeaways:
 Search for ‘remote working’, teleworking’
‘telecommuting’
 Plenty available on benefits/costs of telecommuting
and convincing arguments for your boss
 List of some on my blog today
(http://cybertext.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/
resources-for-remote-working-presentation/)


32 Thank you…
Any questions?

Contact me:
 rhonda.bracey@cybertext.com.au

 http://www.cybertext.com.au

 http://cybertext.wordpress.com

 Twitter: @cybertext


Remote working: Telecommuting from the trenches

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Remote working: Telecommuting from the trenches