Before COVID-19, organizations dabbled in remote and flexible work arrangements for many years without any particular urgency. It was still very much experimental for many, and leaders wanted to take things slow. In the wake of COVID-19, however, the slow-and-steady approach turned upside down. Businesses suddenly had to accelerate their remote work plans and get employees completely equipped to work from home. According to analysts, only 12% of businesses felt completely prepared at the time. The rush was on to identify the right solutions immediately, especially in the world of communications and collaboration.

Companies made hasty decisions and bought technologies and services at the eleventh hour—solutions that may not have been perfect for employees, IT teams, customers, or the larger organization. During the lockdown, many teams inexperienced with remote work failed to consistently communicate, leading to employee silos, misaligned goals, duplicate work, and missed opportunities for deeper collaboration.

Not addressing these challenges today will only hinder organizations that choose to embrace remote work in the coming years. As business leaders plan to support on-going remote work, equipping remote workers with the right technologies is mission-critical.