When does Telecommuting Make Sense?

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Telework means using telecommunications and computers to let employees do their work in novel locations, such as new remote offices or their own homes.

Here are the main considerations in deciding to establish additional office work locations:

1. Be on the lookout for business problems which telework helps solve.

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Difficulty filling jobs because appropriate workers do not live close to the office.
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Employees who would be happier working closer to their homes.
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Need for headquarters expansion or relocation.
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Location- or facility-related operational problems.

2. Consider both of the telework location options:

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In additional company facilities.
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In employees' own homes.

3. Take a comprehensive approach to telework.

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Recognize that installing the right technology is only one piece of the telework solution.
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New processes and procedures will be necessary also.
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Involve business planning, personnel management, facilities planning, and operations management.
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Don't count on telework as an easy "off-the-shelf" purchase.

4. Encourage employees to submit proposals for new worksite locations.

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Let individual employees propose working at home (telecommuting).
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See if any managers propose relocating their work groups.
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Evaluate these proposals for energy and ideas to drive improvement.

5. Look for opportunities to improve customer focus.

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Survey customer attitudes that reflect company locations.
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Consider advantages of a second company location closer to: the airport, a business center, an important customer, or a cluster of customers.
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Examine if a second location would provide better facilities for meeting customers.
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Evaluate if splitting certain units away from sales and service would yield more customer focus.

6. Seek retention and recruitment improvements.

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Survey employee attitudes toward present and potential locations.
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Map out where employees live to see a better location for certain offices.
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Respond to individual employee needs by offering work-at- home opportunities.

7. Evaluate the facility cost reductions from split operations.

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Back office operations -- functions not requiring customer contact in the office -- can be placed in lower cost space.
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Mobile personnel who meet customers in the field instead of at the office can be placed in lower cost space.

8. Find potential operational improvements from telework.

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Moving a work group out of headquarters may support more creativity and single-minded focus.
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Logistical factors -- moving people or materials in and out -- may be eased for some work groups in a new site.

9. Use telework for additional flexibility to handle change.

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Work sites for temporary task forces, special projects, and seasonal hires.
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Multiply flexibility by using portable office equipment and modular furniture.

10. Check out the many telecommunications options for linking worksites.

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Define what you want in functionality and keep looking until you find it; technology is improving and costs are dropping.
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Seek long term relationships with sources of expert technical support.
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Look at Intranets (internal, private Internets), document conferencing, remote access to the in-office local area network through a secure gateway, and enhanced voice messaging.

11. Address the teamwork and company culture issues arising from dispersed work sites.

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Make extra effort to maintain company teamwork and culture when employees formerly working together start to work apart.
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Schedule additional inter-facility meetings and social gatherings as telework replaces some face-to-face interaction.

12. Move forward on telework only on finding a "killer" advantage.

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Telework is complex and risky enough to be justified only when the advantages are projected to be very important and near certain.
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Start on the easy parts.
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Try telework confidently, but leave room for modifications as experience builds.