In this day and age, technology is likely a key component of your remote work, and might include everything from making sure you have all the appropriate charging cables at home to checking bandwidth capabilities to using new software programs.
Virtual Meetings
To start, establish what methods you and your office will use to stay in touch. Luckily, there are many options that can meet your needs. A few that the Pitt community depends on include Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Skype. Other prevalent interaction tools include GoToMeeting and Slack. Whoever your team, determine which platform you and your coworkers are comfortable using and test it out with multiple people before hosting any important meeting. Common issues include attendees not having audio or visual capabilities on new platforms.
File Access
Before leaving the office to work remotely, make sure all important files are stored in your preferred cloud platform for easy access and sharing. At Pitt, OneDrive, Box, SharePoint, and Google Docs are all prevalent. Also, so you can remain responsive via all modes, set up your office phone to either send voicemails to email or forward calls to a different number you’ll have access to at home.
IT
To access Pitt’s software downloads, receive help with multistep authentication, and other remote technology needs check out Pitt Digital.
Internet Bandwidth
Bandwidth capabilities are also an important thing to consider when using video conferencing. To improve performance try:
- Closing as many unused tabs and applications as you can.
- Using an ethernet cable instead of wireless networks.
- When at home, make sure others in your house are not doing “band intensive” activities during your meetings (i.e., streaming music or videos).
- Try coordinating work schedules with those you share internet with so multiple people aren’t trying to stream meetings at the same time.