Remote or "hybrid" workers

i dont know bro sorru

For the most part in my career I’ve worked with employees not being in the HQ or in a company facility so HYBRID has applied to much of what we created.

Obviously self-help materials, articles, tips and tricks, HOWTO documents all allow the end user to do more on their own, I think that has to be part of your strategy even if users don’t adopt it.  

Automating IT out of the job is always a great cost reduction strategy. Meaning automate so common requests, get manager approval and add the user to a GPO or Azure security group and utilize the Company portal for installs or available software is great as well.

The main change in focus over the years has been physical PC support. Break fix type stuff.  We used to have warranties and send Dell to your home or office to do with repairs. COVID destroyed the ability to do much of that. So our processes changed to try to remotely troubleshoot but have an available unit that you can ship out and then handle the repair at a central location.  Business process would dictate if you repair and send back out or just swap with a working model and repair and restock.  This was the largest change I’ve seen over the years on handling this type of transition.

We used to order supplies to come into our main office and we would ship to the other offices as needed. As people started working at home, we started “dropshipping” items directly from the supplier either to the regional office or to the worker’s home. Amazon accommodates this very well with a business account. This reduces delivery time and the amount of “handling” that our tech workers have to do. The only downside is that it is hard to receive the item. We have the user send us either the packing slip or photo of the item(s) electronically.

I think in this changing world some assets we would previously track have become consumable.  If I’m purchasing a monitor for $100 and paying $30 to ship it to the user. When they depart do I want to pay $30 to have it returned to my office and then $30 to ship it to the next user or do I just write it off and avoid shipping charges.

Same issue with return of wireless keyboards and mice that use dongles.  Often we don't get the dongles back.  Do we just give stipends to users for keyboards/mice and let the user purchase their own.  Same with headsets, do I really want to get one back and send to another user after a pandemic stricken world, probably not. 

I think there are several areas to think differently about.

To better support remote and hybrid workers, IT support teams have made a few key changes. First, they’ve focused on enhancing security with stronger VPNs, two-factor authentication, and endpoint protection for devices outside the office. They've also adopted more cloud-based tools to ensure smooth collaboration, like document sharing and project management platforms.

Next, there’s been a shift toward remote troubleshooting, with tools that allow IT teams to diagnose and fix issues without needing physical access. Lastly, they’re offering more flexible support hours, recognizing that remote workers might need help outside the usual 9-to-5 office window. All of this aligns with the advice to prioritize accessibility, security, and seamless communication for hybrid workforces.