Work From Home ICT Cheatsheet
Tasmanian IT Blog
Hi All,
I’ve had many discussions with friends and family around the current situation and how to continue working in this new world of social distancing.
My heart is breaking for everyone currently as people are facing shutting down businesses that they’ve worked their lives building, staff are being let go as work limitations impact their ability to provide services.
One thing I can assist with in this time of confusion is advice around how to transition your business or staff to work from home solutions.
I have zero affiliation with any of the services I’m suggesting, and zero interest in commercializing any of this advice.
If anyone has any questions or suggestions to be added to this list, please get in touch and we can all support each other.
This is the time to work as a village – not as competitors.
Below is a work in progress and we’ll post updates as time permits… Just wanted to get something started to assist those currently in need.
Keep an eye on this page for updates.
If you’re looking for a business to help setup your team – please scroll to the bottom of this page, I’ll be adding local Tasmanian ICT Services there for you.
Cheers,
Sam
E: Sam.Brodribb@TasmanianIT.com.au
Work From Home ICT Resources
There is a lot of discussion about how to setup Video Conference solutions for remote workers. Below gives some options for consideration
| Service | Considerations | Links |
| Zoom | Great option if you need a new Video Conference setup and don’t have Microsoft Teams already | https://zoom.us/ |
| Microsoft Teams | May be included in your Business Microsoft Office 365 subscription | https://teams.microsoft.com/ |
| Cisco Webex | https://www.webex.com/ | |
| Google Meet | https://meet.google.com/ | |
| Blue Jeans | https://www.bluejeans.com/ | |
| Skype | https://www.skype.com/en/ | |
One of the big issues with working remotely is the lost office discussions that happen naturally in open style workplaces. Below are some options that allow unscheduled/informal office discussions to continue through out the day.
| Service | Considerations | Links |
| Discord | This is actually targeted at Gamers for chat, but is an excellent option to keep office audio chat running through out the day | https://discordapp.com/ |
How do you keep track of what tasks are flying around in your business among team mates – there are task management a collaboration services as those below.
| Service | Considerations | Links |
| Trello | General task management | https://trello.com/ |
| Smartsheet | Advanced task management | https://www.smartsheet.com/ |
| Pipedrive | Designed around sales – tracking opportunities to sales outcomes | https://www.pipedrive.com/ |
How do you maintain access to business files remotely? Below are some services to support your needs.
| Service | Considerations | Links |
| Microsoft OneDrive | https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-au/signin/ | |
| Dropbox | https://www.dropbox.com/ | |
| Google Drive | https://www.google.com/drive/ | |
How do you maintain day to day workplace co-ordination? There are services for that too! Staff can create chat threads, collaborate on documents and other actions to keep the team on the same page
| Service | Considerations | Links |
| Microsoft Teams | May be included in your Business Microsoft Office 365 subscription. Chat, collaborate on docs, video conference etc | https://teams.microsoft.com/ |
| Facebook Workplace | Literally a build of facebook for your company – with groups, messages, files etc
Note: This is a paid service per user |
https://work.workplace.com/ |
| Facebook Secret Pages | If all your employees are on facebook, it may be worth creating a small secret facebook page, rather than paying for Facebook Workplace | https://www.facebook.com/ |
| Microsoft Whiteboard | Interactive online whiteboard that teams can all access and collaborate on in realtime | https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-whiteboard/digital-whiteboard-app |
| Microsoft OneNote | https://www.onenote.com/ | |
| Slack | https://slack.com/intl/en-au/ | |
How do you gain remote access to your works ICT network, or to a specific PC? Review the below services to support your needs
| Service | Considerations | Links |
| Cisco AnyConnect VPN | Enterprise remote access (VPN) service | https://www.cisco.com/c/en_au/products/security/anyconnect-secure-mobility-client/index.html |
| TeamViewer | Remotely access another computer easily and quickly | https://www.teamviewer.com/en/ |
| Zoom | Support staff using screen sharing | https://zoom.us/ |
| Teams | Support staff using screen sharing | https://teams.microsoft.com/ |
| RealVNC | Great remote access for multiple computers – requires some knowledge to setup. | https://www.realvnc.com/en/ |
Setting up your home office is vitally important, not only for technical workflow, but for your physical health.
My biggest piece of advice – don’t work from the couch or bed – setup a proper home office at a desk if you value your back…
| Component | Considerations | Comments |
| Ergonomics |
|
Total Workfit Solutions has a brilliant guide to setting up your workspace at home: https://www.totalworkfitsolutions.com/TWS%20Home%20Workstation%20Self-Setup-2.pdf |
| Internet Speed |
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| Dock | Worth considering if you are using a laptop. Connect a single USB port to the dock, then connect the dock to your monitor, mouse, keyboard, external drive etc. Super convenient.. | https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/kensington-usb-3-0-docking-station-with-dual-video-ken33972
https://www.harveynorman.com.au/alogic-usb-c-dual-display-docking-station-with-power-delivery.html |
| Screen |
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| Mouse | Don’t rely on a track pad to do a full days work – unless you like hand cramps. Even a basic cabled mouse will help | |
| Keyboard | Especially if you’re on a small sized laptop – it is worth considering buying a full size keyboard to attach for a full days comfortable typing. | |
| Headset for Video Conferencing | You’ll learn pretty quickly that attempting to do teleconferences or video conferences using just the laptop mic and speakers ends up in crackly or horrid sound… Look at getting a comfortable headset with boom mic to get the most out of your communications. | I use this one – great value for money:
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/sennheiser-pc-8-on-ear-headset-sy504197 |
Working from home setups is not our primary service at Tasmanian IT, but we are keen to help you find who does!
I will be collating a list of businesses below that can assist you and your business in setting up work @ home for staff
Consulting, Setup & Advice for remote support
- Circle T – http://moderndigitalworkplace.com/
- Cyber Rob – www.cyberrob.net
- Eaglecrest – https://eaglecrest.com.au/
- Intuit Technologies – https://www.itechnologies.com.au/
- ISW – https://isw.net.au/
- Project Lab – https://www.theprojectlab.com/
- Resonance Consulting – https://resonance.com.au/
Network and Internet Services
- TasmaNet – https://www.tasmanet.com.au/
If you have a business that can assist others setup Work @ Home solutions, please contact me and I’ll add you to the list.
