The rise of the remote workforce is a trend that no one can deny. While it was already starting before the pandemic, lockdowns and social distancing suddenly emphasized the need for remote teams to be in place. Today’s employers are now finding that remote teams can be incredibly productive and effective, allowing the business to occupy less physical space and thereby cut down on overhead expenses. But one challenge has popped up and that’s how you go about making remote workers feel part of a team? Here’s a look at some simple tips you can use that will ensure your staff feels like a team no matter where they’re located and working from. Hold Weekly Virtual Meetings The first way to make remote workers feel part of the team is to encourage communication by holding weekly virtual meetings. Even if nothing is pressing to discuss, this is an opportunity for everyone to check in with each other, share concerns or ideas, and start to create that sense of teamwork. They will realize they aren’t alone and they aren’t working in a void. If possible, use a video chat service for the meetings such as Zoom so that it’s more personal. Bring Remote Workers Into the Office Occasionally Depending on the space available in the office, and where your remote staff is located, you may want to have them come into the office occasionally. Some businesses will ask remote staff to work in the office once a week, once a month or quarterly – whatever you see fit. It puts a face to the name and starts to solidify the work relationships that are so important to the success of a business. Organize a Virtual Scavenger Hunt Why not inject some fun into the team-building exercises and have employees take part in a virtual scavenger hunt. There are companies you can use that do all the planning and work, making life easy for you and setting up something memorable and fun for staff. These kinds of activities also work great for companies that have a combination of in-person and remote workers, as they can all take place in this virtual activity. With a scavenger hunt, employees will be working in teams, so be sure to team people up with others they may not usually work with or chat with. It will act as an icebreaker that way. Use Tech Tools That Make Remote Employees Feel Connected Technology will be your best tool in helping remote workers feel connected so look for apps, software, and other tools that encourage this kind of set-up. Platforms that allow them to chat in real-time, share data, charts, track projects, and so forth will improve communication and workflow. The Remote Workforce Is the Present and Future In terms of future trends, building a robust remote workforce is no longer in the distant future as the time has come. A remote workforce can offer all kinds of benefits for both employees and employers, so it’s time to embrace it and ensure that everyone feels part of a...

Supply chain management (SCM) is the broad range of activities needed to plan, control and execute a product’s flow, from procuring raw materials and production through distribution to the final customer, in the most streamlined and cost-effective way possible. Ensuring all supply chain components are running as smooth as possible helps businesses to provide on-time delivery of products and services, with changing consumer demands and supply chain disruptions brought about by the recent pandemic. This blog post’s focus is to throw some light on “How IoT aka Internet of Things is bringing about a big impact” in the future of supply chain activities. Let’s first understand the 7 Principles of SCM Adapt supply chain based on service needs of every customer segmentCustomize logistics network for each customer segmentAlign demand planning across the supply chainDifferentiate product closer to customer’Outsource strategicallyDevelop information technology that support multi-level decision makingAdopt both service and finance metrics Now let’s look at the Impact of IoT in the future of supply chain. Asset Tracking One of the top and fundamental function of IoT in supply chain is asset tracking. Locating containers, objects and personnel is considered way important among the organizations Through RFID and GPS sensors, real-time location of a product, truck or shipping container can be known by logistics operators. Fleet Management Fleet management is another area to improve the efficiency of logistics operations. Through IoT it is now possible to connect all fleets to each other, which allows the fleet dispatchers to collect breadth of data from their fleet operations. Data included are: 1. Weather conditions 2. Traffic situations 3. Driving pattern and 4. Average speed When thoroughly analysed, this data can help logistics operators to find more efficient routes, manage driver head counts, save on fuel cost and optimize their fleet reliability, availability and efficiency. Tracking and Monitoring Inventory Levels in Real Time IoT sensors play a great role in tracking and monitoring inventory levels in real time. Amazon is now using Wi-Fi robots to scan product codes present on the products to keep track of their inventory levels. Bluetooth tags and beacons offer tracking data in more confined areas- many retail stores are using these tracking technology software to monitor customer traffic and provide marketing messages to their customers. Vendor Management By asset tracking., organizations tend to come out with high quality output, which in turn improves their relationship with the vendors. A recent survey states that up to 65% of the value a company’s product /service is derived from its suppliers. Predictive Maintenance Being an asset intensive process, right from production machinery to warehouse equipment and delivery vehicles, these assets need to be continuously monitored to ensure their functional efficiency. Smart sensors help the logistics operators gauge if a particular asset needs to be serviced ahead of time. This reduces considerable asset down time and asset failure, thus saving cost including maintenance...

Starting a new job can be one of the most memorable life experiences, but it can also be stressful. You’ll need to know how to act, what to wear, and figure out the many intricacies of the new company so you can fit in. Many people remember their first day of a new job because of the pressure they feel. Luckily, you can reduce this anxiety by planning your first day as best you can and learning how to communicate with your new bosses and coworkers. Here are tips for your first day on the new job.  Ask Questions The onboarding process will allow you to ask as many questions as necessary so you can feel confident in your new position. If you don’t ask the questions you need to ask on your first day, you might be setting yourself up to fail. Everyone expects questions for the first few weeks to months after you’ve been hired because everything will be new to you.  However, many people might not expect as many questions when you’re in your sixth month of employment. Instead of waiting to ask questions, make sure you ask the right person the questions you need to be answered so you can have a successful first day and set yourself up for a successful career within the company.  You can also prepare questions beforehand that will demonstrate your desire to learn about the company. For example, you can ask questions such as what goals the company has and how you can help them achieve them. Be prepared to have many questions pop into your head, such as where to find the bathroom, so you can immediately get all of the basic answers you need.  Prepare Your Intro Your new coworkers are going to be curious about you and ask you questions about yourself. It’s best to prepare what to say. Prepare an elevator pitch about yourself so you can describe who you are, where you were working before, and your expertise. Your pitch should only be 30-seconds long. Remember, your coworkers are curious about you, but they still have jobs to do, so it’s best not to take up too much of their time.  Arrive Early Ensure you’re not late for your first day because that can put a target on your back and make your managers feel like you already don’t care about your job. Try planning your route the night before so you can arrive 15 minutes early. You can even practice the commute so you know how much time you’ll need during the morning rush hour.  Once you arrive at work, consider staying in your car or going to a cafe so you don’t walk into the building early. While it’s always a good thing to look eager to your new bosses, you shouldn’t appear as someone who will always show up early, especially since you’ll still be expected to stay throughout the entire day and until working hours are over.  Socialize If you want to succeed in a new position, you’ll need to frequently deal with people, which means learning how to successfully socialize, solve problems, and effectively communicate. Getting along with your coworkers can make going to work much easier, but associating with the right coworkers can help you grow within the company. After all, you never know which of your coworkers will be promoted to being your boss or have the ability to promote you to upper management so you can get a promotion yourself.  Stay Calm While going to your first day of a new job can be nerve-racking, remember you were hired for a reason. You beat out the...

Today’s leaders around the world cite culture and employee engagement as one of their top organizational challenges. They are in a position to identify and assess the need for change in their organizations as certain issues are only evident like a tip of the iceberg. In order to kick start organizational change management, leaders can do these two things. Constantly Ask Why? Why do we do it this way! If “That’s the way we’ve done it always” is the answer, it’s time to delve deep into underlying issues that are waiting to be addressed.Consult an expert from outside and allow them to experience your firm for a while. They might be able to bring out the existing flaws. New perspectives always end in benefits. Organizational Change Management Factors contributing to failure: Management behavior does not support changeEmployees’ resistant to changeInadequate resources / budgetOther obstacles Organizational culture eats organizational change for breakfast, lunch and dinner- so, don’t leave it unattended. Mind-set Shifts for Organizational Transformation From profit to purposeFrom hierarchies to networksFrom controlling to empoweringFrom planning to experimentationFrom privacy to transparency The transformation journey can’t rely only upon technology innovations as innovations are a result of in-depth factors including mind-set, behavioral constructs, leadership and culture. The most profound business challenge we face today is how to build organizations that can change as fast as change itself. – Gary Hamel An Employee always tend to think and fear “My boss does not like me!” This mentality stops him/her from expressing his/her thoughts freely. This is a definite do-harm factor for the firm as suggestions from employees are valuable as they stem from their work experiences. Be it inter personal or even judgemental, an employee must be given a free hand to sincerely express his point of view. Culture defies strategy The key is to make your employees happy. Happy employees perform better. To make them happy, you just have to do one important thing as a leader. Listen. Listen. Listen. You can be straight forward, treat them like friends in order to create a great atmosphere. By doing this you are extracting their potential with ease. They come forward with excellent suggestions for the good of the company. Employee experience is all about emotional connect. References. Mindset Shifts For Organizational TransformationCulture and...

When you’re at work, your mind’s focused on the job at hand. You’re confident that your employer has thought through how to keep you safe and free from harm, which gives you the confidence to focus fully on whatever your role entails. That’s why it’s so shocking when workplace injuries do occur: you simply don’t expect them. If you work in a place with heavy machinery or other dangerous equipment, accidents and injuries can be incredibly severe. Regardless of your injury’s severity, here’s what you ought to do after an injury in the workplace. Medical Check-Up First on your list of priorities is checking yourself for injuries. It might be blatantly obvious that you have cut your arm, but you’ll only know whether that cut will result in nerve damage or other complications if you go to the hospital and speak with medical professionals. Meanwhile, other injuries – like a slip on wet tiles – can leave you with hidden injuries, like concussion or an ankle sprain. In these cases, a doctor is paramount, given that only they can help diagnose and treat all of your injuries. Time Off If your injury is causing any kind of pain or suffering, and you feel that you’re unable to recover while at work, you should immediately inform your employer that you intend to take time off. Struggling back into work before you’re ready can hamper your recovery and may actually be detrimental to the work you do for your firm, too. Given that your injury took place in your place of work, it’s likely that your leave will be paid, and your managers will fully understand why you’re taking some time off to recover. A doctor’s note may be required – but that’s simple to present after your check-up. Compensation Options If your injury was relatively severe, it’s likely that at least one manager in your firm will be wringing their hands, expecting a tribunal or a lawsuit. In these cases, you might be approached with a settlement deal – but that’s not worth accepting right away. You should first speak to experienced injury attorneys like those found at Kampf, Schiavone & Associates. They’ll know if the amount offered is too low – and they’ll advise you on how you may be able to receive a significantly larger sum of cash through their legal assistance. Returning to Work Eventually, with your legal case ongoing or completed and your recovery well underway, you’ll feel like it’s time to head back to work. Depending on the nature of your injuries, you may feel a little concerned about returning to work in the place that caused so much pain and suffering for you. Contact managers and your HR team if this is the case, as they may be able to find you work that’s not directly involved in the area that you sustained your injury. If you experience any discrimination when you return to work, do mention this to your legal team, or mention it to a trusted senior colleague. Recovering from a workplace injury can take time, but you’ll get the compensation you deserve with the right...