GSi eZine: an email newsletter from OGCbuying.solutions

Return to front cover

GSi Remote Worker Service a hit with Staff

By OGCbuying.solutions

Employers are bending over backwards to make flexible working a success. Increased productivity, lower overheads and improved morale are all cited as reasons why mobility solutions are being viewed as an increasingly important business benefit - and the OFT is no different.

In December 2006, the OFT rolled out a remote working solution to around 100 of its staff. It was done thanks to a pre-accredited package from the GSi that provided the OFT with a mobility solution using their existing Government Secure intranet (GSi) connectivity. The GSi, supplied by Cable & Wireless, provides the common infrastructure and secure communities that join central and local government together. Today, around 170 organisations and 400,000 civil servants and public sector employees are connected to the GSi. As an extension of this all-important network, the GSi RWS offers the same high level of secure network access. The difference is that GSi RWS has been developed specifically to provide government workers with greater freedom enabling them to log on from home, on the move – or wherever.

As GSi RWS is pre-negotiated to government-friendly terms and conditions - and conforms to agreed tariff pricing that helps to cut costs and reduce the time spent on procuring new services - it means signing up is cost-effective and straightforward. For the OFT, this meant that it could invest in the RWS solution while recognising that it was value for money and also complied with UK and EU legislation.

But what of those who use the GSi RWS service? Seven months after it was rolled out Hitachi Consulting undertook and published research to assess how well the mobile working service was being received. It covered staff with home access and/or using laptops on the move. They found nine out of ten responses stated that the solution had made them more efficient with staff reporting overwhelmingly that the quality of work had improved.

Remote Working Delivers Real Benefits for the Office of Fair Trading

"I find that my productivity when working from home is three or four times greater than working in the office", said one of the flexible workers who took part in the report. Another said: "I save over half an hour a day dealing with emails before I arrive in the office".

Ben Brownlee, Director, Hitachi Consulting commented: "There is clear evidence that the GSi RWS increased the efficiency and productivity of employees working from home and also those with significant travel commitments."

And there are other benefits for workers too with staff reporting that they have seen a marked improvement in their work/life balance, which in turn has led to a reduction in stress levels for some.

"It has dramatically enhanced my work-life balance," said one. While another employee was more candid in their assessment: "Without flexible working and mobile working technologies I would seriously be considering leaving the OFT."

Not only is secure access to the OFT's network invaluable, using a 3G card means staff are also able to access the network securely while on the move and not just from home. Indeed, the use of 3G card-enabled laptops has allowed staff to remain in constant contact with their office.

Adopting mobility solutions isn't just about change for the sake of change. This is no technology-driven workplace fad. With increased productivity, lower costs and improved employee morale, it's becoming a must-have for the workplace.

Back to top

© OGCbuying.solutions 2008

Printable version

Rate this article

This article has been rated by 3 users, with an average of 3.7.

In this edition