Back to the office after COVID-19

A lot of us have either been working from home using our own equipment or have been furloughed for a number of months until we return to the office. There may be some dust on the desk, you need to clean the coffee machine and the plants have dried out, but have you considered what you have to do to your IT?

For a lot of businesses, equipment has been turned off and is now only just being reactivated. Here are 5 tips to make sure all is back to normal.

It will take longer than you think…

Updating your network is going to take some time as it downloads and installs all the updates it has missed over the preceding months. This will not be a 5 minute task, especially if some of your equipment is a little older. If you can, switch on your IT systems the day before you need them and let them update overnight or the previous day.

A staggered approach

Some devices use a lot of power on the IT network. This is amplified when it’s first switched on. To make sure you don’t have any power issues, turn items on using a staggered approach, starting with servers, networking equipment and wireless.

Windows updates

Microsoft release patch and software updates for all their software on a regular basis. These make sure that any security vulnerabilities and issues are resolved. So give your PC and servers time to update themselves to get the latest software.

Anti-virus software

Very much like Windows, anti-virus software is continually updated to make sure you are all protected. Make sure your software is updated and deployed to all devices before your users come back into the office and start working on those important and sensitive files.

Do you know where all your equipment is?

Have you loaned equipment to employees who have been working from home ? It may only have been a gesture, as they don’t have or haven’t had access to what they need to perform their role, but was it booked out? Has it been returned?

Contact us

To discuss your arrangements to getting back to normal please contact us.