In a new report titled, “5 Simple Steps to a Virtual Workplace Program,” the Worldwide Workplace Council has introduced a set of guidelines designed to help companies enable their employees to work independently. The Worldwide Workplace Council a group of thought leaders and advocates for a location-independent workforce brought together by Citrix Online.

 

Many experts believe that a flexible work place is an ideal setup for both companies and employee. While companies can save significant costs and get increased efficiency levels from their employees, workers on the other hand will save on commuting time and can work from the comfort of their homes.

 

The first step in the “5 Simple Steps to a Virtual Workplace” includes determining the specific needs of the company. The second step includes going online for best practices for managing a virtual workplace. The third step is to identify the technologies best suited to enabling employees to remain productive. The fourth step involves coming up with policies for the virtual workforce. The fifth and the final step is to set benchmarks and measure effectiveness.

 

Bernardo de Albergaria, vice president and general manager for Global Marketing and eCommerce, Citrix Online (News - Alert) said, “Mostly, a location-independent workplace offers companies a way to dramatically change their business model. By adopting online remote access and collaboration tools, organizations can instantly reduce their overhead costs, hire the best talent no matter where they live and increase their employees’ productivity by providing them with greater flexibility to manage their work schedules.”

 

According to a recent survey conducted by Citrix Online, a fifth of the respondents in the U.S. would relinquish 5 percent of their salary to be able to work away from the office just one or two days a week. A food for thought for the cash starved companies.

 

In January of this year, EDL Consulting, an integrator working with CRM and other products, announced the launch of integrated customer care for Citrix Online. With this, Citrix Online now has the ability to consolidate all of their customer interactions within Salesforce.com (News - Alert) and manage the activities required to provide a quality customer experience.