Collective efforts of local councils have helped the UK steer the course of the global pandemic. But each initiative introduced to help each other will incur financial consequences in the coming months and years.

“We are seeing significant losses to our income – for example, from leisure centres – as well as increased demands and costs for some services, such as housing.” Cambridge Council

Drops in local taxation, such as business rates and reductions in revenues like town centre parking, will impact budgets for 2021. In combination with new support, this could cause cash-flow problems. And it may lead to cuts, putting vital services at risk and threatening long-term sustainability.

But it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. There are stories of council success we can take inspiration from. Therefore, by making a few changes, build for a brighter future.

By evolving your workforce

One of the most important ways local councils are navigating future budget challenges is by looking at how their workforce operates. Every industry in the UK has had to adapt to new agile and remote ways of working. And they’re finding that there is a long-term opportunity for both reduced costs and increased growth and productivity.

To position yourself for success, you must make meaningful investments in your technology and processes to support your people and better manage your budgets.

By increasing business resilience

Hindsight is 20-20 but imagine if you could have predicted this years’ events. You would have put things in place to prepare. You would ensure you could react and adapt quickly to change and capitalise on each new opportunity.

Well, we’re still working in uncertain times. And now we know the importance of creating business resilience, we need to put it into practice. Look at how your local council can embrace technology and software to provide greater insight and flexibility – and respond more effectively to demand and market factors.

By looking after your people

Creating a more agile workforce and increasing business resilience could lead to significant cost-savings over time. It will protect services and staff and ensure your council can maximise delivery.

But perhaps most importantly of all, it lays the foundations for you to better look after your people. You will create a more productive and positive environment that not only empowers their ability to do their jobs but also supports their mental health and wellbeing.

Local councils are collaborating with Ricoh to ensure future success

Working with a partner can be a fantastic option to hit the ground running in 2021. Here are some of the inspirational success stories that have enabled local councils to increase revenue, sustainability, and financial returns.

Camden Council

Camden Council has put in place a Smarter Working Programme to improve community service delivery. A key part of the programme is a Ricoh Business Process Service that is helping the council reduce costs, increase business process agility and make services more efficient and effective.

Read case study

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, with our digital strategy and Ricoh services in place. The council was functioning and working remotely. Staff used MailSmart from home to send letters, knowing they would be delivered. This is exactly what agile working means – doing things in the right way, measuring performance, and delivering value for money.”

Ros Daniel

Creative Services Manager, London Borough of Camden

Coventry City Council

Ricoh Smart Locker

Coventry City Council was about to deploy Ricoh Smart Locker as part of its initiative to develop a more agile workforce. But when the Coronavirus crisis hit the UK, it instead transformed the Ricoh solution into a critical tool for protecting staff and ensuring business continuity.

Read case study

“The Ricoh Smart Locker solution has become critical to protecting the Coventry City Council workforce and enabling it to deliver essential services to the community. Without it, I doubt whether we could have implemented such effective social distancing measures as we have done.”

Gary Griffiths

ICT Engagement Lead, Coventry City Council

Ricoh RansomCare

Coventry City Council was concerned about the growing threat of ransomware attacks. Lockdown sharpened focus on the risk since good security practice was difficult to apply on staff working from home. To ensure the best defence, the council decided to deploy Ricoh’s RansomCare solution.

Read case study

“Ricoh’s RansomCare solution is an insurance policy. If we didn’t do this and had an attack, we’d have to justify why, for the cost of the solution, we could have prevented months of system lock down and millions spent repairing data.”

Gary Griffiths

ICT Engagement Lead, Coventry City Council

Conwy County Borough Council

When Conwy County Borough Council launched a modernisation programme, one area that needed addressing was its inefficient print facilities. Therefore, through a national framework agreement, the council selected Ricoh as its improvement partner. The print estate has since been cut by 70% while still improving the service. More efficient business processes are being adopted and the council is starting to see significant cost savings.

Read case study

“Ricoh’s solution is more than just printing. It’s about rationalising resources, using technology to improve processes and help staff to be more efficient and agile, and ultimately filtering those improvements through to the services Conwy County Borough Council provides to the community.”

Brian Laing

Corporate Project Manager Information Technology and Digital Transformation, Conwy County Borough Council

Get in touch with Ricoh today and we’ll discuss how can meet your local needs

Ricoh has years of industry experience in collaborating with its partners to deliver solutions tailored to their business’ needs.

We adopt a people-first approach. That not only enables your entire organisation to adopt and adapt to new technologies and solutions. But also empowers the individuals who make up your teams to achieve their best work.

The post Learn how local councils are navigating future budget challenges appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.

In times of uncertainty, you must offer your remote workers the right support – for both their wellbeing and the wellbeing of your business.

As your business continues to maintain and support an agile and remote workforce, the pressures and stresses placed upon your people become more unique. While some may have switched seamlessly to new ways of working, others may struggle to find balance. It all depends on an individual’s circumstances so it’s important to provide the right support to help your remote workers navigate these changes.

But what is ‘the right support’?

It’s a good question and one that needs to be answered by today’s business leaders and senior managers. World Mental Health Day brings this awareness to the fore for all organisations so this post aims to provide you with ideas, initiatives and answers for how your organisation can support the wellbeing of your people.

Protect your people and you’ll promote productivity during trying times.

What challenges are your people facing?

Some challenges will be the result of your people’s personal circumstances. You must reach out and discuss whether you can offer any help.

But there are also business challenges that will affect everyone in your organisation. Streams of online meetings. Periods of total isolation. Delays in getting IT or project support. It all adds up to become a taxing experience each working day. 

How does this affect remote workers?

First off, it makes us feel fatigued. Constantly having to deal with tedious technical issues and convoluted, drawn-out digital conversations are tiresome. It can even lead to people working longer hours as they try to make up for the lost time. 

This all makes for more stress. As people search for the right balance between home, work and personal responsibilities. They also hear all the doom and gloom on the news – especially regarding the pressures on society, the economy and job insecurity.

It’s not a healthy way to work. But, by being proactive and promoting positivity, business leaders can inspire a real difference.

The power of positivity

There are steps we can take to help improve our mindset. By focusing on a proactive and healthy lifestyle, we look after the health and wellbeing of remote workers in times of high stress.

Here are some top tips to help keep you and your people remain positive at times of stress:

Keep in touch.

You must regularly reach out to your people – and it shouldn’t be about work. A quick phone call to find out how someone is getting on, sharing funny or engaging content, a casual video call (maybe with a beer…) are great ways to get people smiling.

Encourage regular breaks.

Make sure your remote workers know it’s ok to step away from their work. One of the biggest benefits of more agile and flexible working practices is that your people can exercise greater autonomy over their days. So help them to take advantage of this.

Promote kindness.

Kind acts feel all the more impactful during times of adversity. Think about how your organisation can help others, or how you can enable your people to award and recognise each other. They will rally to the call and feel good for doing good.

How practising mindfulness can help your remote workers

A really powerful way to promote positivity, and help your remote workers proactively take care of their mental health and wellbeing, is to share some tips on how to practice mindfulness.

Meditation and mindfulness can make a real difference in how we think and react to situations, reducing feelings of fear and anxiety. 

This is because mindfulness – which includes things like yoga and breathing exercises – focuses our thoughts and feelings on the present moment. So, instead of becoming overwhelmed, we feel we can manage them.

Nine simple steps for mindful breathing

There are many resources out there which you can find to help you and your people practice mindfulness, but one that’s quick and easy to do is mindful breathing – ten minutes where you just focus on you and your lungs. Here’s how it works:

• Sit in a quiet place and turn off your phone
• Recognise any thoughts, feelings or emotions going on inside your head
• Bring the focus back to you. This is your time for the next ten minutes. Don’t allow any distractions
• Focus only on your breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth
• Notice your lungs expanding, and the time between each inhalation and exhalation
• Feel yourself relax after each exhale. Your shoulders are dropping. Arms and legs becoming heavy
• Feel the cool air in your nostrils, the warm air leaving your mouth
• After ten mins, slowly rise from your mindful state – wiggle your toes and fingers and smile
• Ease into the rest of your day feeling focused and happy!

Adopt a people-first approach

By promoting positivity, offering proactive support and keeping in regular contact, you can help your remote workers thrive in their roles and lead happier healthier lives.

Working with a specialist partner to implement these types of transformation projects is key. And finding a partner who shares a people-first approach is essential.

Creating a Conscious Workplace

Whether you’re a small business or a large-scale enterprise, Ricoh believes in adopting a ‘people first’ approach to all aspects of the business. From how we communicate to the physical technologies, process and environments we provide, we need to always put the experience of our people first.

Adopting a people-first approach will not only help mitigate stress and support positive employee mental health but also enhance productivity and performance.

Further reading on how to support your remote workers:

Recognising the fatigue caused by remote working

How to build a better workplace for your people – with insights from IWFM

How innovation can empower HR leaders to better support their people

Discover more about Ricoh’s Intelligent Remote Working Solutions.

The post Supporting remote workers is key to business resilience – here’s why appeared first on Insights - Empowering Digital Workplaces.