Gorkem Koseoglu wrote:
>
> topic: I need information on 'Home Offices'
>
> Dear all;
>
> Maybe quite out of the current topics, but I am currently interested in
and
> looking for some information on 'Home Offices.' This topic is still
> unfamiliar to many people in Europe, and I guess that it is not the case
in
> US.
>
Dear Gorcem,
we run a magazine called Logistics Solutions, and all but one editor life
abroad. They contribute regularly to the magazine, and we have on-line
conferences as well as a group resources centre to facilitate the exchange
of information between the members of the group. We use a group software
called Lotus Notes to make it all work. Is that the kind of "home office"
that you have been asking about?
We also have two members of staff that work from home, and only occasionally
come into the office. Again, the same software allows us to work together
although physically separated.
In my experience such working styles work very well, provided that the
individuals are all independent agents, and do not require extensive group
contact to function. It works best when the individuals have their own
circles of colleagues to work with on a day-to-day basis, i.e. they have
their own social environment (as in the case of our editors). For one or two
of our other individuals working from home and linking in to us via email,
web and ftp, the story can be quite different. Lack of social contact with
the core group at head office sometimes leads to unnecessary duplication of
effort, and delayed communication (even with the internet being on 24hrs)
sometimes stands in the way of effective group work. If the individuals are
satellites of the business (say sales), these problems are not so pertinent.
But in the case of project teams, the inevitable asynchronous transfer of
information leads to some distortions and misdirected efforts. In an office
one can just shout across the room, or walk over and chat briefly to sort
things out. In a remote networked working scenario such short cuts are often
not workable, and some time delays inevitably occur. It takes a good central
management of all the activities and a "traffic controller" to work
effectively in a networked environment.
Stefan Bungart
Director
National Institute for Transport and Logistics
Dublin
Ireland