If your office has field investigators, you’ve likely run into technical challenges that stifle productivity. Most offices have technology that’s designed to work well in the office – how well it works outside of the office varies dramatically from office to office. Here are a few things you can do to make sure your traveling investigators aren’t being held back by technology.
Provide plenty of cellular data on a strong network – Wireless networks seem ubiquitous, but they aren’t. Investigators will regularly end up in locations that lack a wireless network, and they’ll need to access either the internet or your office’s internal network to move a case forward. Make sure that they have the necessary data allotment from a cell phone carrier to do this – and make sure that the carrier works everywhere your investigators might need to visit. T-Mobile’s prices are great, but their coverage at the Florida-Georgia line isn’t great.
Have a solid communications plan – If an investigator is typically in the office but will be out on business, make sure there’s a communications plan in place so nothing falls between the cracks. One good idea is to publicize travel schedules. Other people may assume the travelling investigator will be in the office to answer questions at a later time; if they are told ahead of time that the person will be absent, they can take care of those questions before the trip. Investigators are also less likely to see work pile up in their inbox while they’re gone if other office staff know they’re on the road and can’t complete tasks while they’re gone.
Improve access to important office information – Enabling employees to access office data remotely is a challenge for any business with employees on the road. It’s especially challenging for investigative offices, due to the privacy concerns associated with data. High-security systems tend to be more complex and less flexible, reducing productivity.
There are plenty of tactics for remote data accessibility – VPNs, terminal clients, screen sharing and cloud storage can all make accessibility easier. If they aren’t deployed in a purposeful way, they can also make data access slow and extremely complicated. Talk with your IT staff about what you can do to improve data access while keeping a high level of security intact.
If your case management system doesn’t travel well, give us a call at 919-600-5102 and ask about CMTS! The system is mobile friendly, and cloud hosting is available to further boost data accessibility and security.
