Home Office: Online Tools To Be Used For Seamless Work Process
In an age where digital communication allows us to talk in real-time to people on the other side of the world, it is strange that the traditional structure of a working day has remained the same for so long. Take an example of an office-based professional who works by way of one-to-one consultations with clients. Accountants, perhaps, or lawyers, or let’s use the example of a psychologist or counselor.
Many people see a counselor regularly, and their reasons vary. The usual method is to arrange an appointment by telephone and visit the counselor’s surgery.
However, all of this changed abruptly at the start of 2020. The world was rocked by the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to enforced business closures, lockdowns, and for many people, a worrying and scary future—just the scenario in which counselors and psychologists would be most needed by their clients. However, what happened next may have shaped the way we work for the foreseeable future. Professionals working with solo clients for sessions had to resort to video over the internet.
Yet, for some customers or patients, this was – and remains – preferable to having to travel among others to the office. Persons with social anxiety, for example, or other psychological problems that are exaggerated by being in the ‘real world.’ We’ll come back to the psychologists in a moment, but before we do, let’s list some of the professions that can work remotely.
What Types Of Business Can Work Remotely?
Businesses and persons that can successfully work remotely include:
• General office staff, such as clerks and receptionists
• Sales teams who are in contact with clients
• HR and accounts teams
• Professionals such as accountants and lawyers
• Personal trainers, consultants, yoga, and other teachers
• Teachers in schools and colleges
• Businesses running training courses
• eCommerce stores.
There will be others that we have missed off that list, but it should give an idea of who can use this method of working successfully. However, there is a major point we need to talk about, and that’s the technology and tools that need to be in place to make such a business viable as a remote operation. Let’s look at some of those.
What Tools Will Lead To Seamless Work Processes?
The essential remote work tools for psychologists are the same as those for any similar professional who works on a one-to-one basis, so let’s have a few words about some office tools that are essential.
Video Conferencing And Communication Tools
This should go without saying, as there is no psychologist business with no access to face-to-face visuals. There are many such tools on the market, and they underwent a massive increase in demand in 2020 and onwards. You will need a good broadband connection for seamless chats and consultations, and we recommend you use decent headphones for audio as not all computer equipment is so equipped. You will find that some video tools also allow for group conferencing, which is useful should you need to discuss patients with colleagues or other medical professionals.
Streamlined Booking And Appointment Tools
Your clients will more than likely use the telephone to ring and make an appointment for their regular consultation. We recommend you invest in a booking and scheduling tool, which is far from expensive. These tools work as follows: the client accesses a cloud-based calendar that lists all the psychologist’s available slots. They pick the convenient one, and they click the button. The psychologist notices the booked appointment, and that slot is removed.
This quick and simple booking solution removes the need for telephone service and also allows the client to choose the best appointment time at a glance. That’s a win-win situation all-around, and this method also eliminates the possibility of costly no-shows.
Automated Reports and Progress
A counselor will want to keep up to date with the progress of the patient or client, and some tools allow them to create tailored and customized reports. These can be sent to the individual in advance, for example, of their next update meeting, which can be held by video link. This keeps everyone who needs to know in the loop and saves the consultation slot for important purposes.
Automated Billing Tools
With an automated billing solution, the psychologist – or other professional – can set a tool to log how many sessions or hours a client has attended between billing dates. The tool will then automatically create an invoice on the given date, sent by email or message to the patient or client. This saves time on accounting and also eliminates possible forgotten invoices.
These are just three of the tools that will help streamline the working process of a psychologist and many other businesses that are moving to remote work. Let’s finish with a few words about the future of remote working.
The Future Of Remote Working
It is believed that more professionals will work remotely, as will many in- office roles now that they have discovered it is as productive as working from a physical town or city center office. This method can be a major bonus for those who work via one-to-one consultations and cut out on time traveling for both the professional and the clients.
