The way that we work has changed dramatically in a very short period. Remote work transformed seemingly overnight from a minor element of many operations to a fundamental effort that would enable businesses to continue functioning.
While at first the shift toward doing more work from home (WFH) occurred out of necessity, many businesses recognized the potential benefits of embracing a long-term hybridized model—a blending of the benefits of traditional facetime in the office and the convenience and savings created by WFH.
However, that doesn’t mean WFH has been smooth sailing for all businesses. Multiple unique challenges have appeared during this transition, including concerns surrounding keeping employees appropriately connected with their colleagues in the office.
Research on Microsoft employees revealed that collaborative efforts declined during a remote work transition. With so many ad hoc solutions in place, businesses may lack the stable systems to execute a hybrid workspace successfully.
Better collaboration and the smoother sharing of document-based data are two objectives that businesses should consider pursuing to improve this situation. Portable document format (PDF) files can be a vehicle for collaboration and connection in ways that your business may not have considered yet. Let’s explore the role that PDFs play today and how that role could impact the hybrid office of tomorrow.
The Current State Of PDF Usage In Offices
With trillions of PDFs currently in existence around the world, it’s easy to see that this format has thoroughly entrenched itself in business. Many companies use the PDF as a vehicle to transition to a more paperless office, especially because it is possible to use high-grade encryption security on PDFs. Signature-related processes have also become faster because of e-signing support built into the PDF standard.
Because these workflows typically take place in the office and on company workstations, businesses may have questions about the suitability of PDFs for hybrid work environments.
How Better PDF Deployments Change The Game
Although driven by necessity, organizations have found that a blended office can offer extensive benefits to employees and a company’s bottom line. However, there have also been downsides to this transition that employers must mitigate for long-term success. Knowing who’s available in the office isn’t always easy, for example, and remote employees may struggle to stay up-to-date on the latest data or collaborate effectively with team members.
For your company’s transition to a hybrid work model, PDFs should be a fundamental part. Here are a few of the advantages of making this file format a priority, especially with the right software in place:
- PDFs work on any operating system and always look the same, so consistency is never an issue.
- They can support online collaboration by seamlessly integrating with existing cloud software.
- They support e-signature technologies, so remote employees can sign and return documents instantly or collect signatures from clients from home.
- They offer a secure way to transmit sensitive data between off-site computers and on-site servers with password-based encryption.
How The Right Tools Make Document Collaboration Simple
Is your business ready to integrate remote workers back into the equation? Consider a group of employees split between WFH and the office who need to work together to produce a final version of a PDF business report or public resource. How can a team separated by distance work effectively in this format?
The answer lies in your software choices. Robust PDF software tools such as Kofax Power PDF enable businesses to make PDFs a fundamental element of an integrated workplace. Not only does this kind of software provide access to the core functions that you need—creation, conversion, encryption, and more—but it also supports effortless real-time document collaboration.
Users on the network at your business can work in real time with other Power PDF users connected to that same network via a home virtual private network (VPN). Employees can mark up a document, add comments and indicators, and modify content, all in real time.
Every user connected to this session via the same network sees these changes as they happen, eliminating version control struggles and offering a workflow that is just as collaborative and successful as purely office-based work.
Why PDF Deserves Space In Your Office Today
As a digital document format and a vehicle for collaboration between employees on a company network, the PDF format is second to none. By adopting technology solutions that enable your business to work more effectively in this format, you can embrace the WFH shift with fewer disruptions.
As offices plan to integrate these disconnected workforces back into a cohesive team, embracing the PDF and the tools to use it effectively is a cost-effective investment with long-term benefits.
