Not surprisingly, “remote work”, “tips for remote working” and other similar phrases are currently among the most popular search terms on Google. In the face of the sudden COVID 19 pandemic, it is no surprise that so many businesses flocked to remote working, many of them overnight. For those of us who live in states and countries under lockdown or stay at home orders, remote working is the only way for us to stay productive. But when your business relies on systems that weren’t exactly designed for remote access, transitioning can be a little more difficult. The good news is, for Dynamics GP and SL users, you have options for making your ERP available to your employees as they work from home while keeping your data safe.
If you’re struggling to work remotely with Dynamics GP or SL or have questions about working from home in general, I have collected a variety of resources from different places and put them together in a single blog for you.
Dynamics GP Work from Home Resources
If your Dynamics GP install is not set up to support remote work, .
Dynamics SL Work from Home Resources
- What are my options for giving my team remote access to Dynamics SL?
The most popular choices are RDS and . If you would like to discuss which is best for you or need help to get things set up, we are here to help! .
Bonus: Our Top 3 Tips for Success for New Remote Workers
As a department of one for a small IT company, I have spent the vast majority of the last decade working remotely, while still being an active member of our team. So, I just wanted to take a minute to share a little of my experience with those of you who might be new to working from home.
Establish a routine and stick to it
When working from home, especially if you’re not used to it, it can be tempting to get up later and stay in your pajamas. But for me and other remote workers I’ve talked to, this can be a slippery slope that can slowly erode your productivity. When you keep a schedule similar to the one you had when you went into the office, it helps you feel you have a purpose and mentally prepares you for the work day ahead.
Create boundaries, carve out a time and a space for work
Just as if you were in the office, you should have certain hours that you work each day and stick to that schedule as much as possible. It’s easy to let simple chores like the laundry, those dishes in the sink, playing with the dog or tending to the children to take over your day. But if you do, before you know it your workday will end without you having accomplished much of anything.
At the other end of the spectrum, some remote workers have a hard time disconnecting from work. Because your computer is always right there, it may tempt you to keep working and forget to take a breather, relax and rest your mind. But especially in these uncertain times, doing that is very important to our mental health. So, If you’re an hourly worker like me, and you struggle to keep accurate tabs on the number of hours you work each day, I suggest adding a free timekeeping app to your smart phone. I have been using one for years and it really has made timekeeping, which was a colossal headache in the beginning, so much easier.
Use technology to communicate with your coworkers often
When working from home, many of us especially extroverts can easily feel a little bit cut off from the rest of the team. But with technology, this doesn’t have to be the case. Today, we have tools like email, chat and videoconferencing to help us keep in touch, no matter the geographical distance that separates us. If your company has not established a policy on which tools they prefer you to use for what type of communication, I suggest asking those you collaborate with most often what their preferences are and working from those.
And just because you’re no longer in the same building doesn’t mean you can’t maintain the same meeting schedule. it is definitely possible. However, if your team finds that virtual meetings are not their favorite, use them for instances where you truly need the instant give-and-take of a face-to-face conversation. If not, consider emailing instead.
Other Helpful Work from Home Resources
Have questions about how to work remotely with Dynamics GP or SL, or need help to get your system set up, so that it is ready for your team to work from home? . Our team of experts are available and ready to help.
By: Laura Schomaker, Intelligent Technologies Inc., a South Carolina Microsoft partner,
