The document discusses how the organization prepared for and handled working remotely during the Olympics when their office was closed for two weeks. Key points: - They tested remote working capabilities and ensured all files, data, and services could be accessed remotely before the Olympics. - During the Olympics, the phone system and access to documents/files worked well remotely but remote work was taxing without in-person interaction. - The experience showed remote work is possible but the organization prefers a flexible/hybrid model rather than being completely office-free. - Investments in cloud services, mobile devices, and connectivity have enabled continuity of operations and flexibility.

1. Session 4A: Working remotely
Richard Craig
Chief Executive
Charity Technology Trust

2. Session 4A: Working remotely
• How the Olympics challenged us to think
about continuity of service
• How did we prepare?
• The opportunity for long term benefit.
• What was it like working from home for two
weeks?
• What has been the legacy of the work?

5. ‘Some people will see the
Games as an opportunity to
work from home, in inverted
commas.’
‘We all know that is basically
sitting wondering whether to go
down to the fridge to hack off
that bit of cheese before
checking your emails again.’

6. Continuity of Service
CTXchange technology donations. Telephone and e-
mail processing eligibility
CTPayments credit card, debit card and Direct Debit
processing. Externally hosted solution, e-mail and
telephone support plus sales
CTT Mail web based e-mail marketing platform.
Email. Need to be able to answer e-mail and
telephone queries.

7. Continuity of Service
• How can we reduce risk exposure to system
failure?
• How do we continue to operate if we have no
access to the office?
• What it we lose permanent access to the
office?
• How do we ensure all files and documentation
(soft and hard) are backed up and secure

8. Current Best Practice
REPORT ON A SURVEY OF CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS’ USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
WCIT / CTT / LASA / IT4C 2013

9. Continuity of Service
• Lets ensure we have a robust disaster
recovery plan
• What failure points can be engineered out
• How much can be auto failover?
• Trial during the Olympics and close the office
for just over 2 weeks

10. Goals & Objectives
• Device agnostic working environment
• Normal operations from anywhere in the world
• Flexible access route – RDP, Apps, Web
• Accessible, secure and backed up data
• Promote home and flexible working

11. May 2012
• Planning - How will you get faxes and what about the
post?
• Testing and training – Accommodate the way people
work
• Processes must workwhen people can't see each
other
• People - Trust your staff but monitor productivity
• Cost - Does not have to be expensive to work although
increased flexibility can cost
• Bandwidth – Good quality internet needed at home
and work

12. 2011 Office Architecture

13. 2011 Office Equipment

14. 2011 Comms & Internet
Using shared office
internet Line

15. 2012 Office Architecture

16. 2012 Office Equipment

17. 2012 Telephony & Internet
10Mb Leased Line

18. 2012 Services
Microsoft 365 Exchange, SharePoint and Office
Online. Replaced many server based apps
Drupal for the ctt.org and ctxchange.org web sites.
WYSIWYG content management anywhere
SalesForce used to manage inbound sales and
support enquiries. Master database used for contract
management and outbound campaigns
ctxchange.org back end data managed using web
based civiCRM

19. 2013 Office Equipment

21. The experience
• The phone system worked exceptionally well
• We had the same access to documents and files from
laptops mobile devices as we do from our PCs in the
office
• We had one team member who lived nearby to walk to
the office each day to pick up the mail, scan and email
important documents
• Remote working means you can fit your work around your
life, but if you’re used to a fairly regular routine, this can
definitely go awry when you’re away from your desk for
two weeks

22. The experience
• Just because our team was working from home, didn’t
mean everyone else was. Where possible, we did use
Skype for our meetings but we did find for things like
brainstorming and discussing new ideas, that we missed
actual human interaction
• We were all pleased to be back in the office post
Olympics. Even those of us that commute a fair distance
admitted how happy they were to have personal contact
after a two week absence
• What we realised, however, is that we while we could be
an ‘office free’ organistion, we don’t want to be

23. Learning Points
It did leave most of the team
embracing the idea of flexible
working, rather than complete
office-free working, as the lack of
human interaction during the
working day for two weeks straight
proved to be taxing.

24. Cost of Flexibility
• DropBox $9.99 per month x 3 users who
needed more than 2Gb free per month
• Cisco IP Phones – Negligible hardware costs
on the CTXchange programme. Monthly cost
about £250 incl calls for 12 people. Twice
previous fixed line costs.
• Microsoft 365 E1 plan £78 per month for 15
licenses
• Software upgrades negligible on the
CTXchange programme

25. Cost of Flexibility
• Salesforce – First 10 licenses free for charities
remaining heavily discounted. Implementation
upwards of £12k
• civiCRM – Open source. Most implementation
work done by TechSoup
• Drupal – Costs similar to other web
development tools

26. Legacy
• Hybrid data storage – Server / Sharepoint /
Dropbox. All data accessible and secure.
• Agnostic operating environment – Apple /
Microsoft / Blackberry
• PC / Laptop / Tablet / Smartphone
• Remote access to office over Remote Desktop
Connection
• Telephony with fixed phone at home or via
Cisco Softphone in PC, mobile or tablet.

27. Beneifts - Continuity
• Flexibility to work when you want where you
want
• Multiple routes to files and services through
tablets and PC’s
• Operational files and systems cloud based and
secure.
• Disaster recovery plan meaning we can be
operational without an office

28. Beneifts – Home Working
• The ability to get quiet time for particular tasks
away from the office without being completely
disengaged
• Break from commuting
• Increased working hours from some employees
when at home
• Flexibility to be at home for personal
commitments
• Reduced costs for some travelling in to London

29. What is next?
• Increased Bandwidth fibre ADSL
• More bring your device to work
• 3G / 4G – Work anywhere little compromise
• Broaden experience – InTune, Google Apps
• Take all servers and telephony off site?
• Chorus as a web based accounting service?
• No fixed network in the office?