Distributed working allows employees to work remotely while maintaining productivity. It provides work-life balance benefits for staff like flexibility and no commute, while reducing costs for the company like office space. Key tools for distributed working include communication platforms like IRC, VOIP, Google Docs, and intranets. Regular scrum meetings, project management, and pairing help remote workers feel connected despite physical isolation. Successful distributed working requires self-management skills and an understanding of company culture from remote employees.

1. Distributed Working

2. Distributed Working
Why we do it
How we do it
How it works

3. Distributed Working

4. Distributed Working
WHY

5. Distributed Working
Making virtue out of necessity

6. Distributed Working
Some cost benefits

7. Distributed Working

8. Distributed Working
Also some extra costs
Staff heat & light
Broadband
Personal development budget
International pay-roll
Company get-togethers

9. Distributed Working
High quality staff

10. Distributed Working
Benefits from staff perspective
Work-life balance
No commute / petrol / travel costs
Less distractions
Flexibility of schedule when projects
allow

11. Distributed Working
Ability to move house / country and
stay with same company
Set up your office/desk how you
want
Lunch options are greater at home

12. Distributed Working
Setting priorities – being self
managing makes you a better
professional

13. Distributed Working
HOW
The tools

14. Distributed Working
IRC

15. Distributed Working

16. Distributed Working

17. Distributed Working
VOIP
(Orbtalk)

18. Distributed Working
Redmine with Xplanner

19. Distributed Working

20. Distributed Working

21. Distributed Working
Google docs

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Intranet

24. Distributed Working
Google hangouts

25. Distributed Working

26. Distributed Working
How
The process

27. Distributed Working
Morning scrum
Project managers meeting every day
Twice weekly team meeting
Individual project scrums
Sales group
Quarterly meet-up
Pair work and pair programming

28. Distributed Working
HOW DOES IT WORK?

29. Distributed Working
Structure matters

30. Distributed Working

31. Distributed Working
Strict project management methodology
Agile/Scrum
ISO 9001

32. Distributed Working
Isolation

33. Distributed Working
In space no one can hear you scream

34. Distributed Working
Hiring
- do they have experience of it?
- what's their home circumstances?
- what's the motivation?
- what's their career plan?
- are they sociable or syllogistical?

35. Distributed Working
Some heavyweight developers have lousy
social skills
I have lousy social skills
I must be a heavyweight developer

36. Distributed Working
Do they know the phrases “I don't know”
and “does anyone know how to?”

37. Distributed Working
Will they get the company culture?

38. Distributed Working
Support and development

39. Distributed Working
Buddy system
Avoid working alone
Alternate the roles
Staff reviews
Everyone is client-facing

40. Distributed Working
“fundamentally all we want is to
come in to work at a sensible time,
leave at a sensible time and have the
tools and processes to do a good
job”

41. Distributed Working
Thanks for listening