Cloud based solutions have changed the way we work and live, with many advantages. I don’t think we always sit down and reflect on how things help us in our roles, and I thought I would take a few minutes to look at the advantages.

Accessibility

The biggest advantage has to be the accessibility that we have to systems, where we can be anywhere and still be able to have oversight of what is happening within our teams. During the pandemic, whilst those on the frontline weren’t able to work from home, it did enable directors and those who could work remotely to still be productive. I know in my organisation, we have built on this since the pandemic to our advantage by allowing team members who would normally be office based to have days working from home and to help give a better work-life balance. 

Communication

Following on from the above, cloud based services allow for better communication. Most of us WhatsApp or Teams but there are other workplace systems such as Slack that are designed to improve communication. This increased and streamlined communication ensures higher productivity, effective communication, managers being able to update their team in a timelier manner and less confusion due to the increased communication. 

Security

Gone are the days of confidential paperwork being left lying around as digital has meant that documents are held in a more secure system, often being passwords and secure log ins. As well as files being more secure, they are also more likely to be backed up to a cloud, reducing the chances of information from getting lost or stolen. Data stored in the cloud can also be accessed easily from anywhere in the world, playing into the points raised above, increased collaboration and accessibility. 

Time Savings and Increased Collaboration 

Only this morning I was utilising Microsoft Word to work collaboratively with two other people who work in social care, and not have to be in the same room, which when I stop and think about it, blows my mind. It is crazy how technology allows us to work on the same projects, spreadsheets, presentations without having to be near each other. Workplaces are not different. Teams, Google Workspace and many other services allow managers to collaborate and communicate with their teams in real time, eliminating the wait for people to respond to emails, call back or to attend face to face meetings.  

It isn’t just emails and google that can help streamline workloads and save time. For example systems such as audIT On Cloud  which is a quality audit system for care homes centralises audit data which streamlines compliance and provides overarching visibility of the care homes performance, both historical and in real time. Their compliance audit app for care providers means that there is a huge time saving element resulting in staff spending less time on their admin but more time with their teams and the people they are supporting. Centralisation of data also means that managers can quickly search and access information, reducing the admin time spent on searching for documents or data. 

Increased Productivity

We overlook how technology and cloud based solutions can improve and increase productivity. So many home care and care home workers are using voice to text, AI is creeping into more and more businesses. I have apps on my phone such as Microsoft To Do which I can easily add tasks and things I need to action, that link to my laptop and tablet via the cloud. Not only is this free to use, but it also means I don’t have to take lots of notes, carry notepads and pens around with me, and I have the notes/to do list with me wherever I go. This is just one example, but there are so many things that technology and cloud based solutions can do to help increase productivity of the workforce. 

Analytics and Utilising Data

Digital systems allow for us to pull reports on the data, manipulate it into excel and other software such as PowerBi and pull reports that can identify trends and allow businesses to make informed decisions which benefit the people they are supporting, their teams and the business. 

Efficient Business Continuity 

Continuity plans historically used to make me worry, especially ones relating to fire processes. I always used to think, surely if there is a fire, half the plans are in the office or somewhere in the building that is likely to burn. Cloud based systems have become an asset to organisations and re-assuring managers that their operations can continue in the event of power cuts, internet outages and incidents caused by natural disasters. 

I hope you have enjoyed taking a few moments to sit back and have a think about how technology and cloud based systems are empowering managers. It would be great to know what you think, but remember, if you are doing something well, and it is impacting positively on your team or the people you support, document it, capture it and use it in your next inspection. 

This is the kind of thing that inspectors love to see.