The Right Tool for a Mobile Workforce

Working a few days from home has matured to an important movement in business. While this method of working, also known as workshifting, seemed like little more than an interesting idea to most workers in the recent past, the practice has shown steady growth in the past few years.

The increased popularity of workshifting is a result of advances in consumer technology. Employees are accustomed to staying well connected in all aspects of their personal lives, thanks to wireless Internet availability and mobile devices. Many are eager to bring the benefits of this mobility to their work. Workshifting helps workers experience work and life in harmony by allowing them to work anywhere, at any time. More employers and managers have also developed a favorable stance toward this development. They recognize working from home as a way to reduce stress on facilities and onsite resources and to create happier, more productive employees.

Working from home requires good planning and tools
To promote effective workshifting, businesses must help remote employees gain access to computer files and the resources they normally use in the office. Many companies allow employees to work from home occasionally when personal or family obligations require it, but it is very different to assume that employees will be able to complete most of their work efficiently outside of the office. Consistent workshifting requires tools for communication between employees and also access to any information they need to work.

It is important that any tools you choose to implement maintain the same level of security you would apply at the office. If you would not let an employee use personal webmail or consumer-grade file-sharing tools to transfer business information while in your building, they should not conduct work using these tools at home.

Citrix ShareFile – the complete file-sharing solution for business
ShareFile provides a cloud-based space where your employees can securely collaborate and store, transfer and share files.

Immediate access to data at any time
Employees can access ShareFile any time, anywhere with Internet access and a web browser or mobile apps. Once logged in, files are conveniently organized in folders, just like your computer’s file system. Each folder allows flexible, project-based access, so you can share files with specific team members who need to see them. Employees can choose to share their files with coworkers and managers, and they can even grant limited permissions to people outside of the company to allow them access to information in their folders as needed.

With the support of the cloud, you never have to disconnect from important resources. Our mobile apps bring the convenience of your online account to smartphones and tablets. Send, receive, edit and organize files on the go directly from your preferred device.

ShareFile Mobile Apps

• Download apps for iPad, iPhone, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry phones and Windows Phone.
• Browse folders to preview, open, read and edit files.
• Use built-in email to send files or request new files.
• Upload new files from iOS and Android devices. Edit any Microsoft Office document or annotate PDF files on your smartphone or tablet.

A recent TechRepublic article by Will Kelly reviewed the mobile app and concluded that "from ShareFile mobile app to the backend management tools, it's a solid and well-implemented solution for mobile workers.”

Virtual workspace that rivals the traditional office
ShareFile helps remote teams work together without interruption. To ensure seamless collaboration, it saves all versions of a file uploaded to the account. This allows users to edit and work on the same document without data loss. To track progress or check older versions, users can simply log in to the online account, check for the versioning logo to see if there are older versions of a file and click to see and download any older versions.

Your account enables team members to share information beyond the content of their files. Users can post notes to share with others in their folders. Notes can be tagged to specific files. Links to websites can also be saved in folders so that employees can share and reference web materials. With these tools, folders provide a collaborative space where employees can share ideas, feedback and essential project materials in one space. Everyone has what they need, no matter where they are or when they choose to work.

Workflow designed for productivity
ShareFile integrates with many of the tools and processes you already use. Simply drag a file to the ShareFile upload screen to add it to your folders online. Folders and files can upload in bulk, so you can create an entire project space in only a few simple steps.

Our desktop tools help employees share files without even opening their web browser. The ShareFile Desktop Widget allows employees to drag files into ShareFile right from their desktop. For secure, easy sending of larger files that may not be suitable for normal email attachment, the ShareFile Plugin for Microsoft Outlook turns the task into just a couple of clicks on your Outlook toolbar.

ShareFile Sync
ShareFile Sync automates the file-sharing process for you.

• Designate folders on the computer to sync with ShareFile.
• Copy or save a file into a local synced folder to automatically load the file to a client folder in the vault.
• Keep team members up to date with the newest versions of your work files.
• Save time by replacing the manual file transfer process.

Promote successful workshifting with the right technology

Allowing employees to workshift is a sensible move for many companies, as it encourages autonomy and supports employee work-life balance. Cloud-based solutions have enabled employers to offer workshifting to office-based workers without sacrificing communication and collaboration among coworkers. ShareFile is a key piece of any organization’s remote work plan. ShareFile provides the ease, security and accessibility that teams need to share work and resources, whether employees are in the office or dispersed worldwide.

Sign up for a ShareFile trial to learn how cloud-based file sharing and collaboration can help your team experience work and life in harmony.