Distributed_Work_Strategies

Distributed Work Strategies (Virtual Teams) at AT&T, Bank of America, HP, Rio Tinto Distributed Work, Research Report #31 by Angie Earlywine and Joel Ratekin describes how ten companies are managing distributed work: Distributed work strategy is a catchall phrase for work that is spread among teams in variable locations that occurs at varying times. Though not as common a phrase as “alternative work,” it certainly is more descriptive, accurate and all-inclusive than alternative work. Simply put, taking part in a distributed work strategy is not an alternative work practice anymore, but an accepted part of the 21st century workplace. The report examines on-site infrastructure (touchdown space, hoteling, huddle rooms and war rooms), off-site arrangements (individual telecommuting, remote telecenters) and the role – and limitations – of technology in supporting distributed teams: Technology has become a key tool for worker productivity working in all environments. In the distributed workplace arena (on-site and off-site), the technologies used most often are laptops (92 percent), wireless access (70 percent), PDAs (53 percent) and videoconferencing (45 percent). Ten companies who have developed strategies and programs for managing distributed work are profiled in a set of case studies: Researchers contacted leading organizations known for successfully implementing distributed work practices. Companies that were selected were from a variety of industries with some operating internationally. In each case study, the researcher focused on how the studied company provided solutions that are linked to their overall business strategy and captured specific and measurable goals for implementing new solutions. Case studies include: AT&T Evolving Workplace, Bank of America My Work, BP New Work Environment, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems Workplace Choice, Hewlett Packard Workplace Transformation, Microsoft To Be People Ready Program, Nortel Integrated Work Environment, Rio Tinto Flexible Workplace Strategy, Royal Philips Electronic Workplace Innovation, and Sprint Nextel Mobile Workforce.