One of the worst things about sales forces is that they keep moving around, constantly on the road, wanting to see people and sell them stuff. That's the official version in any case; to the appropriately paranoid business manager they're going on pub crawls.
The more easy-going contingent doesn't actually have any of those worries because, of course, they manage their workforce effectively no matter where they are, and can use electronic means to handle this highly effectively. It needn't cost a fortune.
To begin with it's important to look at the sort of thing your remote workers will be doing and in what way they will be remote.
Locating staff at home can save money in terms of office space, as well as, for example, allowing women to continue working further into time when they would otherwise be on maternity leave. The equipment you'll need for them will be similar to that which you have in your office: a desktop PC and a modem for connecting back to the office system will, in many cases, do nicely. The sort of network connection you opt for will vary; if you have a super-fast leased line that's the way to go, although Alan McGibbon, MD and founder of network integrator Scalable Networks, thinks going through an internet connection into a Virtual Private Network is more likely in most cases. "This raises security issues, however," he warns. "Enabling internet-based access into your 'private' network domain could expose many potential holes in poorly implemented security architectures," he says.
Security isn't the only issue. Supervising staff at a distance can be a problem. This is where video conferencing starts to become useful and it need not cost vast amounts. A basic webcam (expect change from £100) on each computer, a microphone each for a couple of pounds and the software that's already in Windows will allow for a decent enough if slightly jerky half-hour business meeting between two people in different cities or countries.
Naturally you pay for what you get, although prices are coming down even for the swisher technology: the advent of the 1.3GHz PC has enabled companies such as Futurelink to establish good quality video connections for £40 per person per hour. Instead of using the customer's own system, Futurelink works on the Application Service Provider (ASP) model - it provides the system and people log on to it through the internet.
"The lower picture qualities are fine for consumers and individuals," says Dave Mills, commercial vice president of the company. "Businesses, whether small or corporate, will expect higher quality, and if they can cost-justify using time and air fare savings then they respond."
The fun really starts, though, with remote workers who are on the move. Laptop computers are the obvious first step, and linking them to your network can be done in a number of ways. Elsa has just released the Microlink ISDN USB Connect, a very small ISDN adapter that will work happily with a laptop as long as your worker will be near the right sort of socket with no need for an extra power supply. Otherwise many modems are available (or built in) to laptop systems - or there's the slower mobile phone alternative.
Using a laptop computer with a mobile phone through an incredibly expensive bit of wire - sorry, 'communications kit' - is normally easy and you should be able to set your chosen email program and modem to use the mobile phone as a conduit to the internet like any other phone line.
Most Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have email programs that can not only be linked to a computer once the devices are hooked up, but which can be used via a mobile phone through cable or infrared connections. So for example a Palm, Visor, Psion or other organiser can beam and receive email while you're on the road. With the addition of a keyboard from third parties such as Targus plus a little extra software from the various companies listed on download sites including tucows.com, you can have an entire office in your pocket.
The disadvantages of working in this way are twofold. First the screen resolutions on laptops and PDAs don't match those that can be achieved on a desktop screen. Also, until G3 mobile phones happen - which will allow internet connections as fast as those from the desktop - mobile devices will be stuck running much more slowly than their office-bound counterparts, which can be frustrating for all but the simplest text mail.
Finally there are the twiddly bits: what happens when something goes wrong with a remote system, for example? Colin Bartram, product marketing specialist at PC network management company Vector Networks, says this "is where remote control support tools come to the rescue, providing support staff with the ability to take control of a remote user's PC or server as if it was in the data centre in the next room."
Remote workers: Things to remember
• You will be paying for business equipment in someone's home and as such it won't be covered by their contents insurance - don't forget to allow for this insurance in your planning. Having business equipment on the premises can actually invalidate some domestic insurances - make sure your employees won't be caught out.
• Video conferencing will be as good as the internet or other private network link on which it runs - equip your employees with the fastest connection you can afford.
• IT and other equipment will need maintaining - don't forget to build this cost in when planning.
• Try to encourage home workers to consider themselves "at work" rather than at home at all times; the temptation to nip out to the shops or watch a bit of telly when you ought to be working can be considerable (a home worker writes)!
