NCET Biz Tips: Sierra Office Solutions helps businesses innovate and adapt to the new workplace

When Sierra Office Solutions moved to remote work on St. Patrick’s Day in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team quickly learned to leverage the tools that the organization had available as a Xerox company.

“They equipped us with WebEx, with proposal and presentation tools, and a powerful marketing and communications platform that we use,” said Steve Kiser, director of sales. “My team is here in Northern Nevada, and we’re on WebEx calls and presentations every day.”

During this time, the Sierra Office Solutions team experimented and tried different ways to use their technology to perfect remote meetings.

“We’ve done a lot within our own organization to build an interactive meeting format,” Kiser said. “We’ve become pretty well versed.”

Their actions align with insights from the Xerox Future of Work Survey of 600 IT leaders across five countries about post-COVID-19 priorities in support of a flexible work environment. According to that survey, an estimated 82% of the workforce in respondents’ organizations will have returned to the workplace in 12-18 months. In preparation for a return, companies are investing in new resources to support a hybrid remote/in-office workforce, with 56% increasing technology budgets and 34% planning to speed their digital transformation as a result of COVID-19.

“While there is no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work, our research found that over time many companies plan to have most employees back in an office environment. This could be for a variety of reasons, including communication, speed of decision-making, and talent development,” said Steve Bandrowczak, Xerox president and chief operations officer. “At the same time, the sudden shutdown and ongoing hybrid work environment have exposed technology gaps that require new or additional investment in the coming months.”

This hybrid environment is one that Sierra Office Solutions, as a Xerox company, is uniquely able to support, Kiser said.

“We have to connect workers in all different kinds of places, not just in the office, Kiser said.”

While some may associate the Xerox name with copiers and printers, Sierra Office Solutions offers a versatile and adaptive suite of solutions that go beyond printing.

From document management to collaborative communication tools and multifunction systems, Sierra Office Solutions provides a broad portfolio of technology and solutions for companies of any size and in any industry, with a focus on document-driven companies and industries.

“We have an entire initiative around software and solutions for supporting remote workers and remote operations,” he said. “It’s not what most people will be expecting.”

Learn the ins-and-outs of remote work from Sierra Office Solutions during NCET’s online Tech Wednesday event from 5:30–7:30 p.m. on Aug. 12. Participants will get a virtual tour of this global, yet very local, organization, and learn through engaging sessions. More info at www.NCETwed.org

Dave Archer is president/CEO of NCET, which produces educational and networking events to help people explore business and technology. (www.NCET.org)