Embracing Flexibility, Driving Productivity in Cebu and Davao Through Hybrid, Remote Work Arrangements  

 The new generation of workers in the Philippines values their time. So, when companies introduced hybrid and remote working arrangements, Filipinos realized how they could be more efficient and productive in this setup.  

The same scenario can be seen for workers in Cebu and Davao. The growing number of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in both cities now offer hybrid and remote work arrangements, making jobs more bearable for employees.  

According to the Cebu Salary Report 2023, Cebuanos experience better levels of happiness and engagement at work when companies offer remote work. Meanwhile, hybrid setups are expected to not go away soon, as well in Davao City as its IT-BPM industry eyes to double its workforce by 2028. 

For Jason Lim, Country Manager, Vertiv Philippines, reality poses new challenges for SMEs. “With the growing demand to cater to the new generation of workers that enjoys remote and hybrid working arrangements, SMEs should be able to improve their infrastructure, ensure uptime and business continuity, and invest in adequate infrastructure to establish seamless communication, collaboration, and productivity,” Lim noted.  

To help SMEs as they start embracing flexibility and driving productivity by supporting innovation and new technologies, Vertiv shared these key factors that businesses can consider as part of their strategies:   

Improve IT infrastructure and ensure uptime. Since hybrid and remote working setups mostly happen between the time and space of the employee, they usually work on their own. The danger with this is that there is no assurance that the household where they reside can support the day-to-day operations.  

That is why it is better to safeguard this by equipping them with Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) that can ensure business operation uptime. Its primary purpose is to provide backup power during unprecedented service electrical outages, which protects critical systems from downtime, data loss, and equipment damage.  

The wide array of UPS solutions Vertiv offers is perfect even for SMEs. Like the Vertiv™ Liebert® GXE UPS that is compact yet has a high output power factor that enables more connected loads, which saves space and costs. 

Embrace technological advancements that can enhance work processes. Hybrid and remote working arrangements might be similar, but the former has more demands that companies must address. Hybrid means employees must still report to the office with flexible weekly schedules. Even if the employees still utilize their equipment at home, businesses, even if part of SMEs, should be able to sustain an adequate infrastructure to live up to the dynamic needs of on-site employees. 

To do this, Vertiv offers SmartCabinet, which provides all the supporting infrastructure needed to successfully deploy a business’s distributed IT equipment. Using the SmartCabinet solution, companies can quickly establish a standardized rack system that simplifies deployment, integrates essential infrastructure, maximizes uptime, and protects assets. 

Ensure seamless communication and collaboration to drive productivity. Lastly, companies should promote active communication and cooperation among team members. Addressing the challenges with virtual communication, team collaboration, and fostering a sense of belonging between remote and hybrid teams is crucial. Companies can do this by streamlining all schedules in one calendar and utilizing messaging tools. 

And to ensure that communication lines will always be open between the management and the team members, the company must be ready to provide infrastructure solutions to ensure uptime, which a UPS can deliver. UPS doesn’t always have to be significant in scale because Vertiv has comprehensive options, varying on what’s best for the employees and the company. 

Indeed, the global workforce has experienced a significant transformation that changed their working behavior. The convergence of technological advancements, changing employee expectations, and the need for business continuity have accelerated the shift towards flexible work models and urged companies, even SMEs, to adapt. 

And as this is bound to stay, Vertiv is here to assist businesses in supporting the new challenges brought by the new working arrangements. The company provides solutions for the organization’s application by pre-engineering, pre-configuring, pre-testing, and pre-validating against its unique requirements. It also offers cutting-edge, sustainable, and innovative solutions that support businesses in the country by accelerating innovation—through their solutions—to drive economic growth.