Don’t burn the stuff! 

With today’s telepresence technology, this is now easier than ever, though not something everyone can do all the time. 

My day job is one of the most unsuited to total telepresence, but my employer understands the value of doing things electronically and actively seeks ways to do more work remotely and efficiently.

Forms

While we generate massive amounts of paperwork, we are constantly looking for ways to eliminate one or two form fields. (Eventually whole forms) Either we do this by consolidating forms, or back on topic, moving the information to a computer based data collection method. 

What does that have to do with telepresence?  We can input data anywhere in the world, and employees in our other locations can access the information they need securely, this reduces the amount of cross-country trips needed or wastefulness of using couriers and shipping companies ineffectively.

Customers

I currently work in the internet sales department, now our customers can shop without needing to drive all over town to do their initial research. We can also serve non-local customers effectively, often the only thing they need to do upon arrival (if they do not want to feel like buying a car in the mail) is inspect the product and sign final paperwork.  In and out, it’s that quick.

Telecommuting

I can do all of my follow-up from home if I choose to do so, my home office isn’t the most comfortable right now so I often opt not to use that perk. 

A few of my coworkers do this regularly and it shows both in how efficiently they can use the time that we are required to be onsite, and in their commissions, they spend almost all day on appointments with customers rather than doing stuff that could have been done elsewhere.

Minimizing the Importance of Geography

With the Phone

I have Google Voice and with that service all of my phones are linked, if I receive calls at the office when working from home, my home office phone rings, if a customer calls my cell phone during time I am in the office and the phone has no reception, my office phone rings!

With Meetings/Training

We have loads of meetings and training sessions.  We will group everyone in each physical location together (usually in a conference room) and then we use either conference calling or computer meeting software to link all of the participating offices and the folks working out of the office and vendors.  I do recommend video conferencing to go along with all of this as it makes everything a bit more natural.

With the Club

When working with other organizations or doing interviews etc, we use all sorts of technology and communications equipment to minimize time and fuel wasted on in-person meetings that don’t build value in our various projects.  Many of our events have gone off without a hitch, with all the organizers having met just minutes or hours before kicking off an event (sometimes we have to meet in-person, as it is most effective.

Wrap-up

This is just the tip of the iceberg with what we can do at my job without burning a single drop of road fuel (gasoline, diesel, hydrogen, CNG, or electricity [in an EV]) imagine what could be done in more traditional workplaces.

Don’t be shy, post a comment!

Kacey Green 
for the Midlands Hybrid Club, "Choose green personal transportation."  The Midlands Hybrid Club, is the home of the hybrid and hypermiling club of the Carolinas, based in Columbia, SC.