The next normal: A day in the life of a boardroom

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we all live and work – quite possibly for good.

The level of transformation has been enormous – no matter what profession you work in.

The severe and rapidly changing rules and restrictions have had huge repercussions for schools, meaning must be more flexible than ever.

This has severely disrupted what the typical working day may have looked like pre-lockdown.

So, what does a ‘normal’ 24 hours look like for a boardroom in the age of COVID? And how can technology help to make life easier and more productive, despite the challenges?

Below, we imagine a typical day in the ‘next normal’, looking at how IRIS may help each step of the way….

This is the day in the life of a boardroom, featuring Jacob, the IT director, Stephanie, the HR director, and Steve, the finance director

10am: The board is gathering today for the monthly meeting. Katie, the marketing director is self-isolating but joins the room viaMicrosoft Teams and IRIS Hosting.

10.15am: The meeting begins with discussion on the latest Government announcement about furlough, otherwise known as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Steve takes says they need to decide the next steps on using the scheme. Now, he needs to do some more detailed analysis using IRIS Analytics.

10.45am: Stephanie asks whether, with the significantly increased complexity for payroll that furlough (and possible subsequent schemes, such as the delayed Job Support Scheme) are bringing, her colleagues believe the organisation should continue to run payroll in-house or consider outsourcing? Jacob says from an IT perspective he’s been wanting to bring greater efficiencies between HR and Payroll with far too many staff and manually dealing with issues.

11.10am: Steve says he’s had a quote from IRIS Managed Payroll, which would provide: a BACS-Approved Payroll Bureau with highly experienced CIPP-Accredited payroll managers who are ready to take on responsibilities for complying with the new scheme and handle all compliance, while its e-payslip solution removes the need to distribute paper payslips.

Midday: Stephanie reports a sharp rise in COVID-related absences. The existing system, which lacks automation, is struggling to cope. She proposes adopting IRIS Cascade to tackle this problem and to improve three other key areas: employee retention and engagement; talent acquisition and management; identifying gaps in skills and training.

1.30pm: Steve explains how the company’s switch to using IRIS Financials has led to better, simpler reporting and cut significant costs from the old provider linked to configuring the system and buying extra modules (ERP and forecasting).  IRIS’ unified ledger software has eliminated the need to reconcile separate sales. Each firm had its own ledgers. Now all the financials are rolled into one.

3pm: Just as the board are set to finish, they receive news that the local area is moving up to tier 3 local lockdown (the highest level) imminently. Attention turns to business continuity plans; the board agree communications. Utilising IRIS Engage, they inform staff of office closures and remote working plans via in-app messages and texts. About 50% of staff are already remote-working via IRIS Hosting. Alan, Operations Director, will use IRIS Engage to ensure Facilities are aware of specific responsibilities and able to access offices. Jacob instructs his team to assess (via IRIS Assets) if staff have all got the right equipment.

Want help adapting your working day to thrive in the next normal?

Give our team a call on 0344 844 9644 or email hello@iris.co.uk.