It is important to develop and establish a contact tracing strategy as employees plan to return to offices.
There are several tech companies including Microsoft, Google, and Twitter, among others that have extended work from home for their employees till next year. However, there are many organizations that are planning to bring employees back to their workspaces, very soon.
In order to create a safe working environment for employees, CIOs will need to develop a contract tracing strategy. In addition to following necessary safety precautions like wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing, several companies will focus on implementing contact tracing for a better understanding of the possible coronavirus suspects.
Remote Working Norms to Persist Even After the COVID-19 Threat
Communication technologies, coupled with network services and mobile tools, are necessary to set up contract tracing within the enterprise. Here are some of the strategies CIOs can keep in mind while deploying contract tracing at the workplace.
1. New tech additions to the office spaces
Contract tracing can be done inside buildings and works spaces in a range of different ways. Although most Wi-Fi solutions come equipped with basic contact tracing capabilities, their accuracy is limited to about 30 feet. Using beacons and Bluetooth can be more helpful to get a more granular analysis and almost all network vendors have this capability.
There are several collaboration tools that come with usage dashboards. Many can even show how many people are present in a conference room and to keep a tab on social distancing restrictions. In order to get these detailed results, it is necessary for all employees to carry their Bluetooth enabled smartphones with them all the time.
2. Seamless reporting of positive cases
It is important to use a contact tracing system where the data is compatible with local governments and jurisdictions to enable easier sharing of the information. If an employee tests positive for the virus, it is essential to notify everyone they have been in contact within the previous 48 hours as soon as possible. Organizations can also implement virtual agents with the help of a communications platform as a service (CPaaS) provider. These providers are able to build developers’ access to APIs and allow them to build contact tracing reporting applications in just a few days.
3. Focus on next steps
IT leaders and CIOs should be ready for compulsory lockdowns, quarantines, and other unexpected events. It is important to leverage emergency tech platforms and different operating procedures to streamline testing scenarios. This will also need coordination from HR and business leaders. Along with country leaders, health organizations, and governments, enterprises will also play a vital role in navigating and combating the COVID 19 crisis.
Google extends Work from Home Policy for Employees till July 2021
Technology investment is necessary to implement contact tracing and CIOs need to work in sync with government agencies to fight the health crisis.
Sneha Bokil is a Senior Editor with OnDot Media. She writes editorials on an array of topics ranging from IoT, AI, ML, and cloud computing, among others. She has over 9 years of experience in the field of content creation, where she has written on technology, both enterprise and consumer, and finance.
