Enabling Remote Work: You’re Not Done Yet!

In the fast-paced world of technology, business leaders find themselves with a dizzying array of options that all promise glory and gains galore: Digital transformation, ROI, and growth. It’s as exciting as it is overwhelming. Jump on a trend too early, and you risk failure. Wait too long, and you fall behind.   

To help you make informed decisions, we’re hosting a webinar on July 16 titled “Beyond the Hype: How to Approach Emerging Technologies with Confidence,” where we’ll dissect the most consequential tech trends of the recent past to offer up actionable guidance for leaders who want a repeatable approach they can use to address technology unknowns with great(er) confidence. 

In this blog post, we’ll explore one of the trends we’ll be covering in our webinar, remote work, as a case study to illustrate the broader theme of tech adoption.

Ready for a stroll down memory lane? Join our July 16 webinar to uncover a repeatable approach for navigating innovation with confidence.

Phase 1: The Rapid Rise of Remote Work

Throughout the ‘90s, the proliferation of the internet and advancements in mobile devices led forward-thinking companies to begin embracing remote work. However, COVID served as a forcing function of the trend, pushing everyone into remote work overnight. 

The sudden shift was unprecedented. From 2019 to 2021, the remote workforce tripled. Understandably, companies with preexisting remote work policies were much less fazed. These industries — media and communications, IT, and consulting — had long realized the benefits of remote work:

• No overhead costs.
• Access to a wider talent pool.
• Productivity increases.

Companies yet to adopt the trend scrambled to explore remote options. One example of the challenges they faced was ‘tombstoning’, where users were locked out of their devices after 60 days of working remotely, or no domain login. This took many by surprise and highlighted the need for companies to adapt their infrastructure and support their workforce. 

But the challenges didn’t stop with login issues.  

Many companies quickly realized their infrastructure wasn’t built for a fully remote workforce. Printing, for example, became a logistical headache. Employees accustomed to high-quality multifunction printers in the office were now relying on outdated inkjets at home, if they had printers at all. This created bottlenecks for client-facing deliverables and compliance-heavy industries. Meanwhile, back-to-back virtual meetings became the norm, leading to burnout and productivity dips.

From a technology standpoint, collaboration tools became a battleground. While some platforms initially dominated the remote work landscape, others evolved rapidly to meet enterprise needs. Microsoft Teams, for instance, emerged as a standout thanks to its deep integration with Microsoft 365, frequent security updates, and continued commitment to productivity and collaboration. Features like shared channels, AI-powered meeting recaps, and one of our newer personal favorites — Viva Insights — help employees decompress and manage their time more effectively with tools like virtual commute reminders and meeting buffer suggestions.

At Loffler, we’ve seen firsthand how Microsoft Teams contributes to a stronger security posture. Our vulnerability scans consistently show fewer risks in environments using Teams compared to those relying on other collaboration platforms. That’s because Teams benefits from Microsoft’s enterprise-grade update cadence and built-in security infrastructure — something many other tools struggle to match. It’s a clear example of how choosing the right platform isn’t just about convenience. It’s about long-term resilience and risk reduction. 

These early experiences, both the wins and the growing pains, offered valuable takeaways for IT leaders and business decision-makers alike.

Lessons Learned 

• Adaptability: People are more adaptable than we thought. The initial wave taught everyone to embrace change in a way they never had before.
• Tool Evolution: Microsoft Teams and other platforms evolved rapidly to meet the moment, with Teams standing out for its security, integration, and user-focused innovation.
• Partial Implementation: Despite the rapid shift, most companies only implemented about 60% of what’s needed for secure, productive remote work. Many of the foundational elements — like formal policies, lifecycle management, and security protocols — were left unfinished.
  

Phase 2: Remote Work Is Here to Stay

Remote and hybrid work are no longer temporary solutions, they’re strategic realities. But while the urgency of 2020 may have faded, the need to fully operationalize remote work has not. In fact, the second wave of remote work adoption may be even more critical than the first. 

Let’s start with the basics: getting the right tools into employees’ hands. It sounds simple, but it’s still a major hurdle. Many companies lack a standardized process for provisioning devices and software to remote workers. This leads to inconsistent configurations, security gaps, and frustrated employees. Tools like Microsoft Intune and Autopilot can help automate and standardize device setup, ensuring that every remote employee starts with the same secure, compliant foundation. But these tools only work if they’re implemented, and many organizations haven’t taken that step. 

Then there’s the issue of policy, or rather, the lack thereof. We notice fewer than half of the companies Loffler works with have a formal remote or hybrid work policy in place at the start of our engagements. That anecdotal insight is backed by broader data: as of 2024, only 40% of the global workforce was engaged in some form of remote work, and many of those arrangements are informal or ad hoc. Without clear policies, companies face increased risks during onboarding and offboarding, inconsistent expectations, and a higher likelihood of shadow IT and workarounds. 

Cybersecurity is another area where many organizations are still playing catch-up. Geography-based security policies, like conditional access rules that adapt based on where a user is logging in from, are essential in a world where “remote” might mean working from home, a coffee shop, or another country. Yet many companies still rely on outdated perimeter-based models that don’t account for this flexibility. The result? Increased exposure to phishing, credential theft, and compliance violations. 

And let’s not forget the human side of remote work. Back-to-back meetings, blurred work-life boundaries, and digital fatigue are real challenges. Earlier we touched on Microsoft Viva Insights, which offers tools to help — like virtual commute reminders and focus time scheduling. However, these features are only effective when supported by a culture that values balance and well-being. Without leadership buy-in, even the best tools fall flat. 

In short, the second wave of remote work adoption isn’t about reacting, it’s about refining. It’s about moving from “we made it work” to “we made it better.” And that requires intentionality, investment, and a willingness to revisit what was cobbled together in 2020. 

Don’t Let Remote Work Be Your Missed Opportunity 

Remote work was a crash course in rapid tech adoption. Nearly everyone found themselves implementing it, but some did it more successfully than others. For most, the job isn’t done yet, bringing with it another wave in adoption — as well as people who will ride it and reap the rewards and those who will fall behind.  

Join us on July 16 to learn how to evaluate emerging technologies, like remote work, through a strategic lens — so you can lead with clarity, not guesswork. We’ll walk through five major tech trends and share a repeatable framework to help you make smarter, more confident decisions about when — and how — to adopt what’s next.