Agiblocks, our flagship CTRM software, is a cloud-based solution that allows you to access your data anytime, anywhere. While most companies who talk about the cloud merely imply that their systems are in the cloud and not on on-location servers, Agiblocks allows you to actually work from the cloud. You get to quickly keep up with developments and, more importantly, you can work from anywhere; at the office or on the road, at home, on any device that has a browser. It’s extremely user-friendly. Working from home, in other words, should be a breeze when Agiblocks is your CTRM solution of choice.
It is and has been a tumultuous time for all of us. Over these past 9 or 10 months, everyone’s business and private life has been turned upside down. Many people, particularly those most accustomed to an office life, have been working remotely, which is steadily becoming the norm. Moreover, many would argue working from home as a general trend isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future either, as complete office ecosystems have been upended to adapt to the new normal. But is that what we want?
Shifting habits
Several studies have been conducted on the impact of working from home, as it is one of the trends at the very forefront of 2020 in terms of economic developments, and indeed shifts. Summing up some of these studies, there’s a few results that stand out. For instance, it would appear that the younger generation as an overall demographic is very much missing social interaction, while the 55+ generation – again, generally speaking – requires a hand in terms of technical support.
”Working from home – not full-time, but several days a week – can increase productivity. ”
At the same time, research from Stanford University shows that working from home – not full-time, but several days a week – can increase productivity. For example, participants indicated that they are better able to concentrate at home than in a busy office, and that they are less distracted by colleagues. By working from home, there’s also less commuter traffic, which is good for the environment and overall goals of sustainability on a macro level, but also for time management to a more individual degree.
Working from home
Disregarding differences in environment, distractions and social interactions, there is an important prerequisite for a productive working day that applies to both the office and the working-from-home situation: the right resources. Access to user-friendly digital tools is just as important at home as it is in the office.
Anyone trying their best to balance their professional and private life while literally taking their work home needs quality support in terms of IT, for instance – whether it be software, hardware or the proper access to digital infrastructures. Luckily, there are some serious advantages when it comes to working with Agiblocks. Let’s sum up just a few of them;
- Agiblocks offers full access to both trading and financial management, anytime, anywhere, on any device that has a browser;
- It matches all the intricacies of your particular industry. Or, better yet, all the complexities of your daily routine;
- It allows you to collaborate with other colleagues on the same project, while at the same time accessing any other project individually;
- It offers detailed insight and full control;
- It features real-time dashboards and build-in business intelligence;
- It’s clear, straight-forward and easy to use: just set the functions relevant to your daily practices or simply implement an end-to-end solution.
Agiblocks CTRM software has been developed with the single goal of making the daily practices of commodity trading professionals more efficient. For every task, from creating a contract to evaluating your risk, all required information is immediately available. It is as powerful on smartphones and tablet computers as it is on the desktop. It might very well be the one constant in working from either the office or the comfort of your own home.
Lockdown
As of the last week, the Netherlands has gone into a firm lockdown. The current situation involves all places where people come together, with new measures set to remain in effect until January 19. What it’ll all mean for the future of many companies remains to be seen, but what we can be sure of is that a lot will change while we all adapt to new ways of working once more. Another exciting question is: what can we expect when it’s over?
“Agiblocks might very well be the one constant in working from either the office or the comfort of your own home”
We can hopefully return to office life, at least partially, but there’s a lot of challenges involved there as well. For example, think of keeping your distance and furnishing the office in such a way that it becomes easier to do so. How do you organize meetings? How is the daily presence of employees organized, practically as well as responsibly? Will we work in shifts? It’ll be a very different new norm than the one we’ve grown so accustomed to, at any rate. But in the end, we should all find the right balance between the needs of the employees and the customer, while balancing work and private life responsibly and with tenable, future-proof solutions. What we can be sure of, is that Agiblocks is one of them.