Productive Remote Working

We will work with SMEs to promote remote working and to research and implement best practice, looking for methods to make staff working remotely more productive. Productivity is the key: if we can make remote workers more effective than office based equivalents, this will have significant implications.

The project will involve setting up a two pilot scheme to work with six to eight local businesses to engage in remote/home working practices using new and existing broadband communications and technologies.

The project will introduce new working practices and disciplines to local business and will benefit employers and individuals as well as providing social and economic benefits: wider employment opportunities, access for people with specific difficulties, economic regeneration and impact on transport infrastructure.

Innovation through Open Source Software

Open Source Software has developed from being considered niche software, mainly used by enthusiasts to being a commercial viable option for the business community.

The project will involve investigating and piloting the take up of emerging OSS technologies and methodologies and their impact on working practices and business competitiveness and benchmarking these results against existing practices.

In order to help SMEs take advantage of the possible opportunities for innovation that OSS could bring, the project covers all the aspects of its adoption and usage form investigating uses to support and best practice.