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The virtual office, in which the protagonists of the
organisation work peripatetically and/or from home, is a sensible model for many
organisations, especially those that are knowledge-based and mainly utilise
skilled people. Many organisations have considered the concept of the virtual
office, but few have implemented the concept. Suitable sectors include
professional services, financial services, start-ups, membership/campaigning and
business to business services. Z/Yen established its virtual office for its
risk/reward management practice in 1994 in the City, as a City of London
"presence" is often required, and has provided managed office services
to third parties since 1996.
Z/Yen has been lauded as a rare, case study, example of
putting the theory of the virtual office into extensive practice. (Real
Estate and Corporate Strategy, Chapter 20, Marion Weatherhead, Macmillan, 1997).
Using established technologies such as ISDN, mobile telephony, computerised
telephone switching, voicemail, wide-area-networking, electronic mail and the
Internet ("no wizardry", as Weatherhead puts it), people who work the
Z/Yen way are probably more readily accessible to clients and colleagues than
most traditional office-based staff. A small, efficient headquarters team is
there to provide callers with a human voice unless the caller chooses to
communicate through gadgetry alone. We provide temporary space and use of
meeting rooms, but Z/Yen people and users of Z/Yen managed office services
primarily work from homes throughout the UK and from client sites throughout the
world.
Z/Yen’s managed office services normally include the use of
base infrastructure (telephone equipment, voice mail, computers, Windows NT
network) and ad hoc secretarial services (telephone reception, incoming mail,
scheduling appointments, typing and filing). We believe in complete openness on
costing and pricing so you can judge the benefits we provide and value we add.
Managed office services also include:
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accounting services (financial accounts, management accounts, billing,
time recording, statutory compliance);
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procurement management (e.g. information technology, stationery,
insurance);
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marketing services (direct marketing, contact management, web site
management);
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library and research services;
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space (occasional use of meeting rooms, storage);
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events management (conferences, courses, seminars, focus groups, client
entertainment);
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process management (ISO 9000, PPRISM sales and marketing, project
management).
Z/Yen is a risk/reward management practice. We believe in
minimising risks and maximising rewards from our endeavours and believe that the
low fixed overheads and high flexibility of our virtual office is an important
element of risk/reward management in practice. Z/Yen’s managed office services
enable client organisations to benefit from Z/Yen’s virtual office experience
and infrastructure while the client organisations concentrate on their core
businesses. Benefits available to users of Z/Yen’s managed office services
include:
expandability - enjoying lower overheads and higher flexibility;
economies of scale - better facilities at similar cost, geographical spread;
high staff motivation for those people drawn to teleworking environments;
professional call-handling and messaging service;
friendly and efficient back office services without management diversion.
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