70% of Drives & Controls readers are working from home
More than 70% of Drives & Controls’ readers are currently working from home, with almost half of them reporting that they feel they can be 100% productive working this way, according to an online survey conducted by the magazine.
Those responding to the survey span a range of jobs, including senior managers, directors, process and control engineers, design engineers, maintenance engineer, and IT support staff. Of those surveyed, 24% report that they are being 90% productive working from home, 16% describe themselves as being 75% productive, with just a few struggling to operate effectively from home.
The survey reveals that 70% of respondents are using virtual conferencing to keep in touch with colleagues and customers, using platforms such as Cloud, Slack, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, Skype and FaceTime. Zoom was not mentioned, despite it being one of the most popular platforms for social interaction. Perhaps this reflects publicised security concerns, although it seems these can be overcome.
The survey was initially sent via social media channels and an e-newsletter, with nearly 100 readers responding in the first 48 hours. The survey is still open and Drives & Controls intends to conduct further surveys over the coming weeks and months. We are planning to cross-reference replies against one another to build a full picture of how people are coping with their new working environment.
When asked about the importance of continuing to receive regular industry information while working from home, 94% said this was “extremely” or “very” important. To help facilitate this, Drives & Controls is available in a digital format, and the digital circulation has been increased to include around 20,000 newsletter subscribers.
Andy Wylie, Drives & Controls’ sales manager, says that the at survey gives the “important and positive message that the majority of our readers are working from home to help fight the spread of the virus. Those that are unable to do so will likely be in a manufacturing / factory setting.
“It is clear that it is very important for our readers and potential customers of our advertisers to stay up-to-date with their industry,” Wylie adds. “People are starting to adapt and conduct meetings via a variety of digital platforms. We can help suppliers to connect to end-users, and invite them to Webinars or product demonstrations.”
“According to those surveyed,” he continues, “projects take an average of 35 weeks to come to fruition, so influencing any decision or design choice now will ultimately help to secure business down the line.”
