Woolgar Hunter primarily conducts business face to face, as its work relies heavily on collaboration with architects, designers, and contractors. When the Covid-19 lockdown began, the company switched to remote working, but needed to maintain the same level of access to its systems and communications platforms. As staff were all previously in the office full time, the company had no infrastructure or strategy in place for remote work.
An additional challenge is that Woolgar Hunter often tenders for government contracts. As of 2014 it became a requirement that companies wishing to work with the public sector, must secure and hold a Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus certification to guarantee safe handling of sensitive information. While the company immediately obtained the Cyber Essentials certification, the process highlighted several areas in which their security processes were lacking. In order to retain the certification, this security level needed to be maintained even as the company reworked its systems to allow for remote work.
Pre-pandemic, Woolgar Hunter also preferred an on-site engineer at its Glasgow headquarters to provide immediate, in-person IT support as necessary. It will reinstate this preference as staff return to the office.
