Technology-Driven Workplace Transformation and How to Go About It

Technological advancements have drastically changed the way we work. The digital workplace has enabled “untethering” of the workforce, improved transparency, productivity and collaboration, and helped in streamlining overall enterprise operations. With the advantages of digital workplace becoming more evident, enterprises are increasingly allocating higher IT budgets to support digital workplace strategies and companies that do not have their budgets or strategies in place, risk falling behind. So, what are the most critical technology elements necessary to drive workplace transformation?

Communication Media: Enterprises must use technologies that enable faster and more effective communication. Tools like email, instant messaging, and mobile messaging work well, however, enterprises need to take adequate measures to mitigate security risks. Online employee directories and organization charts can boost communications and cross-functional knowledge sharing by helping employees find in-house experts and colleagues. In addition, enterprises can leverage intranet and employee portals to share information with the internal audience.

Productivity Boosters: Tech tools that enable the workforce to do its work more efficiently need to be identified and adopted to improve productivity. Deploying specialized applications focused on improving and managing critical aspects of the business go a long way in maximizing ROI from workplace transformation initiatives.

Collaboration Promoters: Global businesses have internal and external stakeholders spread across multiple locations. Tools that facilitate real-time interaction between stakeholders — such as web conferencing and virtual team rooms — boost collaboration and significantly improve business outcomes.

Ideation Hubs: It is essential to capture ideas, expectations and feedback from the workforce. Implementing tools to conduct polls and surveys, and creating employee forums to voice their opinions can help capture critical information and feedback.

Untethered Workplace: Laptops, smart phones and home office setups should be configured to connect with enterprise networks, enabling employees to work from any location and any time. Deploying cloud-based technologies that can be accessed from any device is critical to facilitate real-time access to data, enabling faster and improved decision-making abilities.

Enterprises should evaluate and identify the technologies that would help them deliver on the business strategy and workplace transformation goals. Implementing a well-structured, holistic digital workplace will help in improving employee communication and collaboration. It will also help mitigate common risks and improve regulatory compliance. However, it is critical to choose your approach and technologies wisely — as the complete potential of technology-driven workplace transformation can only be realized with high user adoption.