Beyond the approach of technology delivering every day tools to enable us to work effectively, delivering the full benefits of a modern workplace can only truly be realised when we are able to change the way people work.
Changing the way that people work and driving increased productivity requires more than modern hardware and technology alone. For a modern workplace programme to deliver the desired business outcomes, it’s critical users not only adopt new services and technology, but also embrace those services and use them as part of their natural rhythm of work.
Successful businesses are the ones that embrace and actively seek out current and future trends in technology. Read on to hear about the four ways I see technology transforming the workplace.
1. Flexible working practices
We no longer exist in a 9-to-5 world with fixed desk locations. The rise of remote working[2], open plan offices, co-working spaces, increased connectivity, hot-desking and many other workplace innovations have transformed our working lives.
More businesses than ever are reliant on a flexible model to manage their workforce and increase productivity; and flexibility transcends traditional office-based functions. Sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, retail and security rely on shift-based and remote workers, therefore flexibility is a fundamental requirement, not just an optional extra.
Now is the time for companies to review the flexible working options they provide, regardless of the industry they are in.
Businesses should take note - overworked and tired employees aren’t just unproductive, they are less likely to remain in their job, leading to decreased productivity and increased costs of staff recruitment.
Technology has played a key role in the rise of flexible working by helping to provide solutions to meet everyone’s requirements, changing not just the way we work, but where we choose to work, allowing organisations to structure themselves and the way their users consume technology in an always-on, mobile-first world. Empowered by the right technology, flexible working practices can allow businesses to scale-up around their peak times, and manage their operating costs in a more proactive manner.
With the tools and technology available today to facilitate online meetings, anytime anywhere working, document sharing and instant messaging, the workplace is rapidly transforming. The next generation entering the workforce now expects flexibility in their place of work, the tools they use and the devices on which they choose to work.
Gone are the days of starting a new job and spending time setting up computers, desk phones, printers etc. Today’s workers hit the ground running with a device delivered to them at home prior to their first day, already set up and ready to work anywhere, at any time.
2. Teamwork and collaboration
Adopting a culture that empowers collaborative working enables employees to work together efficiently to achieve shared goals. Companies that promote collaborative working have been shown to be five times more likely to be high performing[1]; so creating an environment that encourages everyone to work together can have a positive impact on your team’s performance.
With video calls, persistent chat, multiple device functionality and more, technology lets teams interact in new and better ways. The days of being limited by face-to-face meetings and impersonal conference calls are long over. Today’s teams can work remotely and across geographical borders, and with apps like Microsoft Teams for file-sharing, real-time interaction and communication management, collaboration is as seamless as possible.
Microsoft Teams is a popular choice for many organisations as it provides simple, efficient ways for employees to communicate and collaborate not only with each other, but with their external customers, partners and suppliers. Not only that, Teams enables both mobile working and collaborative remote working[2]. Whether or not your colleagues work remotely or in an office, teamwork and collaboration coincide with success.
3. Automation
As the advancement of automation continues, particularly for knowledge workers, many roles are being redefined, and mundane time-intensive business processes are being streamlined through the power of automation.
We know there are countless business processes being used every day. Complex manual data entry leads to errors and can be time consuming for the users.
Streamlining business processes means your users can focus on the really important work – the stuff that adds value to your business and drives growth.
Improving the way people work through streamlining, automating, and transforming processes with rich forms, workflows, and custom apps empowers an inclusive modern workplace culture that benefits users and the business.
Ultimately, technology enablement is about people – it’s about putting the power of IT into the hands of users and empowering them to use it.
Knowledge management solutions, for example, are a great way to easily capture the output of your everyday work and store it in a logical structure, allowing your users to share, access and update business knowledge and information, creating a trusted, single source of truth and data.
4. Work-related apps
Work-related apps can help employees make the most of their time and get more done. Say hello to the citizen developer; they are a new breed of employees that create new business applications as they work. In the words of one online blogger “people want to work, not wait for the IT department” – quite apt in the context of work-related apps.
This generation of low code, no code developers have grown up in a technology-first world. Platforms such as Microsoft Power Platform enables users and organisations to quickly and easily build apps that connect to data, use Excel-like expressions to add logic, and run on web and mobile devices.
Citizen developers aren’t waiting for IT to catch up with them; they are running head-first into transforming the way they work, and the processes they use, streamlining as they go.
Fast track to success with an experienced partner
For nearly 30 years, Core has been working with organisations to successfully implement transformative digital technologies which deliver defined business outcomes.
We know that employee resistance is a major barrier to project success, so we place people at the heart of change with our technology enablement and customer success services. These are tailored to your specific business objectives and unique operating environment. They help drive acceptance, engagement and use of Microsoft technologies.
By engaging users early, understanding their roles and pinpointing their needs, Core can demonstrate value to them and you, and help develop a culture of acceptance before a single piece of technology is deployed.
At Core, we help you define your technology roadmap to support change and modernisation initiatives in your organisation, ensuring you maximise your investments and develop a roadmap for the future.
Our Technology Enablement services are designed to maximise user acceptance, engagement, and ultimately, the utilisation of the technology to realise business value.
Click below for our ten steps to achieve successful technology transformation project in your organisation.
[1] Forbes 2017
[2] The Ultimate Guide to Remote Working