Beginner’s Guide to Digital Workplace – All You Need to Know

Today, we shall talk about a concept that combines two of the most used words in recent times – digital and workplace.

That’s right, this article is dedicated to the digital workplace, which is currently the need of the hour.

What is a Digital Workplace?

The digital workplace is the use of digital transformation at work to improve the productivity and efficiency of business operations by aligning technology, employees, and business processes. It involves the modernization of traditional business processes, workflows, and collaboration through the adoption of digital technology.

A digital workplace, simply defined, is a virtual workplace setting. It is equivalent to the physical space, except, it is virtual.

Now, just like a physical office, a virtual workplace plays a major role in engaging employees, ensuring efficiency, and maintaining a great culture. This is why it needs to be managed and taken care of properly. Let’s expand this further –

The key factors in a digital workplace are:

1. People: People come first here. Their productivity and satisfaction are paramount and thus, they get the front seat.
2. Technology: Digital workplace is 100% technology-driven. Advancements, thanks to the increase in demand, are making it easier to work virtually.
3. Management: Coordination between people and technology is very important. This is only possible when the management and culture is strong and helpful. So, management occupies a big spot in the heart of the digital workplace.

Also read: 7 Workplace Health and Safety Apps Redefining OHS in times of the Pandemic

The key elements for a digital workplace– your complete digital workplace toolkit

The digital toolkit consists of all the technologies and tools you will need to build a successful digital workplace. While there are a few common tools that every business needs, the final list will completely depend on your industry and your specific requirements. We are going to speak about the top 7 categories of tools that almost all organizations will need.

• Communication: Messaging is the first tool because collaboration heavily depends on it in the digital workplace. Email, IM, mobile messaging, and microblogging are the most popular forms of communication. Examples include Microsoft Teams, Slack, etc.
• Productivity: The popular tools that help employees work efficiently are word processors, presentation software, spreadsheets, task management tools, etc. Examples include Google Docs, Office 365, Trello, etc.
• Collaboration: From Web Conferencing using Zoom or Microsoft Teams, there are multiple software programs enabling clear collaboration between partners, clients, and employees.
• Sharing: Here, we are specifically speaking about sharing information. Blogs, intranet, and a personalized homepage are the popular tools used.
• Crowdsourcing: Everything from forums to surveys, polls, and ideation platforms come under crowdsourcing tools.
• Applications: CRM is one of the most pivotal applications that companies need. Besides that, there are ERP systems, HR systems, expense claims, etc. that empower employees to access multiple applications online without depending on one person or department. These may be web-based COTS applications or custom-built using low-code no-code platforms.
• Mobility: The digital workplace requires easy access to tools from various devices. So, remote scanners, laptops, smartphones, etc. are mandatory.

Importance of a Digital Workplace in Today’s World

The digital workplace is now more of a launching pad for business development than a strict requirement. People are now ready for a new type of workplace thanks to the use of technological resources and the development of AI.  

Social expectations

A new category of employee communication tools has emerged because of how people communicate daily. Various video and text communication tools are helping businesses to connect to remote employees and enhance the team’s efficiency.

Need for ‘new normal’

Companies had to expand their digital workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly. So, the rise of a trend toward remote work will make the digital workplace more critical in the future.

Flexible working hours

Fixed hours are becoming less and less relevant. Businesses prioritize quality and efficiency over location and time of operation. Employees have constant access to company resources and data in the digital workplace.

Data management

Software tools enable the synchronization of files and data used by multiple employees. It also helps provide access to the most recent information to the employees from any location and at any time.

Changed workforce type

With the rise of freelancing and the gig economy, hiring and retaining the best people is becoming difficult. Furthermore, due to the wide range of digital tools, the workforce now consists of gig workers or remote consultants from different backgrounds.

What are the benefits of a Digital Workplace?

The sudden shift from a physical office to a digital workplace can be daunting. It requires investment in new tools, a change in the work culture, disengaging from a paper environment to applications and online forms, etc. This is why putting a strategy in place for a seamlessly shift and hassle-free progress is highly recommended.

If you are still worried about the expense, please skim through the benefits below and we are positive your concerns will be erased. As per a study, 87% of CIOs believe digitally empowering employees can drive at least 5% additional revenue growth over 3 years. The same report also states that 54% of CIOs agreed that the ability for their workforce to more easily access business applications has reduced attrition rates.

1. It attracts talent

Even before the pandemic, many employees preferred flexible work hours. Now, it has become mandatory. Over 60% of employees would choose a workplace that allows work from home even if it pays less.

2. Employees are more productive and satisfied

Again, the pandemic is a classic example. Businesses were worried that their employees would not be efficient if they worked from home. But the numbers have a different story. Most organizations have actually recorded a boost in productivity after the implementation of a strong digital workplace strategy. Installing social media tools for internal interaction, for example, encourages communication and satisfaction.

3. It retains employees

We all know how important employee retention is. Acquiring a new employee during this time is tough and expensive. Onboarding online is also unchartered territory for most. So, if a strategy helped retain employees, why wouldn’t organizations invest in it?

4. It improves communication

Instant messaging is a hero today. Emails are becoming obsolete because instant communication leads to faster work and better interaction. So, when such communication tools are introduced, collaboration automatically gets better. This leads to an overall improvement in employee experience.

5. It reduces operating costs

A digital workplace does not really need physical infrastructure. The amount of money you spend on keeping things running (IT infrastructure, resources, travel, telecommunication, etc.) will be much less than traditional methods.

6. It helps increase revenue

When you put efficiency, employee retention, reduced operating costs, and more productivity together, it will show in your revenue. One of the biggest benefits, in fact, of a digital ecosystem is the increase in revenue. A few apps also help identify upselling and cross-selling opportunities.

7. You will reach the market faster

When it comes to development and project completion, the biggest concern we hear is that of delays. Projects can easily run for months and get delayed due to multiple reasons. When you engage in digital transformation, you have tools to research, develop, and test products quickly. This is why you will see a significant drop in the time-to-market, making the employees and users happy just the same.

8. It facilitates innovation

There’s so much that employees can do in the digital workplace model! Through no-code platforms, they are free to get their creative juices flowing. Customization and innovation are easier because they are less time consuming and quick to implement.

9. It increases agility

When someone asks, “Why should you shift to the digital workplace?” The immediate answer is, “because it is agile.”

The shift comes with the required tools to make business changes and make employee behaviors more flexible and agile.

10. It improves customer experience

Catering to customer needs and concerns is easier for employees in the digital workplace. This is because all the necessary information is easily available. They can serve the customers in a much better and agile manner.

Challenges of Digital Workplace

With every new innovation comes a new set of challenges. Similarly, adopting digital workplace have its own set of challenges for businesses to conquer. It is businesses’ level of operation, agility and efficiency that enables you to overcome and use it as an opportunity and not an hinderance.  

Data privacy and security concerns

For employees to work efficiently in a digital workplace, data is being moved to the cloud. So, while making it essential for employees to access critical business data from wherever they are, there is also a need to maintain high data privacy.

Complexity

The new tools and technologies will frequently cause changes in workplaces. Therefore, it is difficult and very complex for employees to become familiar with these tools regularly, which could impact productivity.

Disengagement of employees

Employees who work remotely may feel isolated and disconnected from their workplace because there is no physical interaction.

Impact on productivity

It is normal to see a decrease in productivity after implementing the digital workplace, as employees may need time to adjust to the changes. However, after a few weeks, productivity will increase depending on how well and quickly you adapt to the changes.

A lack of coordination and organizational silos

Silos results in the lack of coordination between teams within the organization, which decreases productivity and makes an organization resistant to change.

Steps to create a Digital Workplace

Implementing the digital workplace effectively is the key to transforming the employee experience successfully. To do so, you need to understand what to do and how it works. Below are a few steps that will help you get started:

1. Check where you are currently

Assessing the current status of the work culture will help present a roadmap. Note how your employees work at the moment and how you need to change that. This assessment will help you choose the tools required to transform to a digital workplace.

2. Work on the strategy

Based on your findings in step 1, sketch a strategy with objectives and priorities. The goal should be to get the most out of this transformation and to improve business value.

3. Choose the technologies needed

Now is the time to shortlist all the digital tools and technologies you need. Make sure you refer our toolkit to get started.

4. Provide guidance and training

This is a new experience for all team members. The shift may need a certain amount of time and training, especially if new technologies are being introduced. Communicate with your employees and provide the required training.

5. Analyze and improve

Just like everything else, the digital workplace needs continuous assessment and improvement. Performance metrics will help understand what’s working and what isn’t. You can iterate and implement accordingly.

The right time to act was yesterday. The second best time is now!

Indicators to determine the success of Digital Workplace strategy

There are a few key indicators you can look for to determine whether a digital workplace is successful or not. It includes the appropriate choice of digital tools, how they are implemented, and how frequently they are used. Also, the following points must be analyzed to determine the success of the digital workplace-

• A rise in productivity and efficiency among employees.
• Increased levels of employee engagement.
• Use of digital workforce platforms and whether or not the cloud has increased flexibility and coordination.
• All or most of the menial tasks have been eliminated.
• The ability to attract and keep top talent has improved.

Digital Workplace – Takeaway

Having a digital workplace strategy is crucial for boosting productivity and enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction. Due to the current pandemic, most businesses are looking for innovative ways to maintain their competitive advantage while keeping up with market trends. The worldwide investment in digital transformation will nearly double by the year 2024.

In recent times, due to the pandemic, we saw the historical shift from a traditional working model to a modern all-tech workplace which has helped employees to achieve the perfect work-life balance. It is almost sure that the ‘Work From Home’ environment will continue even after the pandemic ends. According to Mckinsey, by the year 2025, more than 20% of the workforce will work virtually. The future lies within Digital workplace

Quixy is here to help you adopt the digital workplace without breaking a sweat. Contact us for a free trial now and make the change immediately!