This article (8 steps to successful technology adoption of a Digital Workplace) was first published on YourStory
Companies in the new age digital workplace are constantly evolving due to the fast-paced business environment we are in. Change is inevitable; a company has to be able to adopt new technologies and get its employees assimilated with it in order to stay competitive.
An organizations survival is dependent on adoption of digital technologies. There are various tools and strategies to facilitate this.
Lets dig deeper to understand this better!
With its rapid evolution, technology has become crucial to the success of businesses in the current competitive environment. Any business today that requires its employees to be in the same place at the same time together needs to have the digital capability to achieve that.
Also Read: Digital Leadership in a New Era and How Workplace Culture Matters More Than Ever
It is essentially multiple workplace technologies connected together by a network to create a singular environment for employees to collaborate with each other.
A digital workplace enables better communication and higher productivity due to easier access to sharing through applications and the facilitation of collaboration; setting it up involves the adoption of multiple digital technologies in areas of communication and collaboration (Slack, Teams, Zoom, etc.), productivity (Trello, AirTable, etc.), and applications (No-code Platforms like Quixy).
Several industry statistics highlight the need and importance of a digital workplace:
Also read: Digital Workplace – All You Need to Know
It is, therefore, important for the employees to adopt and integrate new technologies and create a digital workplace. With COVID-19 disrupting regular business practices this year, it has not only become exceedingly essential but has become a requirement for a business to function.
This is much easier said than done. Since the employees may not be tech-savvy or may resist change, the implementation of this is difficult and that needs to be addressed.
It is important for employees to adopt and integrate new technologies and create a digital workplace.
This is much easier said than done. Since the employees may not be tech-savvy or may resist change, the implementation of this is difficult and that needs to be addressed.
The biggest mistake an organization tends to make is not planning the adoption of new technology. Employees cannot be expected to seamlessly integrate technology into their working processes.
Here are a few pointers to assist the process:
Employees should be informed of the change and why it is occurring so as to not frustrate them. By implementing such a change, the favourable impact on the achievement of organizational objectives should be communicated to the employees.
Employees cannot function without clarity. They need to be taught how to use the new technology in order to aid their workflow rather than cause issues for them.
It is important to be open to receiving feedback. Positive and negative feedback both are a result of engagement and employees will only learn if they engage. Listen to their concerns and suggestions about the new technology and teach them how to use it accordingly.
New technology encourages innovation and speeds up work processes. Employees need to be for innovation and not against it. Mechanisms to encourage this should be kept in place.
Employees need to be for innovation and not against it.
How can you facilitate the adoption of new technology and create a collaborative and meaningful digital workplace for the betterment of your business and your employees? Here are the steps to
There has to be research behind the new technology your business integrates into its workflow processes; it not only has to add value to your business but also has to be useful to your employees. The new technology should cater to these requirements:
Ask for inputs from your employees. Make them part of the decision making. The way you sell the need for the new technology makes a great difference in how your employees accept it.
While technology might generate better results, the attitude of your employees toward it is dependent on their motivation and morale. Therefore, it is crucial to make them part of the game before playing it.
Three requirements here are:
Before completely rolling out the new technology, it is important to test it out and see if there is any trouble in its implementation. This could be treated as sort of a pilot program – once the demonstration becomes smooth with all the hindrances ironed out, the technology would be ready for implementation.
This is the most imperative step in the process. The implementation of the technology needs to be made as smooth as possible in order to assimilate it naturally in the digital workplace.
This can be done on the basis of the diffusion of innovation curve which categorizes people into five groups according to how strongly they would want to adopt new technology.
By understanding different perspectives, innovation can be made smoother.
Use different training materials to get your employees completely accustomed to the new technologies, create and evaluate assessments to ensure that they understand it well.
Not all new technology is easy to understand and use, some softwares require extensive training. Keep in mind that there are different types of learners. Howard Gardner’s Seven Learning Styles explains this well.
Things to remember:
After the technology is integrated into the digital workplace, it is important to make it a routine out of it for the employees. Institutionalization is essential.
Magnify the positive impact of the new technology on the organizations working. Employees will be motivated to perform like their successful peers if they are incentivized to work well.
Emphasize the gains and work on the setbacks. Leverage marketing departments and account managers wherever possible.
Keep moving forward, keep updating. Technology projects are seen by most companies as a short-term endeavour, not as a going concern.
Focus on the outcomes and objectives you have set, strive to preserve your timetable, but accept it and pivot if not everything goes to plan. This is a ride on the road with several twists and turns and you have to be prepared to roll with the punches. Shift, new iterations, and optimization would likely involve your strategy.
There are always a few employees who may be highly resistance to change. These skeptics can be dealt with with a few principles to keep in mind with regards to this.
In the end, there has to be an increase in the adoption of technology in order for a company to survive. Growth is highly dependent on innovation.
The competitive market environment makes it very difficult for companies to stay relevant. The new technology that is being adopted today are in the form of Artificial Intelligence, Low-code No-code, Machine Learning, etc. to facilitate a digital workplace.
With the recent pandemic, the so-called “new normal” makes it all the more essential to create and maintain a digital workplace. New technology can be assimilated easily with the help of platforms that facilitate their integration into companies.
Quixy is a low-code no-code platform that aids in workflow automation and enriches the metrics of the business along with the lives of the employees with a convenient visual interface and drag-and-drop system. If you want to avail of this new technology for your business, you can contact us for a free trial!