How the Digital Workspace is Transforming the Future of Business
From technological advancements to the surge in remote workers due to the pandemic, today’s workplace is becoming an increasingly digital environment – one defined by greater accessibility, collaboration and communication. This shift towards a virtual workspace is altering the way businesses operate – from internal workflow and client interactions to everything in-between.
This always-connected atmosphere allows employees to instantly access and utilize vital resources and documentation anytime, anywhere.
According to “The digital workplace: Think, share, do” by Deloitte, “The digital workplace encompasses all the technologies people use to get work done in today’s workplace–both the ones in operation and the ones yet to be implemented. It ranges from your HR applications and core business applications to email, instant messaging and enterprise social media tools and virtual meeting tools.”
Not only can companies function at an optimal level without worrying about geographical barriers, but digital workspaces are furnishing employers with the tools needed to increase productivity, information flow, collaboration, retention rates, and more.
Here’s a deep dive into the advantages of leveraging a digital workplace in today’s highly competitive business landscape.
The Benefits of a Culture Rooted in Telecommuting
Before the pandemic, there was already a growing shift towards remote working environments. From eliminating employee commutes to reducing the overhead costs associated with in-office work (like rent and utilities), the rising trend was propelled into mainstream adoption after the onset of COVID-19.
Prodoscore, an employee visibility software firm, evaluated data collected between March and April of 2020, comparing it to the same time frame in 2019. According to their findings, employees showed a 176% uptick in CRM activity, a 47% increase in productivity, a 230% rise in telephone calls, and a 57% surge in email activity.
Airtasker research also revealed that employees who worked remotely saved an estimated $4,523 annually on fuel. The lack of commute resulted in an extra 17 days of time that could be allocated toward work in lieu of driving in rush hour traffic. The same survey discovered remote workers were less distracted in the home environment – spending 7% less time in meetings or speaking with management, as well as 30 minutes less time chatting by the coffee machine with colleagues about non-work-related topics.
More Effective Communication & Collaboration
The digital workspace provides businesses and employees with newer, more innovative ways to collaborate and communicate in real-time – allowing work to get done more efficiently. In today’s fast-paced world, the availability of digital tools ensures emails don’t get lost in an overcrowded inbox, while also increasing interdepartmental transparency and relationships.
Improved Knowledge Sharing & Access to Information
Did you know that Fortune 500 businesses are losing approximately $31.5 billion each year simply from failing to share knowledge? Ouch. As more and more baby boomers reach retirement age, they are taking their experience and wide breadth of knowledge out of the workplace when they leave. This wealth of knowledge has proven to be incredibly beneficial when onboarding and training new hires.
The good news? With the adoption of tools like knowledge management systems and data sharing platforms, employers can effectively document vital information to be shared and passed down to new staff members. Information repositories streamline the learning process and ensure workers can access crucial resources whenever they need them.
Centralizing documentation is another factor that plays a key role in the success of the digital workspace. In lieu of scattered documents across OneDrive, Dropbox, emails or Google Drive, employees can extract information with a click of a button. Without this level of streamlined access, employees waste nearly 20% of business time (which is approximately one day per work week) hunting down information needed to perform their jobs effectively.
Digital Workspaces: The Future of Business
Organizations that utilize digital workspaces are enjoying a plethora of cost-saving benefits, as well as creating a strong competitive advantage for themselves. In addition to enhancing customer service and turnaround times due to the ease with which information can be accessed, employers are also increasing their ability to attract and retain talent.
As new technology and trends continue to shape the future of the business world, make sure your organization has developed the right strategy and infrastructure to generate long-term success. To learn more about how our experts can help further your business goals, contact us today.
