The growth of data, mobile technology, cloud technology, and even artificial intelligence has changed the way that we live and work. We’re living in the digital era, where everyone is connected, and anything is possible.
While the impact of the digital era seems to be evident in almost every environment, one of the places we’ve seen evolving the most is the current workplace. Over the last couple of years, “work” has officially become something that people do, not a place where people go to.
The future of work, according to today’s market leaders, is defined by flexibility and scalability. The most successful workplaces in the current landscape aren’t those with healthy eating policies or pool tables in the breakroom. The companies that succeed are the ones that can empower their employees to work anywhere, from any device, with the right selection of immersive tools.
Here’s your introduction to the digital workplace.
The Changing Nature of the Workplace
The concept of the digital workplace asks business leaders and employees to recognise that there’s more to effective work than turning up at an office each day. The lines between employee performance and physical office spaces are blurring, and businesses are starting to discover new technology that can enhance team efficiency in any environment.
The digital workforce presents an opportunity for employees to stay connected not just via the proximity of physical desks. With today’s virtual environment, teams can work together consistently and cohesively wherever they are, allowing employers to access skills from all over the world.
According to Gartner, around 95% of organisations believe that digital workforces are essential in this age, while 87% of CIOs believe that providing the right digital tools to employees accelerates revenue growth.
So, where does the move to a digital workplace begin?
It All Starts in the Cloud
The rise of the digital workplace coincides with the evolution of cloud technology. Recently, we’ve seen the cloud evolve to become more than just a place to safely store information and access new software. The cloud is also a crucial lifeline for companies that want to expand outside of the physical space, and into the digital realm.
According to Gartner, 90% of IT leaders said they wouldn’t be purchasing premises-based UC infrastructure going forward. That’s because the cloud can offer new and more immersive opportunities when it comes to keeping teams engaged and connected. With cloud-based UC deployments, businesses can ensure that their team members have access to all the features they need to make calls, connect with team members, and access information on the go. This means that employees don’t have to be at a certain desk or device to remain productive, anywhere with an internet connection becomes a potential office space.
The growth of cloud-based UC connectivity means that the workplace is becoming increasingly mobile. Already, around 1.6 million employees in the UK are working regularly from home, and the numbers are similar in the US too. The cloud means that businesses can give their team members the flexibility they want when it comes to managing their work/life balance. It also ensures that teams can access the skills they need from locations all around the world. With cloud-based UC, the digital workforce can include anyone – not just the people in your current location.
The Features of the Digital Workplace
While the demands of the digital workforce are continually growing, there are some key features that have remained a consistent part of a thriving digital environment. For instance, the rise of digital workplaces and cloud UC has also lead to the growth of new collaboration systems like Microsoft Teams and Slack. These team-based tools are quickly becoming the heart of most internal communication strategies, as they allow individuals in your team to maintain more consistent relationships with their colleagues, without having to be around them in person.
Collaboration tools have evolved from a concept that’s merely nice to have, to something that’s essential in a world where people are working in different locations, countries, and even time-zones. These tools make knowledge sharing easy and streamlined, with access to everything from file and screen sharing tools, to video communication and conferencing. Other features of the evolving digital workplace include:
- Data security and compliance: As businesses become more diverse and expanded, the digital workplace also needs to pay close attention to data, safety, and privacy. Today’s tools for virtual working, like collaboration systems and cloud communication services, need to be packaged with the right privacy and security strategies to keep teams safe wherever they are
- Artificial intelligence and virtual assistants: As we move into a more complicated future, businesses are also embracing the digital workplace as a chance to bring employees and machines together in a more productive way. The arrival of artificial intelligence and virtual assistants in cloud calling and collaboration tools is helping to drive efficiency and engagement. Today’s team members can automate repetitive tasks, create meetings in seconds, and access information rapidly, for a more effective UX
- Flexibility and scalability: Above all else, the digital workplace needs to be scalable, agile, and capable of pivoting to suit the needs of an ever-changing environment. A successful digital workplace is one that can embrace new features, explore different avenues, and deliver new solutions for employees at a moment’s notice
The Future of the Digital Workplace
As the demand for digital workplaces continues, we can expect to see the virtual environment becoming increasingly convenient for the modern worker. Going forward, the rise of things like 5G for latency-free connectivity will even help with more immersive video conversations and real-time streaming. On the other hand, the arrival of IoT could mean that it’s easier for employees to control their machines and devices from a distance, allowing for a more efficient workplace.
Going forward, vendors are even experimenting with more examples of innovation in the forms of artificial intelligence tools that can instantly translate language from people from different countries. What’s more, there’s the potential of things like VR and AR for creating virtualised offices to look forward to as well. The workplace of tomorrow is something that none of us could have possibly imagined only a few years ago. It will be interesting to see where our quest for productivity takes us next.
