Digital workplaces can become one of the hottest trends of our time
Digital workplaces can become one of the hottest trends of our time
We’re living in the era of digital transformation which is slowly but surely making its way into workplaces and offices, too. What is a digital workplace, and what do you have to look out for when installing one?
There is no question that workplaces are going digital nowadays. A digital workplace has numerous advantages – be it any type of job or office: digitisation helps (among others) internal and external communication, and the effectiveness of work. But what exactly is a digital workplace, and why is it going to be one of the most important buzzwords in 2018?
Digital workplaces
There are multiple definitions of a digital workplace. According to the most widespread point of view, any office is considered digital where communication happens via email (or any other Internet-based application), because a digital workplace includes all technological solutions that employees use at the given workplace in order to do their jobs. In this sense, every application used for communication, intranet and also different social media solutions can be viewed as a tool of a digital workplace.
Why is it worth it to install a digital workplace?
As it was pointed out in the beginning of the article, a digital workplace can be an excellent tool in order to enhance effectiveness. Besides that, there are many reasons why more and more employers choose to implement this strategy at their own workplace. According to a survey from Deloitte, a digital workplace will…
- Attract young, talented professionals, because thanks to the Internet-based communication and digitisation, they can work with more flexible times – and this seems to be important for the newest generation.
- Make employees more satisfied – and this is thanks to the use of social media at the office.
- Ensures better communication. The members of today’s young workforce prefer social media and instant chat apps to the more traditional forms of communication (e.g. emails).
What are the main components of a digital workplace?
The most important thing: communication
Communication is not only important between employees, but you also have to communicate with your clients and the members of management. This also means that the members of management must be aware of what equipment their employees like using and how. If you pay attention to these details, your employees will feel better at the workplace, which is a key factor to efficiency.
Besides that, communication must be ensured on as many channels as possible. Nowadays it is not enough to use a simple email: you need an intranet, instant messaging apps, and social media. It is the best if you make most platforms available on multiple devices. So they can work whenever and wherever they want to. 64% of job seekers would accept a job with a lower salary if the given workplace allows home office. You can see that this is a factor you cannot ignore.
The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) view is more and more widespread abroad. This means that employees may choose the exact devices they want to work on themselves.
Choosing the infrastructure
Besides choosing and providing the technologies you want to apply, you also have to put emphasis on establishing the appropriate infrastructure. Cloud services are really popular these days, so more and more enterprises move their workflows (or part of them) into the cloud. However, moving to the cloud and using one’s own devices can load the system, which can cause shortages. So it is crucial that you create an infrastructure at the workplace which can cope with big loads.
Videos are now a thing
In every single aspect of enterprises, videos are getting a bigger role. Consider for example the recruitment of new employees. If the given interviewee is abroad at the time of the interview, written communication is simply not enough anymore. Big conference rooms will also be replaced by cubicles used as offices and video conferences.
However, you still need to pay attention to the appropriate infrastructure, so videos can function perfectly on every single device.
Digital security
Of course, cybersecurity is an important factor at a company where communication happens on multiple devices and platforms (especially if workers also use their own devices as well), so that you can protect your systems from attacks.
The most common danger that may threaten your company is viruses. It can come in the form of a Trojan virus (which disguises itself as a benign programme), or a spy virus. Unfortunately these ones can disguise themselves so well that they can infect the system if you just click on an ad.
The next most widespread type of virus you have to consider is ransom viruses. In 2017 there were a number of cases where multinational companies became victims of a ransom virus. This kind of attack usually locks the files found on the hardwares, and the owners can only get them back after they had paid a certain amount of money.
In order to prevent the attacks, it is important to review who has what rights to access the different files and data within the company. If it comes to a multinational company, then it will be of a bigger volume, but in order for security, you have to invest the time and energy. Employees must be taught how to use the system both in a physical and in a digital sense – they all have to know what rights and obligations they have in connection with the company’s digital tools.
As you can see, a digital workplace is not just a great invention from the future – it is already there nowadays at most offices. With the help of it you can maximise efficiency, and your employees will also go to work more satisfied. However, just like in every aspect of life, you also have to pay attention to the most important rules when it comes to digitisation – so that your digital workplace may work perfectly and smoothly.
Sources: Dimension Data, Elcom, LiveTiles