There’s a revolution happening in the workplace. Social structures are being changed, and the traditional office is being challenged. And technology is causing it.
If you’re wondering what does digital transformation mean, you’re not alone. It’s a new concept that, while has been happening for a while, is only really just starting to be discussed.
Digital transformation is fundamentally the use of technology to change the way people do things. This can apply to all areas of life – there was a digital transformation with cleaning homes when the hoover was invented – but in this post, we are going to look at digital transformation in the workplace specifically.
There are many differences between today’s workplace and that of the 80s and 90s. But the most notable is technology. Offices used to just have a computer with a huge monitor, and clunky keyboards. Nowadays ultra-fashionable hardware like Mac computers and interactive displays are in; and they’re not only chic but useful as well.
New technology is helping us work like never before. Software and hardware are completing tasks that used to take human workers much more time to resolve.
So what is digital transformation in business, exactly? Many businesses across the world are starting to think about digital business transformation. In fact, IDG states that 89% of businesses are planning to adopt a digital first strategy. Interestingly, IDG goes on to claim that only 44% have already adopted the approach.
This means that if you, as a business owner, begin to adopt digital business transformation now, you’ll still be ahead of nearly half of the other business owners. The time for digital change is now.
Digital business transformation is fundamentally changing how businesses work together. This can be done through many ways.
We are already aware of the many ways that technology is present in the workplace. They include things like:
However, digital transformation is more than just using new-fangled technology. It’s looking at how we can use this technology to change how the workplace works.
There are many examples of digital transformation in business. The digital transformation revolution isn’t just happening in the office; casual dining restaurants like Applebees and TGI Fridays are starting to use artificial intelligence to give customers a more personable experience.
Many companies in all sorts of niches are experimenting with new digital services and capabilities. They are also reskilling employees to give them the necessary know how to work in this new business climate. It’s also one of millennial’s expectations in the workplace; an age group who will make up the core of the US workforce in the not-so-distant future.
Grant Thornton has conducted a survey that stated that 69% of businesses are increasing their expenditure on technology for business change, and four in ten are increasing by more than 10% throughout the next year.
However, it’s important to remember that digital transformation in business doesn’t change what a business does, but it changes how it does things in 2020. We shouldn’t be looking to change the fundamentals of businesses – banks should still be banking and retail companies should still be producing goods.
But we can use technology to work smarter and better.
Some key ways that digital transformation is doing so are:
Collaboration is a key part of the workplace of the future, and technology is making it more and more feasible. Using collaboration applications, employees can easily connect with others, and huddle rooms are fantastic places for collaboration.
Technology like interactive displays, a great interactive whiteboard alternative, are a great help as well; the main interactive display can connect with people on other devices, meaning that work can be easily streamlined and connected.
Employees are being asked a lot more about what they consider to be best for the company; businesses are becoming less like a dictatorship and more like a community. Remote teams have this too; with technology enabling them to chat and share ideas a lot more.
Onto remote work, which is a key part of the digital transformation pie. More and more people are starting to work outside the office, whether it be full-time or just for a few days a week. Digital transformation in the workaplce is aiding this; but also very important are new mindsets about remote working and its benefits.
Digital workplaces of the future are a lot more focused on customers than before. Using technology like bots to gauge customer interest and cookies to investigate what a target audience is more interested in, technology can be a crucial tool to help learn about customer mindset.
The main goal of digital transformation is to have a successful business in 2020 and beyond. This can be broken down further, however.
Employee engagement costs businesses a lot of money each year, so using technology to increase this is a fantastic idea. Employee engagement is equal to employee satisfaction, so one of the biggest goals of digital transformation should be to keep workers happy and involved.
Technology can help this by providing employees with the tools to stay engaged and on top of their work and also encouraging business collaboration. Using tools like interactive displays, employees can be more involved in work, doodle notes, and easily save webpages and images. It’s a much more appealing way to work.
Businesses who think more about technology are likely to increase their profits. Technology for business like paperless archiving, big data storage, cloud communications and mobile apps all help businesses to work to make the biggest profits possible.
There are also multiple ways to streamline technology to ensure that profits stay high. For example, by using bots to do menial jobs, more brains can work on creative roles and expand businesses like that.
The benefits of streamlining technology are great for employee retention and satisfaction as well. With the increase in technology, employees are less likely to need to rely on tedious jobs like data entry, and can focus more on fun, creative opportunities. This is one of the benefits of artificial intelligence; office workers are free to do the bigger jobs, which they are likely to find much more interesting!
Any business adopting digital transformative approaches now is at a great advantage when it comes to future changes. The working world can change a lot in a short space of time, and making sure that any business is on top of digital change can only have benefits. Being resilient to change, and constantly thinking about the future as well as the present, is a crucial way to do this.
Businesses in 2020 should be making a real effort to be sustainable. Whether that be purchasing from ethical traders or producing goods slowly rather than engaging in fast consumerism, the environment needs to be taken into account in this modern age.
Using technology, research and communications have never been easier, and they can really help a company’s environmental policy.
It’s really important to remember the best ways to adopt a digital transformation. While it can seem just like adding lots of technology, it’s also more focused on the transformative part of the term.
Remember, digital transformation isn’t just about using more technology. It’s about using the technology to become a forward-thinking workplace.
Ways that this is done include:
Digital transformation is happening, whether we like it or not – and it’s a great idea to join in now, while it is still young.
Businesses all over the globe are starting to invest more and more money into technology, and are realizing the amazing benefits of using technology in the workplace. However, it’s not just technology that we should be focusing on; it’s important to look at how technology can change – and improve – the work environment.
Technology is not just aiding things, it’s upheaving the entire way the workplace works. Employees are getting more say and enjoying their jobs more, the customer is being placed as a focus more often and remote offices are becoming the norm.
Digital transformation is workplace history, happening right now. It’s definitely a good idea to become a forward-thinking business and adopt the essentials.
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