The tools and benefits of the Digital Workplace, the new way of working that changes the workplace, improving productivity and well-being.
What is the Digital Workplace
Always connected via smartphone, tablet or PC, and operating from home, office or elsewhere. These are managers, employees and contractors in the days of the Digital Workplace. The massive introduction of new technologies into companies is reshaping -in ways that were unthinkable just a few years ago- how, when, and where people work. The classic desk is being replaced by virtual spaces, and concepts such as working hours, worker presence and time card stamping are taking on new meanings.
The Digital Workplace is not just a virtual work environment. It is something broader, which meaning is linked to physical elements and cultural aspects depending on how work is perceived. Therefore, the Digital Workplace is something still in the making, which does not fall under a rigid definition.
Among the most recent and widely accepted definitions is that of Gartner, according to which the Digital Workplace is a strategy that
enables new, more effective ways of working; raises employee engagement and agility; and exploits consumer-oriented styles and technologies.
It differs from the concepts of smart working, hybrid working and digital workspace, although it includes them.
The latter in particular is often used synonymously, but it configures the physical location -room, office, or workstation- in which the worker performs tasks and finds the tools to perform them. It is an individual concept.
On the other hand, the concept of the Digital Workplace refers to a collective dimension, composed of a plurality of elements: from the interactions among team members, to the tools and modes of performing tasks. This mode is a sort of virtual ecosystem, in which technologies, procedures, people, corporate governance styles and processes participate, integrate and change.
Why implement a Digital Workspace?
The move to the Digital Workplace is not only a forced choice due to the need for companies to adapt to remote work, which has become commonplace during the recent pandemic and enhanced by the increased focus on flexibility and work-life balance. It is also a strategy that, if organized and managed effectively, brings significant opportunities for companies.
For example, the Digital Workplace enables the identification and adoption of technologies and tools that best suit the specific needs of an organization and its employees. Today’s Cloud Systems and Software-as-a-Service facilitate communication, speed up work and the exchange of information, allowing services and devices to be tailored to the type of business, the industry in which it operates, and the products/services it offers. In addition, using a single platform or system that offers multiple functionalities facilitates management, control, and streamlining of procedures. Moreover, it facilitates the engagement and upskilling of workers by stimulating creativity, motivation, commitment and growth.
Finally, through a virtual work system, HR and IT managers will be able to better follow the activities of employees both on site and/or remotely. In fact, having technological (but also cultural) tools to work digitally helps to overcome distance and to involve more people in virtual meetings, training, or to share feedback and results. Furthermore, it involves a reduction in costs related to hardware infrastructures, energy consumption and physical work sites. The benefits that derive from knowing how to organize a perfect Digital Workplace also fall outside the company. First of all, better conditions lead to productivity growth. Then, a company that pays attention to digital is more attractive for new talents, but also for more up-to-date customers and suppliers who will thus be incentivized to get in touch.
Digital Workplace: a "business" and "cultural" toolbox
So what do managers need to design, implement and manage an effective Digital Workplaces? Gartner indicates 8 strategic elements for creating a good virtual working environment, which can be summarized in the following 3 macro-dimensions:
- Business Alignment
It includes Vision, Strategies and Metrics. For an effective Digital Workplace it is necessary to define the characteristics and objectives of what you want to create, prepare a precise roadmap and use ad hoc tools to measure performance, results, ROI, level of work agility, satisfaction and loyalty of team members. - People Alignment
The physical distance between workers, and between them and the company, must be carefully managed. This is why it is important to ensure a positive Employee Experience. In fact, an engaging work experience is essential for creating excellent digital collaborative environments. This means improving relationships, reducing "distances", stimulating energy and creativity, offering functional and pleasant to use operational tools. Useful for these purposes are the Organizational Change and the rereading of Processes. These two elements must follow the changes on every aspect of the organization due to the progressive digitalization of work, for example: the ways in which tasks are performed, the skills, the profiles needed, the organization of departments and internal structures. - IT Alignment
The last of the macro-dimensions indicated by Gartner is crucial for a Digital Workplace that works. It includes Information and Technology. It shows how the technological equipment can no longer be just useful, functional and reliable: it must be smart, that is, capable of favoring production and collaboration within the company system. For example, access to data and content must make information relevant to each phase of work and/or the specific needs of each worker easily available.
