For your small business to keep up with the changing face of operations, you will need to proactively address your company’s need to undergo a digital transformation. Whether you are sourcing talent, upgrading your current IT systems, or looking to overhaul your business processes, the most efficient way you are going better service your customers and your employees is through a high-quality, up-to-date digital workplace. The data is projecting that the companies that want to have the biggest competitive advantages in 2020 will be able to exploit digital technologies creatively and efficiently.
Creating a Digital Workplace
A digital workplace is nothing more than a strategy that promotes the integration of technology devices and software to help boost employee engagement and flexibility in their operations. The resulting effects of the integration should be more productivity without comprising on important operational concerns like quality, affordability, safety, and security. Different ways that tech could be included in the workplace include virtual assistant technology, computers, collaboration applications, chatbots, mobile devices, immersive workspaces, and partnering with applications like SE2. As great as the potential benefits may be, you can just steamroll over your employees and current processes to implement new forms of operation. You will need to bring everyone on board with your overhaul if you want to make the transition as smooth as possible. There are some things that should be included in your transformation plan if this is to occur.
Establish a Vision
Whatever you are trying to incorporate into your digital workplace plan should already be incorporated into your business goals. The overall purpose of the transformation is to help improve productivity and employee engagement. Involve important entities in the process, such as HR or facilities manages, as well as stakeholders, and leadership teams to help shape a plan that coincides with the company mission and objectives. Discuss how the changes could affect your current business processes and how to address potential concerns from employees. Also consider the financial toll that is could take, and do a cost-benefit analysis on the transformation plan.
Reveal the Strategy
You won’t be able to just walk in one day and get your transformation accomplished. In addition to needing employees who are comfortable with the new technologies or software systems, you also need a physical infrastructure designed to handle the influx of new devices or the connectivity requirements to keep everyone up to speed. Instead of navigating your plan according to how the day goes, device and draft your implementation strategy. Establish a realistic timeline for the transitionary period, outlining the initiatives and expectations according to the impact on each department. Human resources, customer support, sales, research and development, and manufacturing will all have needs and uses with the intended programs or devices, and your strategy should be specific enough to each department that employees are able to see what is hoped to be accomplished through the transition.
Bring in Help
There are many things that you can do to establish a digital workplace, but they all don’t need to be based on the things your employees are able to do. There may be some areas of operations where it will be more cost-efficient to outsource certain departments or tasks to a company already fully utilizing digitized methods. SE2 Inc is such an organization, helping provide companies automated processing services for online transactions that require very little manual oversight or intervention. Rather than overhaul every department at one time, you could consider partnering with a company that is able to provide a needed service effectively and affordably while you work on your company’s digital presence and processes.
If you share your vision and goal with your employees, it will help make the transition to a digital workplace easier to understand and accept. Remember, the sooner you realize that the consumerization of IT is your friend, the sooner you will be on your way to a critical advantage over the competition.