Digitized documents, email, and cloud file sharing just aren’t cutting it. Productivity is hindered by haphazard collaboration and tedious manual processes. Something more is needed to create a unified digital workplace in your organization, but you’re not sure what is missing.
While digitalization certainly helps businesses, it does not constitute a complete digital workplace. The rapid acceleration of software development can create some confusion as to what a modern digital workplace actually looks like. Falling into common misconceptions may cripple a company’s journey to digital transformation, impeding short and long-term progress.
A Gartner report revealed that 62 percent[1] of companies have missed profit growth expectations of digital initiatives. Further research disclosed that “A company’s ability to gain strategic clarity on its path to business model transformation is crucial to its success.”
When forming a digital workplace strategy and selecting core software, make sure to steer clear of off-base ideas so your company can experience the unlimited benefits of an authentic digital workplace.
A digital workplace is not:
An intranet
For enterprises, intranets are a central source for corporate information, policies, and news. However, intranets are limited in scope and do not encompass active internal processes, projects, and active discussions.
In fact, it’s possible to have a digital workplace without an intranet at all. Some digital workplace platforms house internal information, negating the need for a separate database. If your company is a start-up or an SMB, plugging internal data into a digital workplace platform from the start saves time, money, and frustration.
A collection of apps
Hundreds of business app providers proclaim to be the solution that will revolutionize your company’s future. Subscribing to an app for every department sounds like a practical way to create a digital workplace, but before you know it, subscription fees will blow the budget.
Piling on segregated SaaS apps creates a cumbersome, fragmented work environment. Finding information across disconnected departments is frustrating. Poor integration also leads to squandered time—more than two-thirds[2] of workers waste up to 60 minutes a day toggling between apps on the job.
A digital workplace isn’t just SaaS subscriptions or something that can be purchased. It’s an ongoing business strategy that purposefully interweaves both technology and company culture.
Digital workplace software should align with business goals, digital priorities, and employee’s needs. The answer doesn’t lie in more applications but rather in carefully selected tools.
Deloitte reported[3] that HR, IT, and the business must all work together to build an integrated, customized work environment for digital tools to impact overall company productivity and individual productivity. Making tech decisions as a management team cuts down on unnecessary software and leads to a digital workplace tailored uniquely for your business.
Productivity software
MS Office, Email, Google Drive, and Docs & Sheets play useful roles but do not comprise a unified digital workplace on their own. Files, communication, and work plans are located in separate systems, creating lots of space for information gaps. Relying exclusively on these tools for work management leads to chaos and miscommunication.
Furthermore, what about database management tools, case management tools, and design tools? Critical business processes aren’t covered in document management software.
Instead of centering work around productivity software, choose a flexible platform that allows you to integrate your current file storage system smoothly. Having an integrated digital workplace also helps employees distributed globally to work productively
A collaboration tool
Replacing email with a standalone collaboration tool puts a band-aid on the more significant issue of a decentralized system. Collaboration systems connect workers from any location for on-the-spot discussions but are usually limited to communication purposes. A digital workplace involves much more than just communication.
Planting collaboration in a digital workplace contextually where work and communication are attached raises efficiency, reduces the need for app juggling, and enables quicker decisions.
Only for enterprises
A digital workplace doesn’t require a six or seven-figure budget to be effective. Pinpoint what your business needs to run operations effectively. Affordable solutions empower companies of any size to automate processes, manage projects, handle cases, and collaborate all on one platform. No-code platforms are perfect for organizations with a limited IT budget or for enterprise executives who want to implement without delay. Non-profit organizations, SMBs, and enterprises alike are reaping the benefits of digital workplace software all over the world.
The necessity of a digital workplace, for any business in the 21st century, is here to stay. If you have any digital systems in place, they are already puzzle pieces of an emerging digital workplace. As your organization expands and adjusts its strategy, your digital workplace will continue to evolve and improve.
All about technology
Team problems such as poor communication, unbalanced task allocations, and bottlenecks are causing so much stress that a quarter[4] of workers have quit a job to search for a company that provides an optimal digital workplace.
A system’s value is highly dependent upon the people using it. If an application is challenging for employees to maneuver or customize, its full potential will never be attained.
The employee experience or DEX (digital employee experience) is just as relevant as the technology itself. Most workers want to be actively engaged, more productive, and less tense in the workplace, but they need the right tools to do so.
Organizations that take the time to research and provide the experience workers desire will attract dedicated, talented employees—and hold onto them for years to come.
Move your digital workplace strategy forward with Kissflow
The vital components of a digital strategy—structured processes, data management, automation, collaboration, and analytics—are captured in Kissflow’s digital workplace platform.
From leave requests and advertising campaigns to customer claims and policy revisions, Kissflow has you covered. Integrate your current document storage system and other core software for a seamless transition into a robust platform to empower your employees.
Kissflow’s no-code, customizable platform is user-friendly for employees with any level of IT know-how. Users can track the status of all workflows and projects through an attractive dashboard to identify and tackle problem areas.
Set your business on the right track to digital transformation. Experienced Kissflow team members are ready to support your team through a transition to an integrated digital workplace that will take your company into the next generation.
