Debido a que una estrategia de trabajo remoto segura se ha vuelto esencial para la resiliencia empresarial, las organizaciones de TI están pensando cada vez más en crear lugares de trabajo digitales. Pero eso significa más que habilitar el trabajo remoto a través de VPN, usar verificaciones de identidad e implementar aplicaciones basadas en la nube.
It also means designing a strategy that takes into account the needs of employees, regardless of their location, so that the business runs smoothly. As companies around the world wonder what the workplace looks like after a pandemic, it's important to understand the difference between a digital workplace and a digital workplace. Is not the same. And whether companies anticipate a full return to the office, a fully remote workforce, or something in between, the "hybrid workplace," the fundamental issues they face in setting strategy remain the same. Here's a look at the problems businesses are likely to face.
Defining the digital workspace
Research firms IDC and Gartner have their own individual definitions of the digital workplace, though they both agree that technology decisions alone do not guarantee success. Other elements, if not taken into account, can cause failures.
Gartner defines the "digital workplace" as: A business strategy that leverages an engaging and intuitive work environment to drive workforce digital prowess: ambition and the ability to apply technology to enhance business capabilities. The digital workplace and those who manage it will shape the future of work.
IDC's definition of the digital workspace is more succinct: A connected and secure work environment, regardless of location or time.
In both cases, the goal is to ensure that workers have the ability (and desire) to use digital technologies for their work, regardless of the environment.
A digital workspace is not the same as a digital workspace. The first is a holistic approach to provide an environment where everyone can collaborate and get things done; the latter focuses solely on the technologies necessary for it.
Not surprisingly, technology vendors are happy to sell their products as complete solutions for the digital workplace. But no product or service offers a complete digital workspace; To do this, companies need a variety of tools and processes linked together by a coherent strategy.
In April, an alliance of 10 providers defined eight elements necessary for a digital workspace: virtual offices; virtual applications; secure endpoints; collaboration tools; policy and management; analysis, monitoring and testing; print management; and security.
While these items relate only to technologies, the recommendations are a useful starting point. However, it is important to remember that the digital workplace is a combination of three key elements: space, be it the office, home office or shared space; the technology; and Culture.
(CIO.com, an IDG sister publication, outlined 10 strategic considerations for creating a digital workplace, and this Computerworld story examines the core technologies to enable hybrid work, a key part of a digital workplace strategy, that IT will need to provide.) “Organizations need to take a holistic and integrated approach that also incorporates augmentation that enables and accepts new digital peers: artificial intelligence, robotic process automation (RPA), augmented reality and virtual reality, etc. - and a work culture that promotes the commitment and empowerment of workers. aligned with digital skills, in addition to the workspace,” said Louise Francis, director of research at IDC.
The digital workplace starts with a good hybrid work environment
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of technology and equipment to support a flexible work environment and allow people to work from anywhere. It has shown that not only can organizations rely on employees working remotely, but companies must be prepared for unforeseen disruptions. Hybrid working, a pillar of the digital workspace, should be a mainstay of any future business strategy, Francis said. “It can be said that there are certain positions or industries where remote work is less relevant or not necessary due to the requirements of being on site. In any case, the reflection must be made from the point of view of the resilience or continuity of the company. "In other words, exceptions shouldn't get in the way of the flexibility needed to create a digital workplace. For most CIOs, it's clear that hybrid workplaces are here to stay, Tay said, making the concept increasingly a priority. And the technologies they choose must meet the needs of workers if companies are to keep their employees. A recent Gartner digital worker experience survey found that employees who enjoy their apps and technology , and use them, are much more likely to stay twice as long as those who don't.In part, that's because the COVID-19 pandemic has made it easier to change jobs, with interviews conducted online, and the realization that a new job might not require a move.This made it more difficult to retain talent, Tay said.Recent Gartner research has shown that organizations that bring office practices to home workers, such as virtualizing on-site practices, adding monitoring systems, and increasing the number of meetings have actually exacerbated employee fatigue. The 2021 Hybrid Work Employee Survey of more than 2,400 workers in January 2021 found that employees who now spend more time in meetings are 1,24 times more likely to feel emotionally drained from their jobs. Overall, fatigue from incorporating corporate practices in remote work environments can reduce performance by 33%, and these employees are up to 54% less likely to stay with their employer.
What to consider when planning a digital workspace
First, forget about the physical office, said Tay, who isn't convinced that the physical office has a future in many organizations. (And it likely has a minor role in many others.) He advised IT organizations to choose technologies that are flexible and easy to integrate, so businesses can more flexibly and easily orchestrate processes and tools, and manage upgrades and other maintenance with little or no user impact. The user experience is also important. The worker must be a priority, and IT departments and organizations must consider how staff members work, behave and use technology to be productive. In addition to the user experience, finding ways to automate work through RPA can focus employees on more valuable and rewarding work. Remember, automation can be seen as a way to kill jobs (even if the data isn't that bad), which can hurt morale and put employee retention at risk. A key attribute of the digital workplace is that it must embrace continuous change, Tay said, not just in technology, but also in skill development and processes. Francis listed several aspects of the digital workplace that IDC considers essential:
- An efficient, scalable and adaptable 'digital workforce' (ie chatbots, other software bots and RPA software) that can be deployed to automate and augment a variety of work activities.
- An intelligent, federated work environment that minimizes context switching by intelligently and proactively providing the resources needed for important tasks.
- Secure connectivity to people, non-human digital workers, and business resources anytime, anywhere, from any device.
- Collaborative tools that enable a conversational workplace (including non-human digital workers and people, as well as business partners, customers, and other stakeholders).
- Strong security and governance that don't hamper productivity or diminish experience.
- Human resources and self-explanatory, self-aware and self-service administrative solutions.
- Intelligent, agile and adaptable learning systems that enable new skills and continuous learning.
- Integrated workplace detection systems that optimize and personalize the employee experience and improve productivity, safety and security.
- Insights that connect experts with relevant content across all business departments and processes.
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