Digital Workspaces - Definition and Challenges. How to overcome them.
Rashmi Sheel
IT Advisor | Technology Roadmap Planning | Proactive IT Maintenance | CMMC Compliance | Digital Transformation | Cyber Security | Entreprenuer
Digital Workplace Challenges: What are they?
How can we overcome them?
We all face challenges at work from time to time. Some companies introduced virtual work years ago, but others followed suit hurriedly, without adequate preparation. It has also been challenging, as one might expect. You can overcome a variety of workplace issues, such as organizational resistance and legacy technology. Let’s begin by explaining some key questions
So what exactly is a digital workplace?
It is no longer the staffed office buildings that dominate today's workplace. Rather, hybrid or fully remote work models are now prevalent, and for the most part, the old workplace model is behind us. Given the reduction of physical workspaces and the reliance on digital technology, what exactly does today's workplace look like?
Digital workplaces are becoming commonplace. Some of the common descriptions are?
It's important to remember that a digital workplace is more than a replacement for a physical one. Besides keeping employees connected in a secure environment, it boosts productivity, giving companies a competitive edge. It is a way to bring people together through technology and automation.?
?You might also have heard about a “virtual workplace.” The virtual workplace is different from the digital workplace in a few ways. By definition, the virtual workplace allows workers to work at multiple physical locations, whereas a digital workplace allows them to communicate and collaborate with one another using technology.
A digital workplace contains the following elements
Digital workplaces allow companies to connect, collaborate, and communicate with their employees, partners, and customers in an age when many employees and customers do not work in one physical location.?
?The following are some elements of a digital workplace:
?Collaboration tools
Today's collaboration tools enable employees to work as productively in a digital workplace as they did in a traditional one.?
?Using applications like Google Docs and Microsoft 365, you can create content in real-time regardless of your location.?
By using video meeting platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom, employees can collaborate and brainstorm via live, visual communication regardless of their distance.
The use of interactive whiteboards makes it possible to work with different media types in real time, breaking down long-distance collaboration barriers. It is often necessary to communicate across vast distances and multiple time zones when working in a digital workspace. The use of digital tools helps to make this possible. Ideally, they make work processes more efficient.
Digital workplaces allow companies to maintain their culture even when they aren't physically present. By using virtual tools, workers are constantly in constant communication, which enhances the social element that, without proper planning, could be lost with the transition to a digital workspace
Virtual?Meeting rooms and videoconferences
As the workplace evolves, it must accommodate onsite, remote, and non-local employees, clients, and vendors.??Is there a way to accomplish this?
Cloud Unified Communications are comprehensive communication systems that include:
?Cloud computing?
A digital workplace would not be possible without cloud computing. Without it, remote work, hybrid workplaces, and borderless work environments would not be possible.?In cloud computing, secure data storage is moved away from physical devices so that it can be accessed anywhere, on any device that is connected to the internet. Cloud computing also powers software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms, which allow employees to remotely access digital workplace software and applications. Virtual desktops, which emulate desktop environments digitally, are also powered by cloud computing.
Digital Workplaces Challenges and Tips
1. Resistance to change within an organization
Every time the digital workplace comes around, it's a transformational challenge. ?There will always be some resistance to any change - no matter how small or large. ?Skeptics can be more readily won over with a combination of emotional intelligence, transparency, and empathy.?
Managing mistrust or lack of confidence
Be transparent about the benefits of the upcoming changes and recognize the importance of each employee. 69% of employees say they would work harder if management appreciated them more. However, employees' expectations do not necessarily match management's views. Almost 3 out of 4 executives feel they are being “very transparent” with regard to remote working policies, but fewer than half of a 10,000-person survey of white-collar workers agree. Finding common ground and implementing new processes and technologies can be challenging. The company can deal with this by using change management exercises: break the ice by listening to employees' concerns and easing them into changes; make sure the team understands the company's goals and why changes are necessary.
Implementing change is challenging for everyone involved, executives and employees alike. However, creating a digital workplace is worth the effort.
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2.???Understanding change's emotional impact
Change makes people anxious. Change can even make them angry, cause them to fall into depression, or cause them to fear job security unwarrantedly. The Kübler Ross grief cycle can be applied here. According to some, there are seven stages of change resistance instead of five.
To help these employees, repeat information about upcoming changes and why they're good. Use different media to reach them - email, video chats, etc. - and ask for their input.
Once immobilized employees reach the Exploration stage, they are now positive and curious, and they frequently ask questions about their role in the change. Keep an eye on the progress they've made, continue to emphasize changes, and openly announce learning and development plans.
No matter the specific nature of an employee's response to change, empathize with their concerns and help them understand what will be expected of them step-by-step.
3. Migrations from legacy systems
75% of respondents agree or strongly agree that legacy applications impede digital transformation initiatives within their organizations. 91% agree or strongly agree that updating apps and interfaces improves workplace flexibility.? Automating and using machine learning intelligently is also crucial to business success.
The average cost of downtime caused by a cyberattack is $84,650 per hour. Intelligent automation can detect threats more quickly and efficiently than human monitoring can. As a result of automation, people can devote more time to tasks requiring human intelligence and interpretation, which machines cannot perform.
A workplace consultant or an IT consultant can help you determine which solutions will work best for your business if you have legacy applications in your digital workplace today.
4. Securing data, systems and applications
An average data breach costs $4.24 million. The average amount of time it takes for a company to complete cloud computing is 77 days less than the amount of time it takes for a company further upstream to complete cloud computing.?Starting with cybersecurity best practices will pay big dividends. Phishing and ransomware can be avoided through:
5. Uncentralized notification system
Decentralizing employee work locations (remote and hybrid office practices) makes centralized communications more important than ever before.?
Sixty-eight percent of companies prefer a centralized platform for communication and notifications.?In most companies, email and video conferencing - especially free versions - are not likely to provide the full range of tools and analytics necessary for scalable productivity.
Communication between on-site and remote workers must be streamlined and unified.?
6. Productivity issues
A company's productivity can be adversely affected by remote work, which is a stubborn myth. A company that decreases productivity will suffer.
As business leaders have discovered, remote workers are just as productive - sometimes even more so - than office-based workers. The key is having processes, tools, automation, and policies in place to manage them
Engaging employees: issues and solutions
Employee engagement is more important than employee happiness when it comes to productivity. Companies with higher engagement levels have a 59% lower turnover rate than those without. In a hybrid workforce, this can be challenging; 45% of new remote workers feel a sense of belonging is compromised.
As a result of the pandemic, 37% of respondents have been working longer hours and 40% have experienced burnout.?Engaging employees is important. Try these tips:
Now that's what I call engagement
The process of creating a digital workplace can be challenging, but if you're on the right path, then you're on the right track.?We can overcome digital workplace challenges by empathizing with employees' concerns, not clinging to outdated technology, and making sure employees are engaged and eventually happy.
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