Digitization has changed the workplace immeasurably. From filing cabinets and workplace cubicles to cloud storage and remote working, advances in technology have streamlined processes and empowered employees. The result: businesses benefit from improved productivity and efficiency, while their employees enjoy more flexibility and enriching work.
Vital to the success of the digital workplace, however, are the work tools that enable this transformation. Recently, 53% cited improved information sharing and collaboration capabilities as a key driver of digital transformation. While most organizations, as part of their digital transformation journey, have implemented tools to help employees access their work anytime, from anywhere and any device, there is a still an acute need for effective team communication tools. A Cisco sponsored Harvard Business Review Study saw 72% of survey respondents cite “effective team communication” as their number one requirement from digital tools.
But how does this work in practice? Here is how the latest innovative workplace tools enhance the digital workplace.
They heighten team engagement during meetings
Most teams today are virtual teams. Geographically dispersed and with plenty of team members working remotely, virtual teams are dependent on digital tools when it comes to team engagement. While most team communication tools provide secure video chats, messaging services and other forms of communication, virtual whiteboarding can take team engagement one step further. Having whiteboarding as part of your workplace toolkit enriches virtual meetings by enabling remote team members to draw or write just as they would on a physical whiteboard. Additionally, everyone who is part of the meeting can do more than just see the ideas being shared. They can simultaneously add their inputs as well. Sharing ideas in real-time at a virtual brainstorming session becomes so much easier with a feature like whiteboards. It facilitates quick decision making and allows you to save your ideas for future use as well.
Similarly, workplace tools with in-built cognitive collaboration technology can provide insights to people you may be meeting virtually, for the very first time. Cognitive software gathers publicly available data and automatically generates a profile of everyone in the meeting. This gives you a heads-up before you virtually connect with a potential new client or new team member.
They save your team time – thereby improving productivity
Increasing productivity is one of the top reasons for businesses to invest in digital workplace tools. While installing a basic video conferencing system does help in enriching meetings with clients and customers, there are still several roadblocks that the digital workplace faces. For instance, the task of joining a video conferencing call can be productivity killer in and of itself. Did you know that your team wastes an average of 15 minutes per conference call, simply getting started or dealing with distractions? The latest workplace tools offer intelligent proximity technology, straight-up asking users if they would like to be added to a meeting, as soon as they walk into a room. With conversational AI, meeting participants can give voice commands to start and stop a meeting, as well as remind various participants to join in. Additionally, workplace tools now have simplified and integrated calendar management—all within a single dashboard on your desktop or mobile, saving you the time to have to click through multiple tabs.
They assist you in working smarter and faster
According to data from Cisco, 91% of employees believe digital technology can transform the way they work for the better. It is fair to say that digital workplace tools are already doing just that—empowering teams to work smarter and faster as they work across time zones, help customers, and drive the business.
Do you want to know more? Look into what cognitive collaboration solutions can do for your business.
