Digital Office: 7 tips for success

A digital office, is one in which technology is at the service of greater productivity and efficiency.

But this concept does not only mean renouncing analogical methods and assuming digital tools, it implies carrying out a complete internal transformation that begins with the culture of the company.

In this sense, in the next post we analyze what characteristics it should have and how to build the perfect digital office

The digital office and work automation

We have already spoken in this blog of the digital transformation and of the necessities of companies born in the analogical era as they approach their digitalisation from the outside in, analysing what their clients do and, from there, carrying out their own transformation.

The digital transformation of companies has meant an important change in the way that companies have to tackle the most routine tasks. Employees can now opt for more creative and business-oriented jobs, leaving the most repetitive tasks in the hands of software specially designed to automate work processes.

This is what is known in the business world as “workflows“, one of the competitive advantages that department leaders have at their disposal to maximize the productivity of their employees.

Digital Office: 5 tips for success

1. Enjoy increased mobility

One initial step that can be taken by companies of any size lies in optimizing the benefits of using mobile devices at work. It goes without saying that in certain aspects of a business – such as sending and receiving emails – companies have already fully embraced digital practices, but a mobile device is much more than an inbox.

Attending meetings, completing online training or accessing corporate social media channels represent just some of the other uses on the rise in offices equipped with mobile devices.

2. Consider adopting the “bring your own” mentality

Nowadays, our mobile phones and tablets hold such prominence in our daily lives that we have intuitively acquired a set of transferrable skills by constantly using them.

So when our company assigns us an unfamiliar device to complete our work and expects us to use it just as intensively, it is unlikely that we would actually want to do so.

For this reason, the bring your own device (BYOD) or bring your own app (BYOA) mentality is becoming ever more popular in offices. This approach allows employees to use their own devices to work more quickly and efficiently, and is effectively a step closer to making the digital office a reality.

What defines a digital office?

• Technology is used across the board.
• Constant knowledge sharing.
• Greater employee authonomy.
• Work-life integration for all.
• Environments that inspire collaboration.
• Digital Culture

3. Use corporate social networking channels

Even if there are many voices of authority who remain somewhat skeptical about using social media for corporate ends, what is certain is that platforms such as Slack, Jive, SocialCast, Convo and Connections have an increasing number of users and are currently offering their services to multinational companies.

It is estimated that by 2020, these platforms will have around 639 million users and will be adopted by more or less 72% of businesses worldwide.

Some of the arguments in favor of using social media for work are the following:

• They allow a greater level of collaboration among employees.
• They reduce dependence on email.
• They make knowledge sharing more efficient, making it easier to identify experts in specific areas.
• They allow to create a virtual space in which to encourage the cohesion and motivation of teams.

Its adoption throughout the company also provides a common space for all employees to potentially interact, breaking the traditional dynamic in which divisions form when team members gravitate toward their preferred application.

4. Maximise the opportunities offered by videoconferencing

Video technology is an extremely powerful tool for bringing colleagues together who work in separate locations by combining vocals, images and functionalities such as the fluid exchange of content.

A study by GigaOM concluded that in fact 87% of remote users feel more connected to their office by using videoconferencing, the evidence for which is the overwhelming success of platforms such as Skype.

5. Sign up for e-learning

Another indisputable aspect of the digital office is a tendency towards technology-assisted training that offers a world of possibilities for successfully integrating “continuing education” into a company infrastructure.

Many companies incentivize their employees by offering them the chance to sign up for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), whereas others develop their own curriculum to equip staff with the skills and knowledge they need.

In larger organizations, online training is fostering the creation of “corporate universities” that exponentially amplify training opportunities that employees can access via an online campus.

6. Wearables and virtual reality: the future is outside the office

Everywhere people are talking about the new “disruptive” technologies that people believe will radically change our lives. Many of these technologies will be assigned a role in offices long before they will become an inseparable part of our daily routine.

To give an example, nowadays we can buy a jacket connected to the Internet thanks to wearable technology, but for most people this still sounds quite futuristic. The reality is that companies are already using this type of clothing to monitor the vitals of employees who are exposed to risks, thus maximizing their personal security or else as a means of keeping a log of their arrival and departure times from their workplace.

A credible digital office must therefore keeping an eye on these types of technological advances as well as being open toward using smart watches, virtual reality devices and several other innovations that will take years to become objects we use for pleasure to connect with others outside of the office.

7. Three factors to take into account before integrating any new technology

A move towards creating a digital office inevitably and intuitively involves becoming digital, which in real terms means using technology that allows for the digitization of practically any day-to-day activity by any company from any sector.

It is first crucial to carry out a pragmatic evaluation in this world of endless possibilities and conceive a digitization based on three parameters:

1. Return on investment.
2. Ease of use.
3. Legal coverage.

A digital solution that appears costly when compared with the benefits offered, that is difficult to use or disliked by employees, and not certain to be in accordance with the most up-to-date legislation, all raise red flags and should be considered inadvisable.

Conclusion

At Signaturit, it is precisely these 3 factors that rank our solution at the top of those available on the market for the digitization of a process such as requesting for a document to be signed that is key part of any business.

Our platform offers various subscription options that allows costs to be tailored to each user, is extremely easy to use and strictly adheres to demanding EU regulations regarding electronic signatures.

Our solution is ideal for assisting companies big and small with their digital transition. If you have any queries as to how it works or which particular solution best matches your needs, please download the following white paper. If you prefer to contact us directly, feel free to call us on +34 960 03 12 03.