Digital tools and connectivity have transformed our workplaces into more agile, mobile and productive ecosystems. The modern workplace can help enterprises stay competitive and thrive in a tech-savvy, post pandemic landscape, while providing a place people want to work. Those who don’t embrace the nature of modern work may risk losing talented workers or prospective business, and can struggle to keep up with competitors or industry trends.
What is the modern workplace?
The modern workplace is defined by the devices, digital platforms and IT capabilities that streamline everyday processes and enhance the employee’s experience. This ultimately improves efficiency and productivity, helping an enterprise thrive. With the nature of work changing, it’s more important than ever to understand the elements of the modern workplace and how they can impact an enterprise and the people that make it run.
Why is it important to get the modern workplace right?
Opting for digital files over traditional manila folders is no longer a point of difference. The modern workplace focuses more on tools that boost connectivity, nurture creativity and increase quality of work. Digital security is also a major priority that helps ensure employees and customers are protected from cyber threats. New tech and a strong IT infrastructure can help an enterprise meet new challenges, prepare for emerging industry trends and capitalise on potential business opportunities. Ultimately, a modern workplace plays a significant factor in keeping companies relevant, adaptable and operational.
Modernising the workplace with positive culture
The workplace is also where employees go to do great things. However, you cannot expect great things without providing the right space, the right tools and the flexibility to shine. A workplace is a reflection not only on how an enterprise conducts its business, but how it values its people.
The right equipment and environment leads to productivity
Based on a data group of 1,800 surveyed workers, PwC’s Future of Work report revealed that 22% value the support of their wellbeing over all other factors. Taking into consideration that, on average, people spend around 40 hours a week working, the concept of wellbeing cannot be associated only with holidays and free time. According to the report, wellbeing is also defined by an employee’s ability to do their job in a safe, supportive and collaborative environment. Employees value the ability to build formal and informal networks and form a sense of comradery with their co-workers.
Wellbeing in the workplace also stems from an employee’s satisfaction in the resources available to their job without any undue stress or difficulty. This includes a correct, rich technology set up from day one that matches role responsibilities, while also enabling remote work that fosters autonomy while maintaining a strong sense of connection.
Lets take a look at the tools and elements of today’s modern workplace.
Managing the modern workplace efficiently
Whether your team is working in the office or remotely, management and IT may need to access company devices for various reasons, including solving IT issues, managing software updates and providing employee support. This can be a costly, time-consuming and inefficient process if certain tasks require separate platforms and software to reach a solution.
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM)
Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) is a form of digital transformation in the modern workplace, allowing enterprises to secure and manage desktop computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets from a single point in a connected, cohesive manner. UEM provides several benefits like simultaneously updating employee devices with the latest software or cyber threat protection, or deploying a seamless onboarding experience remotely for new employees. UEM can help keen an entire enterprise updated with the latest innovation or program development without needing to address individual staff and devices one at a time. This significantly reduces the time and cost of management and IT admin, keeping operations flowing smoothly.
Online collaboration and connectivity
In 2021 a reported 67% of workers said they were sometimes or always working from home, compared to 42% pre-COVID. With workers growing more confident to expect flexibility in their role, wellbeing and remote productivity is a growing priority for many enterprises. This means it’s unlikely that the number of remote or hybrid workers will shrink down to pre-COVID levels.
Collaboration platforms have become a vital asset in the modern workplace to easily bring people together in real time, across different devices and locations. Connecting remotely for work is now more than just dialling into a video call. Remote collaboration requires tools that can be accessed remotely in real time, like file sharing, live document editing, instant chat and more. Platforms like Microsoft Teams are facilitating this advancement of remote working by providing more features for workplace productivity, including:
- the optimisation of sales dashboards and process workflows
- cloud recording with automatic transcripts
- enhanced sharing and storage through OneDrive
- video conferencing and screen sharing.
Modern workplace security
Working, collaborating and innovating in the digital space is vital for growth and success, but this can be significantly impacted by ever-present cyber threats. Threats like viruses, phishing, ransomware, spyware and malware can lead to lost or stolen data, inefficient devices and vital programs being damaged. Enterprises that do not prioritise cyber security risk damage or a total collapse of their workplace.
Essential cyber security services
It’s important in a modern workplace to invest in a service that can monitor and maintain your enterprise’s firewall infrastructure from beginning to end. This includes comprehensive review and analysis of your business’ IT infrastructure to identify threats and vulnerabilities, exposing any weaknesses and high-risk practices.
Once potential threats have been identified, actions need to be taken such as cloud-based filtering systems that can help flag suspicious emails or web links. Ongoing analysis and reports are also an important element in modern workplace security, as threats are constantly evolving and need to monitored to minimise their potential impact.
Create your modern workplace with Rubicon 8
Rubicon 8 is here to help you cultivate the technology infrastructure you need to optimise your modern workplace. With the right solutions in place, you can help can boost employee productivity and satisfaction, achieve more seamless communication and collaboration, and better maintain the security and integrity of your systems and data.
Talk to us today to make it happen.
