The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an inevitable surge in the use of digital technologies with the advent of remote workspaces. The article explores how these changes have impacted businesses and forced the adoption of new ways of working.
The Covid-19 pandemic that hit the world in 2020 has accelerated the digital transformation across the globe. The spread of the virus ensued a swift adoption, pushing government and businesses to go digital for the smooth running of their operations. Many of these changes resulted in drastic widespread tech adoption which would have otherwise taken a long period. So, some tech gurus say, the pandemic acted as a blessing in disguise that nurtured transformation, especially in various citizen-centric schemes. They also say that more adoption of technology means more transparency in the rendering of service. However, the question is: Are we ready for such an abrupt reaction in using technology?
Everything has changed, the way we do business, the way we interact with people, and the way we work. Gone are the days where physical spaces and designated cabins were allotted to personnel, interconnected teams and crews recruited, paperwork of various portfolios were compiled physically, and many more. This pandemic created a new wave of the digital revolution with the advent of digital workspaces which was never experienced before.
Many companies around the world have risen to the occasion, acting swiftly to safeguard employees and migrate to a new way of working that even the most extreme business-continuity plans hadn’t envisioned. During this vulnerable pandemic, physical workstations were closed and there was a massive rift among the employees, which eventually slowed down the company’s processes. The emergence of the digital workspaces established a foundation for a new beginning and the workstyle helped to retain the entire management on the same page virtually. Across industries, leaders will use the lessons from this large-scale work-from-home experiment to reimagine how work is done. The pandemic has forced the adoption of new ways of working.
The transition into the virtual workspaces
A new stream emerged from the traditional main flow, which was the introduction of virtual workspaces and virtual work life.
Virtual Workspaces are meant to replicate physical workspaces in the real world. An individual’s transition in this virtual phase falls on the brighter side, providing them the much-needed flexibility to maintain their work-life balance and perform at their very best remotely. From an organizational perspective, the individual’s flexibility and the quality of their respective performances further motivate the superiors to attract and retain top talent with remote-working policies.
“Virtual Workspaces are meant to replicate physical workspaces in the real world. An individual’s transition in this virtual phase falls on the brighter side, providing them the much-needed flexibility to maintain their work-life balance and perform at their very best remotely.”
Users bridge the physical distances by using an array of technological tools that are designed to foster imminent communication and collaboration. Several work management tools such as Zoho Workspaces, StudioCloud, and many others, provide a platform for synchronized work establishing a virtual work culture. These digital workspaces encompass all the modern technological innovations that collaborated together to produce a digital work environment with people originating from different coordinates around the globe. It has also been seen that with the arrival of such digital workspaces, there was a 22% increase in employee satisfaction, employee retention rate rose to 85%, and also employee productivity increased by 8.3%.
Technological implications in workspaces
The collateral systems are far more developed and integrated in terms of advancements and features. It has become a growing necessity for all firms to match and upgrade themselves to the ongoing digital trend. From that perspective, we do see a massive transformation in a narrow period of just 2 years, from communication and collaboration tools in the cloud, to seamless integration of mobile, to real-time processing and instant access to large amounts of data. These technologies though prevalent didn’t gain much traction as they did in this current timeline.
The broader impact of these technologies has proportionately increased the rate of productivity among employees and also the business tactical growth. Messages, proposals, and payments are instantaneous and also at the fingertips of the beholder, eventually prospering faster business deals and enriching the company’s growth by working remotely.
Establishing mainstream communication and managing various teams was a bit challenging remotely. But now, with emerging video-conferencing apps such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, GoogleMeet have made collaborative communication a piece of cake and cloud-based file-sharing platforms like GoogleDrive, DropBox, Microsoft OneDrive, and storage tools not just help manage to exchange files but also lets you collaborate and work. These cloud-based servers provide easy access from across any device and any remote place, thereby promoting effective work culture among employees.
“The broader impact of these technologies has proportionately increased the rate of productivity among employees and also the business tactical growth. Messages, proposals, and payments are instantaneous and also at the fingertips… Click To Tweet
Adoption of technology acting as a trigger point
Throughout this digital transformation phase, several companies have been forced to adopt and adapt to the ongoing emerging technologies. The main question that arises is how adaptive is the company in appreciating and implementing new technology in its organizational structure. This particular question gauges how successful an organization might function or bad it might crash.
Some of the organizational bane that barricades technological adoption are cost, complexity, and improper acquisition of the right talent crew.
The digital transformation of the whole will lead to an impeccable organizational change, which includes eradicating traditional methods and implementing newer grasps in changing their management systems or in developing their new products and services. The important insight here is how this change happens from within and throughout. Some of these insights to be observed with a keen eye are the technology infrastructure the company might rely on, the knowledge and resources the management already possesses, and most importantly, the managerial commitment to change to the upcoming technology implementation. With factors such as the right infrastructure, supreme training, and setting up a virtual work culture, the adoption of technology can be achieved at a faster pace.
Several disruptive technologies are being innovated every single day. As days pass, a better version of the existing tech pops out. It is not feasible to implement all the adaptation of the tech. It is also necessary for the organization to opt for the right one that would not just propel the company’s future but also fulfill the learning ability of the employees at the same time.
Dear Azad,
It is my pleasure! Thank you for writing this great article about the digital shifts in work Env. Happy to work with you under your professional guidance in the future!
Sincerely,
Mohan.