Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the 21st-century workplace was slowly taking its form. Emerging technologies have encouraged people in the workplace to change their views on productivity. With the help of recent technologies, companies can now adjust their communication channels, organizational policies, and even their workflows.
With these rapid changes, employees can now collaborate with their colleagues wherever they are in the world. Communication and progress reporting can be done in real time. But it does not stop here. In the coming years, technology will continue to change the way people view work.
While these technologies may seem intimidating at first, they offer various benefits that your workforce will find effective. These tasks are easy to learn and can increase the company’s productivity and profitability in many ways. Here’s why managers and company leaders should embrace the 21st-century workplace.
Better communication among team members
If there is one thing technology has done that many are thankful for, it is the convenience it brings when it comes to communicating among teams. Almost everyone in the workplace has smartphones or social networking sites. These are personal tools that can also be used in the workplace.
The convenience in communication is what makes transitioning to the virtual workspace an easy task for many companies. Response time becomes faster with the new communication tools and messaging applications. Employees can send files to one another, and they can collaborate better with video calls, voice notes, and collaborative documents. With these tools, people do not need to be physically at work all the time.
Strengthened security tools
Security is important in business, and technology can help improve it. Data breaches are a big problem for most companies. Companies have to protect their business files, customer data, and employee records. Most security breaches are due to human error.
Aside from data breaches, there could be physical threats to on-site services. The supply chain is also vulnerable to various attacks. While having CCTV can be effective at some point, it is better if leaders can see what is happening on the ground even when they are not around.
Many cloud-based surveillance services can help leaders who work off-site have a glimpse into what is happening in the operations or the supply chain. Other cloud-based technologies can help secure sensitive company files. These are encrypted, so only authorized people can view the data. There are also recognition features that add another level of security to these systems implemented in the modern workplace.
Automated workflows
Many AI-based tools help automate tasks. Companies that are heavy on customer service use chatbots to provide timely responses to their customers. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a lot of benefits in productivity, employee engagement, and work efficiency. Some companies use smart virtual assistants that are more convenient and cost-effective.
These workflows are easily accessed by people in the same project, which shows them which tasks are already ready for release or implementation. Some project management tools can help managers simplify their administrative tasks. By using AI-based project management tools, managers can focus on developing strategies that will further improve company operations.
Improved and gamified training tools
While it is common that training these days is given through real-time video calls, there are other training tools that employees or customers can access on demand. Some websites can gamify recorded training, which can help trainees review what they have learned from the module. There is even sales gamification software now to make work enjoyable and, at the same time, encourage friendly competition within the team.
Moreover, there are augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) options for training and immersion. AR provides trainees a glimpse of real-world tasks in real time; they are taken to their work environment virtually. VR tools, on the other hand, uses specialized goggles and headsets that take training to another dimension.
These AR and VR technologies are useful for modern training, especially in the medical field whose practitioners cannot do their tasks on-site because of mobility issues caused by the pandemic. Manufacturing companies also use these technologies to prepare employees before they work with complicated machinery.
The workplace can no longer survive without modern technology. Traditional workplaces are now making a shift, as more people rely on technology to make everyday tasks easier. Even in the midst of a global health and economic crisis, modern technologies make it possible for the workplace to still function even when team members are apart. By implementing these new solutions, business leaders can ensure profitability, effective communication, and productivity.
