John Ruthven, CEO and Managing Director, IR.
Hybrid working is probably one of the most widely discussed topics in the workplace arena.
Whether employers love it or hate it, with all its perceived and evolving positives and negatives, working from anywhere—a concept that began as a do-or-die imperative—has taken up permanent institutional residence.
For many organizations, the workplace is no longer defined as a physical destination, where business success is directly proportional to time spent. Instead, this static approach has mostly eroded, due to workplace digitalization, even though some large organizations (Amazon, JP Morgan and Google, for example) have mandated a return-to-the-office policy.
Today’s workplace is dynamic, dispersed and tech-heavy. Business success metrics are directly related to digital employee experience (DEX), regardless of the location they work from or the number of hours they contribute.
This means that to achieve success in the workplace, companies need the right tools to communicate and collaborate effectively with each other, clients and customers.
So, what are the latest tools and trends that can enhance unified communications and collaboration (UC & C) and what can organizations do to keep up with the changing world of work?
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Getting Comfortable With AI
Whether we like it or not, cutting-edge technologies—particularly AI, intelligence augmentation (IA) and machine learning—are about to play a pivotal role in the evolution and efficiency of UC & C. In fact, as of 2023, an estimated 35% of businesses already use AI in some way to increase efficiency and productivity, improve decision-making and improve customer engagement.
But is AI a colleague or an adversary? As with all tools, it depends on how you use it. Here are a few use cases:
• AI In The Office: Every business has a different technology stack and will implement AI in different ways, but there’s no doubt that the benefits of automating workflows and using predictive intelligence can make communication more efficient.
• AI In DevOps: While the AI story is only beginning, the use of AI in software design and development is increasing, with as many as 92% of software developers already using it to write low-level code.
• AI In Customer Experience (CX): Through data contextualization, AI technology can provide deep insights into customer experience. It can greatly enhance CRM by identifying customer needs and anticipating future needs.
Before making AI part of your UC strategy, you need a well-defined implementation plan and input from all stakeholders on how and why it will make a difference.
Asynchronous Communication
According to a Sony study, asynchronous working is set to be the next step in the evolution of work.
It enables teams to remain aligned if they can’t be part of a live meeting or conversation. It alleviates the urgency of real-time replies and prevents the interruption of workflow. We’ve all been there, working on an important report, project or deadline, and then have had to drop everything to attend a live meeting.
Async communication can allow you to have deeper interactions with your teammates at a time that suits everyone.
Email is the most common async tool, but teams need multiple communication channels to move quickly and stay agile. So, adopting tools like asynchronous standups in Slack, instant messages, texts, project management tools like Asana, company portals or intranet are all ways to increase communication efficiency.
The Shift Toward Cloud-Based Communications
Organizations are rethinking their legacy systems and turning to cloud-enabled collaboration tools as a vital component of their UC & C infrastructure.
In the U.K., this is not just an option, but a necessity as the PSTN switch-off happens at the end of 2025, meaning that all businesses will need their own internet protocol-based (IP-based) communication solution.
Globally, the push toward the cloud is increasing as companies recognize the benefits of multi-platform unification and flexibility and cost savings through VoIP systems, video conferencing, remote connectivity and rapid scaling.
With the public cloud market size projected to be over $690 billion this year, and the growing demand for mobility, consolidation and agility, businesses are investigating cloud communication options en masse.
Data Analytics To Drive Efficiency
A baffling amount of data is newly generated, captured, copied or consumed every day. As of 2021, data consumption was projected to increase from 74 zettabytes to 147 zettabytes and then to continue to rise at an astounding rate.
Data (or rather the analysis of it) has become the lifeblood of successful businesses. It can improve your overall operational efficiency by helping pinpoint areas of waste, bottlenecks and inefficiency, and guide business leaders toward insightful and informed decision-making.
Data analytics is invaluable in gaining an understanding of customer behavior, allowing businesses to use better marketing tactics and gain a competitive business advantage. It can also tap into your employee's needs, track turnover and even improve employee performance.
There are countless ways in which data can improve an organization’s bottom line, however, without analytics tools to "separate the wheat from the chaff" or to leverage it, this data becomes practically useless. IoT devices and AI/ML algorithms are playing a significant role in data collection and analysis, providing innovation, efficiency and competitive edge.
Preparing For The Changing Workplace
To be in tune with the changes in the workplace, businesses need to consider not only their objectives but the needs of their people.
Ensure that your employees are willing to work with change and the addition of ever-evolving new technologies and communication platforms. Including them in the discussion is important. They need to be kept in the loop as to why changes are occurring and even asked to contribute feedback.
Look after them by providing the right tools for them to excel, and they will be more likely to stay motivated in their roles.
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