OK, so you now have a digital workplace strategy showing the direction you need to move in; a governance framwework to show who is responsible for what with standards, etc, to give you a fantastic online experience; policies and values that encourage you to use a digital workplace and benefit from them.
Now I will show how you can be more productive using a digital workplace:
Usability
It is critical that the time you use in a digital workplace is not wasted. That means having clearly labeled information, direct route to the information, able to use the information whatever device (laptop, tablet, smartphone) you have, and be able to edit the information as well as read it.
And it’s not just information, you need to find people who can help you or you want to share some knowledge with. Having an easy to use people finder helps as well as finding collaborative content in discussion groups with other people with similar needs or interest.
Finally if you are mobile your time is limited. You need fast access to apps and services you need to use e.g. booking travel, hotel room, invites for meetings, hire care. The list is long but you need to get to each task in a short time and complete each task quickly.
IT capability
You need to have the right tools and access to gain the full benefits from a digital workplace. Your organisation needs to fund and provide laptops, smartphones, tablets as well as an internet connection and monitor screens for homeworking. Having the right choice of devices means you can always use the digital workplace whenever you need to – checking people finder, completing tasks, sharing information. This means you can be more productive and aim for a better work/life balance. No more waiting to get to an office before you can do your work. And with the right device you can do your work better, maybe faster too.
You need reliable access to your digital workplace when you need it. If your organisation gets it wrong then you probably won’t use the digital workplace so much. Your IT network needs to be reliable for speed and availability. If it is frequently down for a hour or so you won’t trust it and become reluctant to use it. If it is slow then you will vote with your feet and stay in a physical office where you can contact people and work better.
Security
You must be confident you have secure access to your digital workplace. Your organisation needs to be confident it will not be abused by anyone away from their physical workplaces. For example if you want to check your pay record online you want 100% confidence only you can do this. Likewise if you need to access sensitive information online the organisation also needs 100% reassurance only those with the right permissions, like you, can use it.
To be fully productive you need to use these services with confidence about how secure they are in a digital workplace.
Involvement
Your organisation needs to develop and have available the things you need to do your work. Research will be needed before your digital workplace can be used. You should be involved and asked questions like:
- What is the information you need?
- What applications do you need for your work?
- What collaborative tools do you to share?
- Will any device work in your digital workplace?
All of these need to be addressed before you need them. It may take your organisation time, effort, and money to research fully what is needed. However it will be seen as an investment in the months afterwards when you start using your digital workplace because it helps you to be more productive.
Please contact me if you need my help or leave a comment on this post. My next post will cover how the weather can help your digital workplace.
When an intranet loses its usefulness over time, and people become disengaged and end up working around it rather than through it, I often find that the strategy and governance have been neglected.