If your company accelerated its shift to a digital workspace during the transition to remote work, congratulations. You have caught up with the curve. Although many managers and entrepreneurs are new to the concept of a digital workspace, the reality is that in 2019 the global digital workplace had a $21.2 billion footprint. That number is expected to balloon in the next few years, with a compounded annual growth rate of 11.3% between 2020 and 2027.
What's driving this rapid move towards what is effectively a virtual office? It's not just the pandemic, as the 2019 numbers show. It's the convergence of technology and business processes that are creating opportunities for better operational efficiency while meeting employees demands for remote work and a better work/life balance. In short, the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) mentality has a name--digital workforce.
The simplest answer is that it's working from home, or remotely. But to really harness all that technology has to offer, you need to integrate all your technologies onto one platform. A fully digitalized workplace gives you and your employees the freedom to not only work remotely, but to ensure that everyone is always informed and up to date. In that sense, a digital workplace is a lot more that a digital workspace.
For many business owners, the digital workplace concept is daunting. They think that a migration means a substantial capital outlay, new apps and software to learn, and a steep learning curve. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here, we debunk some of the common misconceptions about the digital workspace.
You've already got the tools in place to run your business in the cloud, but for an online work environment to succeed, your tools need to be integrated so that you don't just have a bunch of SaaS (software as a service) apps. Your digital workplace should allow your team to access all the tools they need from a single platform.
Imagine if all you had to run your business were these two apps—how long would you stay in business? Tally up the number of software apps your business runs every day, and you'll see the wisdom in a system that integrates all your apps into one concise and streamlined dashboard. The key is organization, and a digitized platform keeps your creative and entrepreneurial brain on track and organized so that your team is always aware of changing business needs.
If you're a visual thinker, think about all the open tabs that your team is constantly having to deal with and keep track of. When you migrate to a digital workplace, all the content of those tabs are organized in a smarter way so that everything you need is always one click away, regardless of which device you use at that specific time. In other words, the key to a digital workspace is that if you close apps, links, and convos - they are still organized and easy to find again.
Presumably, you want your company to grow. A digital workplace provides the framework and agility that growth demands, allowing you to get the most from your resources when you are just starting out. When you're a large organization, a digital environment frees up capital by streamlining processes and letting technology take over some human tasks, which lets your team focus on the core business. An example would be a live chat bot that can address simple questions, freeing up your human resources for other things.
As you migrate to a fully digital workplace, your IT department—even if that's just you or your teenager—notice that you are already using several components that streamline your workflow through technology. You're already using email, text, and probably a Zoom or Slack type of app, so you've already worked out the communications piece of your digital framework. In the past year, chances are good that you've also set up a task management system like Trello or Asana, so your team is working from the same master to-do list. And all of your files and sharing software—something like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneHub—is up to date and keeping everything sorted and shared. The good news—you're over halfway there.
Integrating a digital platform like Desktop.com is the next step. You keep all of your current file sharing and apps, but everything is organized so that the apps you access the most are at the top of the desktop when you log in. Additionally, you can easily distribute groups of apps, online resources, and share passwords with your virtual team. This ensures everyone has access to what they need when they need it.
Another feature of Desktop is that there's a curated app store, so that you can add the latest and most relevant apps to your workspace without leaving the platform, or spending valuable time assessing all the options out there.
The name of the game in any business is increased productivity and profit, and a digital workplace like Desktop.com is designed to help you reach those goals. Here are some of the benefits of an online platform.
Desktop.com is a leader in the digital workplace. Learn more about what Desktop.com can do for you and we will show you how you can take your business to the next level with a consolidated online platform.
