Akash Pugalia is the Global President of Trust & Safety at Teleperformance and an expert in space.
Just as we have moved from doing our work entirely on paper to using basic computing and then to integrating cloud-based technologies, every aspect of working life and business has continued to grow and evolve over the decades. And of course, the Covid-19 pandemic has only further accelerated this trend as organizations around the world evolved overnight in response to the sudden need for remote work.
Today, digital ecosystems enable new levels of collaboration and efficiency in the workplace. These integrated networks of digital tools can span a wide variety of applications, suppliers, customers and other partners and services. And they enable forward-thinking leaders to redefine how, when and where we work. Digital ecosystems are proliferating and companies are increasingly recognizing the need to invest in digitization or risk falling behind.
Digital ecosystems are transforming the modern workplace.
What does the rapid growth of digital ecosystems mean for the modern workplace? These systems enable new levels of transformation in four key areas: technologies, channels, people and partnerships.
Technologies: The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of tools for distance education and work, and as more and more meetings and events are held in virtual environments, these technologies will only become more integrated into our daily lives. For example, real-time analytics and monitoring tools enable new levels of visibility into internal and external activities, optimizing everything from workflows to supplier contracts. likewise, many companies have started using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools to replace or complement manual interventions. Cloud computing and other cloud-based platforms are also creating new levels of connectivity, as workers around the world can instantly access data and take advantage of computing resources that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Integrated solutions such as enterprise resource planning (ERPs) and customer relationship management (CRMs) can create a single source of truth for data, enabling coordination across an ecosystem of interconnected teams, business units, and entire companies. These applications ensure that all relevant stakeholders, as well as other integrated digital tools and systems, have easy and real-time access to all the information they need.
Channels: Of course, new technologies are only as valuable as the channels through which people access them. The best known of these is the metaverse: a wide variety of digital spaces in which people can work, play and interact as virtual avatars. While organizations are just beginning to integrate the metaverse into their operations, we are already seeing significant investments in workplace metaverse applications such as remote collaboration tools, immersive training experiences, live streamed corporate events and more.
Mobile apps in the workplace are also creating new levels of connectivity, keeping employees engaged and able to access critical information from anywhere in the world. Many of these apps use cloud-based technologies to keep remote teams aligned. In addition, many companies use augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create engaging digital experiences for employees.
People: With the right technologies and channels, organizations can achieve a truly global organizational structure and support fully integrated international teams. These tools make it possible for colleagues to meet and interact with each other, wherever they are in the world. Think of a virtual workplace where avatars can attend a daily meeting, have a creative brainstorming session or even chat in front of a digital water cooler. Digital systems can also empower employees to prioritize higher-level tasks, encourage learning and development, and even have the potential to create entirely new roles and business models.
These AR and VR-powered technologies enable diverse, globally distributed teams to thrive. They can become essential when it comes to: make flexible working schemes achievable, increasing the productivity and well-being of workers around the world. Most importantly, building digital ecosystems is critical to support the Global Goals for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI).
Partnerships: Ultimately, digital ecosystems make deeper, more impactful partnerships both within organizations and across a network of external companies. New tools and technologies can help everyone share resources, create new products and services, and learn from each other more easily than ever before, benefiting the entire supply chain.
In addition, as the ecosystem grows, it creates network effects, with each partner in the system reaping new value from each additional product, service, and team that joins. Partnerships built on the digital ecosystem can create new business opportunities, introduce economies of scale, provide access to advanced technologies and help employees build strong bonds with both their colleagues and their counterparts at partner companies.
Integrate digital ecosystems into your business.
What does it take to integrate new technologies, channels, people and partnerships into a successful digital ecosystem? There are several practices that the most effective ecosystems often use — and that business leaders would do well to consider when trying to create their own ecosystems.
1. Continuously train all relevant stakeholders. That means not only your own internal team, but also all partners, collaborators and external units that can interact with every part of the ecosystem. After all, while some people have used similar tools in previous roles, your implementation is unique to your organization – and it will only be successful if everyone involved knows how to use your digital ecosystem tools safely and effectively.
2. Invest in technologies such as AR and VR that enable new levels of connectivity. These tools are especially important when it comes to training, as they can help employees get started quickly (and cost-effectively) with new systems and share knowledge about their day-to-day workflows. In addition, leaders should foster a work culture of camaraderie, where people feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and see the organization as a single team working toward a shared goal.
3. Keep people engaged and aligned with a common mission. By aligning geographically dispersed teams with shared goals, you can increase productivity while supporting employee wellbeing. Ultimately, that means both cost savings (that lead to higher profits) and a stronger, more diverse organization.
Ultimately, the power of a digital ecosystem lies in its potential to provide value greater than the sum of its parts. Digital workplace ecosystems provide a dynamic network of virtual spaces and environments and help leaders of the future ensure that both traditional workers and on-demand workers are effective, engaged and supported by the right mix of digital and physical resources.
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