Insights
Insights
Cloud-based workspaces, mobile apps and artificial intelligence are transforming our everyday lives – in many cases making our working lives easier, less stressful and more productive. But are businesses getting it right when it comes to the use of this technology?
A recent survey of 2,000 office workers by Insight, an Intelligent Technology Solutions business, found that only 29% are completely happy with their employer’s approach to technology. In many cases employees are expecting the same level of technology at work as they have at home – and it’s frustrating when they find that work systems are restrictive, or don’t fit in with the way they would like to work.
Here are some of the most common issues we find:
Employers often bombard employees with emails and content – so it can be easy to miss important or useful info when messages constantly pop up on your screen. If you’ve got too many communication channels to check – email, chat, intranet – you might feel overwhelmed and struggle to stay on top of your workload. Employers need to consider the most effective way to reach their staff and stick with it.
Poorly organised projects, delays or mistakes are the result when employees aren’t able to communicate properly. Without the right collaboration tools, people cannot work effectively across departments. In an office environment communication from one department to another is essential – particularly if you need to share documents. Modern working is embracing collaborative platforms such as Microsoft Teams. You can create specific channels to engage with select people and instant message inside and outside of the organisation. If you’re managing a project, it’s easy to keep track of files and make changes.
Think about how much time you’ve wasted due to the shortcomings of your technology – it’s probably a lot! You may have had to travel to a meeting that could have taken place remotely because you didn’t have the right tools, or your office PC has issues. Or perhaps systems went down hours before a crucial pitch, or you lost hours of work that wasn’t backed up. Problems like these can waste hours of a working week, harming productivity and causing stress.
Sending reminders, reporting and organising meetings can be a hassle if you’ve got to coordinate schedules or input large amounts of data. These day-to-day office tasks become repetitive for employees, and without automated systems such as Microsoft Flow, time is lost where it could be productively spent elsewhere.
Many employees work flexibly, from home or on the road. Growing numbers of businesses are now opting to offer flexible working as an incentive to attract and retain staff, but they must ensure they have the technology to facilitate it. A lack of support from your IT provider can make remote working difficult. Looking ahead, as the digital generation is entering the workforce, employers need to be aware of the increasing demand for agile and remote working and the right tech to support it. Insight’s report found that 48% of workers would be influenced to take a job depending on the technology on offer – some are even prepared to leave their place of work because of it.
With the digital transformation of business comes a surge in the volume of data – therefore more to lose. Businesses that are not equipped with the right technology to defend against advanced threats, such as phishing and ransomware are at high risk. Having a disaster recovery plan is crucial – a cloud-based backup solution, installing a firewall and anti-malware software will assist in monitoring potential threats.
These are compelling reasons to seek strategic IT advice, and ensure staff are properly trained to use technology in a way that benefits them and you as their employer.
At Aura, we will work with your business to see how suitable the cloud is for you and how you can take advantage of it. Our managed IT services are designed to fit the exact needs of your business, now and in the future, and our Proactive IT model ensures our engineers are on standby 24/7 to respond to any IT problems your staff may experience.
If you’re looking to embark on a digital transformation journey contact us for more information.