Image by rawpixel.com
It goes without saying that the advancement of technology has greatly impacted the way we perceive and conduct business. But during the sudden global changes, we have experienced in recent years, the shift to digital environments has become more important than ever, with an increasing need for mobility, accessibility, and effortless data sharing.
Due to these requirements, a number of new trends arose in the modern workplace, completely redefining our work experience. To that end, here are some of the biggest ways the digital shift has shaped the present-day office:
IoT connected devices
IoT devices have proved to be quite beneficial for improving workplace engagement by completely changing the way modern businesses operate, whether it comes to production and manufacturing companies or even more creative industries. Devices like workflow triggers and smart sensors can now help to streamline workflows, monitor the modern workplace, and learn in this digital environment.
For instance, smart sensors placed in server rooms can track the local temperature and alert of any irregularities, IoT schedules could help to share and regulate co-working spaces and conference rooms, while a package tracking feature could help to improve the customer experience, all of which are areas that might be quite important for improving and expanding your business.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Virtual desktop environments
Virtual desktop infrastructures (VDIs) are another big trend that has greatly impacted the way we work across a number of different industries. Allowing employees to conduct business the same way they would in the office regardless of their location, VDIs are touted for the mobility they offer and the way they helped to improve remote working.
By using a VDI, an employee will have the opportunity to see and easily access their work desktop from truly anywhere, allowing them to effortlessly work from home or a different location while being synched and connected across devices. But while VDIs are generally considered to be a safe technology, they could also present a security risk when using mobile phones and tablets in case they haven’t been optimized for such use.
Cloud management technology
Instead of having a costly and robust full-service IT department in-house, businesses are now shifting to cloud management technology for their applications, data storage, and maintenance needs. Apart from being a more practical and affordable solution, cloud technology also offers easy and flexible access, effortless integration and automation, as well as scalability, thus quickly adapting to any new changes and needs your business might have.
As long as you opt for the most suitable solution, such as efficient AWS cloud management services, this shift to cloud technology could also help to improve your business. Having a team of experienced professionals at your side who can set up and implement the right cloud infrastructure can have a number of advantages for your company, from secured data and streamlined services to cost optimization that might even help to increase revenue.
Image by rawpixel.com
Video conferencing applications
The recent years have shown us that technology is important in business in more ways than one. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of video conferencing apps such as Skype, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams has truly skyrocketed and is expected to only continue to rise in popularity.
Whether you were forced to quarantine, work from home for a certain period of time, or your company has even decided to increase its number of remote workers as a result of the pandemic, video conferencing applications have given us the opportunity to work anywhere and anytime. Apart from allowing us to hold safe online meetings and effortlessly share necessary documents and files, these apps also provide secure and encrypted connections, making them a great solution for conducting business outside of the office.
Artificial Intelligence
As technology becomes more advanced and easily accessible, businesses are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to answer necessary questions about new practices and procedures. For instance, an AI-powered chatbot could help to answer many common questions your employees might have about new products and services, thus shortening the learning curve and allowing your team to have a more streamlined working experience.
What’s more, these chatbots have proved to be quite useful when it comes to improving the customer experience as well. By automating specific jobs that would have had to be done manually otherwise, such as answering consumer questions and solving common issues, AI has become a brilliant tool for customer support and sales, possibly even being a more efficient solution than manual labor.
In conclusion
As technology continues to develop, the modern workplace is forced to change with it as well. These digital trends are currently at the forefront of present-day offices, and will only continue to gain popularity as businesses adapt to the ever-changing industry standards.
