What does this mean for companies? First and foremost, employees have to have the right hardware and modern tools to hand to enable hybrid working i.e. splitting the time between the office and home, and it is important to focus on the people. Who needs which equipment in order to work to their best abilities? What are the needs of the individuals? How can it be guaranteed that the team can securely access data and applications from anywhere? How can tools and tech support employees in their daily work? Finding answers to these questions is crucial for developing a Modern Workplace concept that drives businesses forward, increases team satisfaction and boosts productivity.
Change Management – An indispensable part of the Modern Workplace.
Another aspect businesses have to consider is to strategically plan any changes and develop a holistic concept. This is the only way to ensure that security, the integration of mobile and desk-based working, simple roll outs and relieving the burden on the IT department through the use of, for example, automatic backups and updates can go hand in hand. When employees are involved from the very start of a change process, it is much more likely that the Modern Workplace will be a success, and Change Management is a crucial aspect of this as it gives the team the skills they need to us the new tools, increases acceptance and enables efficient working. Bechtle is by your side on your own digital transformation journey—from defining the vision and the status quo to strategy development, realisation and measuring success.
What are your employees’ needs?
By looking at employees’ working habits and job requirements, it’s possible to differentiate between different types of workers. It’s worth taking a closer look at your staff as this gives businesses a better feeling for the optimum equipment for their workspaces. Although it’s possible to make more precise distinctions between employees’ jobs and habits, below is a list of three main types and their ideal workplace tech.
Type 1 – The Desk Worker.
For the majority of workers, their desks are their hub. A fact which is underscored by statistics that show there are still some 20 million office workplaces in Germany. However, the last few months has seen the Desk Worker’s world turned upside down. Gone are the days of the daily commute to the office as working from home has quickly established itself. And this is one change that looks like it’s here to stay. According to an ifo survey, around half of the companies surveyed said they were looking to embed home-based working into their corporate structure. This transformation has also impacted on workplace technology.
The focus has shifted from a personal, fixed place of work in the office to a hybrid workplace split between the company and home. If employees are going to be able to work as well from home as from the office, they need equipment that is portable and modifiable. Notebooks, docking stations, smartphones, tablets, headsets, software and communications and collaboration apps provide the Desk Worker with everything they need to work from home and the office. When equipping a workplace, you also need to take into account ergonomic aspects.
Type 2 – The Mobile Worker.
Always on the road or working from home, the Mobile Worker don’t normally have their own desk at the company. These kind of workers tend to work in consulting or sales as field reps or service staff. While the pandemic saw them restricted to the home office, in the long-term, not much will change as they hit the road again. These kind of workers are often the face of the company and have to be able to react quickly and flexibly.
Seeing as the Mobile Worker is normally working outside of the company, they have very specific requirements of their equipment as they have to be able to quickly and securely access data. Their devices have to be high-performing and yet easy to transport. And finally, it has to be easy to switch between mobile working and working from within the own four walls. Mobile devices are the indispensable for the Mobile Worker.
Type 3 – The Connected Worker.
Leaders and workers who often have to work internationally or from multiple locations take part in lots of digital meetings. Over the last few months, the demand for solutions allowing digital collaboration has continued to increase and experts predict that in the future, some in person meetings and business trips will be completely replaced by digital conferences and meetings.
However, nothing is more annoying than when the meeting hardware fails, the video or sound quality are under par and devices won’t connect with the tools. This wastes time, impacts productivity and quickly demotivates individual employees or entire teams. That’s why companies have to make sure their technology is right up to date to guarantee simple and seamless video and telephone conferences. What’s more, employees want to be able to dial in to meetings from anywhere no matter if that’s from the modern meeting room at the company, while on the road or from home. Hardware and software have to support teams and facilitate collaboration without causing any issues.
Take a holistic approach to the Modern Workplace.
How can you create a holistic Modern Workplace concept that meets the needs of all your employees? To make the modern world of work more tangible, we’ve put together something special for you—our Bechtle Digital Workplaces. Experience holistic modern technologies in one of nice of our Workplaces. Get in touch and ask about a free inspiration workshop. We will be by your side on your journey to your holistic Modern Workplace concept
