Enabling a digital and productive workplace

Digital transformation has been both a theoretical concept and a growing necessity for many Irish firms in recent years. But when it comes to actually implementing strategies that successfully enable a digital and productive workplace with engaged people, Irish business leaders have to be practical.

It’s not solely a case of choosing the right tools and technologies, it’s about adopting an approach that is agile, autonomous and adaptable – one that enables people to be smarter with their time, whether they spend it in the office or at remote locations.

Adding to the challenge is the presence of four generations in the workplace and four different sets of expectations that need to be met. The recurring theme, as revealed by a recent Ricoh Europe survey, Irish business leaders aren’t doing enough to meet the needs of their workers.

Engaging people

Nowadays, people don’t simply want the latest technologies, they want the tools that enable them to work where, when and how they want. It’s about being productive but also agile and engaged, making the most of the time spent working as opposed to spending most of their time working. New research that Ricoh has carried out with Irish office workers backs this up with two of their top priorities being flexible working hours and good work-life balance.

Improving productivity

Flexible workstyles don’t only empower the employee, it makes sense from a business perspective with our survey finding that 38 per cent of Irish office workers cited flexible working hours as an approach that would increase productivity in the workplace.

Furthermore, 35 per cent said the opportunity to work remotely more often would boost output, with 31 per cent identifying better tools to facilitate seamless remote working as an impactful strategy. In other words, a more empowered workforce equates to increased productivity and output.

In turn, this enhances customer service levels, boosts business performance and supports company growth. By enabling workers to take a more fluid and individual approach to the way they work, collectively it can have more of an impact.

Finding the right partner

Having an experienced partner in this area is as crucial as listening to the needs of your workforce. From digitised workflows to remote access to work systems, it’s important to identify and implement the technologies and processes that are best suited to the way your organisation works.

At Ricoh Ireland, the team understands that it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach; what works for one company will not necessarily work for another. It’s why the first step involves an assessment of working tools and processes to determine a company’s requirements and needs.

Only then can a recommendation be made on the pathway that will help to enhance workstyles and business performance – a pathway that consists of various practical elements including workspace, technologies and culture.

Chas Moloney, director, Ricoh Ireland & UK, said: “Digital workplace transformation shouldn’t go beyond the boundaries of reality and practicality. The changes that Irish business leaders make have to be tailored for and have an impact on their teams.

“After all, what is the point of being digitally transformative if it isn’t effective for your employees? Irish business leaders need to ensure that they are listening to what their teams want and implementing it in an effective way.

“In the end, it will not only benefit the people that work for them but also the organisation as a whole with greater accessibility, flexibility and productivity. Flexible working isn’t about loosening the reins, it’s about adapting for people and supporting them in how they want to work.”

To view The Essential Guide to Creating an Optimal Office visitwww.ricoh.ie