What is the Digital Workplace? Paradoxically, it is not a place at all. According to Forbes it is a virtual space with applications, services and information on demand.
And the why of the Digital Workplace? In a word: People. The workforce is changing. Employees expect to enjoy the same consumer tech experience at work as they do in their private lives. Workers expect agile and intuitive applications, the use of smart devices, and instant access to information, colleagues, and services that enable them to get their work done. They are seeking more autonomy, more flexibility, and the ability to work from wherever they happen to be (office, airport, client facilities, home, hotel…it’s not just a question of being able to access a good Wi-Fi, it’s also about being able to interface with the workplace- all of it.). Another characteristic of the modern workforce: if workers are not happy, they will move on. They will not hang around.
And the how of the Digital Workplace? Leadership and Technology. The Digital Workplace is a transformation. It is a new way of getting work done, so it’s as much about culture and behaviour as it is about technology. As with any ‘out with the old, and in with the new’ transformation, it needs commitment and leadership to push the transformation forward. We are not talking about the automation of old work processes, we are talking about a reengineering of how we work: ‘leanifying’, making agile, stripping down, mapping and facilitating interactions and interactions, etc. thanks to the digital opportunity.
Do it right and we are talking dramatic increases in productivity (thanks to automation, time savings, on demand access to the information, processes, and people we need to be instantly productive), greater employee engagement (thanks to the ability to deliver a modern and delightful Employee Experience), better collaboration (facilitated by everybody working from and being accessible over the one virtual environment), and smartness (thanks to data-driven).      
And the when? Another paradox: The Future of Work is not in the future; it is happening right now. 
The big question is… are you in?
 
Oonagh Mc Nerney
Co-founder & CEO of Sapenta (The Digital Workplace out of the box)
www.sapenta.com