How to increase the efficiency of your modern workforce

Today’s workforce is in a perpetual state of evolution. Driven by advances in technology and shifting employee expectations, the future of work is one in which change is the only constant.

This presents both challenges and opportunities for organisations. With the right devices and services, businesses stand to benefit from unprecedented workforce efficiencies. Selecting and deploying those tools, however, is no easy feat – and making a misstep can actually hinder productivity.

So what are the most important considerations in ensuring your modern workforce is operating at optimal efficiency?

1. Prioritise collaboration

The four walls of the office may be a thing of the past for many businesses, but the need for collaboration isn’t. In fact, in today’s hypercompetitive marketplace, businesses that facilitate collaboration are more efficient in the way they operate, and develop more innovative processes and products.

Research from Deloitte commissioned by Google found that collaboration not only boosts productivity in the workplace, but also revenue growth, greater employee satisfaction and improved product quality and innovation.

To that end, businesses that invest in tools to enable remote and cross-functional collaboration stand to reap significant efficiency advantages, as well as a whole host of other benefits.

2. Understand the need for agility

Choosing a tech stack or device fleet is no longer based on simply assessing current workforce needs. Today’s IT teams need to prepare for the future and recognise the many ‘known unknowns’ that can quickly impact business requirements: technological advances, the changing nature of work, generational workforce shifts and so on.

To optimise workforce efficiencies today and in the future, any IT solution must provide the flexibility to scale up or down, and be updated as requirements change, or else businesses risk getting caught in a cycle of continual CapEx investment.

3. Embrace a ‘work anywhere’ philosophy

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a huge segment of the world’s workforce to work from home, bringing with it a set of unique opportunities for businesses.

Namely, there are major efficiency gains to be made from enabling employees to work from anywhere, at any time. A survey by Atlassian service provider Adaptavist revealed a third of Australians said they were more productive while working remotely than being at the office.

With this in mind, business decision-makers must support their workforce with the technology and tools to do their jobs from wherever they are – at the office, at home, or anywhere they like.

4. Find the right balance between security and mobility

Enabling workforce mobility is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can create a significant step change in efficiency, opening up new pathways to innovation and profitability. However, a growing number of connected devices and access from multiple networks also increases the potential for cyberattacks.

This is especially concerning given 90% of senior executives say they are not prepared to handle a major attack.

Devices and services, whether cloud-based or on-premise, must be able to keep up with evolving business and workforce needs, while also being secure enough to protect against threats.

At Inkline, we partner with HP to tailor innovative solutions for your IT environment and optimise workforce efficiencies. Get in touch today to chat about your IT needs.