What is a Digital Workplace? Definition and Examples

Digital Workplace Definition

The term Digital Workplace has been used for several years now. Back in 2009, Paul Miller, founder of Digital Workplace Group (DWG), introduced the term to describe the wide eco-system of workplace technologies. Since then, the idea of the Digital Workplace has been evolving constantly and will likely continue for many years.

Defining an emerging term such as the Digital Workplace is always challenging. That’s why you have probably seen thousands of definitions, some focused on specific concepts, others encompassing multiple aspects. It’s a broad term and as the concept grows in popularity its definition will evolve.

“The Digital Workplace enables new, more effective ways of working; raises employee engagement and agility, and exploits consumer-oriented styles and technologies.”

– Gartner, leading research and advisory company

That is to say, the Digital Workplace can be accepted as the natural evolution of the workplace, which gathers a set of technologies, platforms, and tools digital employees need to deliver business results.

It can include tools, such as:

• Social and collaborative tools
• Communication and messaging apps
• Cloud storage tools
• Corporate intranet platforms
• Knowledge management systems
• Documentation sharing and storing
• Content management systems
• Internal and external content sharing tools
• Mobile devices integration
• …And many more

A modern Digital Workplace should be tailored to fit the specific needs of an organization while focusing on employee experience. With good integration and collaboration, the Digital Workplace creates a centralized hub for employees to access information and perform their work responsibilities, regardless of their location or which device they use.

Digital Workplace Benefits

Creating a Digital Workplace involves implementing multiple business processes and strategies, to give employees the right tools to perform their core job responsibilities.

For a Digital Workplace to enhance employee experience, it should:

• Be holistic and provide full integration with existing work applications
• Provide for easy information sharing and collaboration
• Deliver a harmonized user experience in the work environment
• Be coherent and make remote work easier
• Provide mobility and accessibility no matter the location

The Digital Workplace is not just the introduction of work technologies, it’s a change in the working mindset and structural organization. Since the last decade, organizations are coming to realize that “work” is no longer simply a “place” we go every day. Today, the “work” comes to us.

The benefits of the Digital Workplace are endless and with the technological advancements, we see the importance of its adoption more and more each day.

Here are some of the benefits:

Internal Communication and Collaboration

Using the Digital Workplace, companies are opening new flows of communication. It grants the opportunity to keep in touch with peers and management at all times. Employees can’t afford to miss out on important news only because it got lost in the inbox. The Digital Workplace provides newer and faster communication tools, like instant messaging, video conferencing, real-time collaboration tools, community or information intranet boards. All this reduces the time people spend looking for information and increases transparency among the organization.

Employee Experience and Engagement

To increase employee productivity and improve business performance, companies need to build a strong work culture. Today, employees are the internal customers of the Digital Workplace, which places them in the center of any business transformation strategy. With the help of the Digital Workplace, companies can listen and act on employee feedback allowing them to shape healthier business relationships.

Each organization needs to find the right way to boost employee engagement and satisfaction, as disengagement has a high price tag for organizations that fails to acknowledge that. Delivering a great employee experience through a digital workplace strategy is a combination of physical, technological and cultural changes, that can impact positively employee recognition and engagement.

Why employee engagement is important :

Knowledge Sharing and Accessibility

Employees spend countless hours in search of information since all documents are scattered over different drives, emails, PC folders, USB sticks, and even printed copies. Over time this struggle can amount to days of lost productivity.

With the help of a centralized source of information, like the corporate intranet, all this documentation can be organized and easily accessible by employees at any time. With easy access also comes the ease of sharing. Knowledge is no longer limited to individuals, job seniority, or departments.

Digital tools, like knowledge management systems, allow professionals to document experiences, best practices, and know-how, which can be stored and shared with all current and future employees. This knowledge can lay the foundation for a much more efficient and productive workforce.

➞ Discover how to develop your Digital Workplace Strategy

The future of the digital workplace lies within the synergy between people and technologies. If the barriers dividing the workforce are torn down, everyone will be empowered and work as one within the organization. Don’t make the mistake of limiting your vision of the digital workplace, as it is constantly emerging: you need to be aware of the evolving practices and smart technologies that can transform your organization.