Teem
December 3rd, 2021

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13 Workplace Analytics Every IT Leader Should Track

Up for a challenge? How about a quick IT riddle to kick off the month?

Here are three hints: Thanks to me, organizations can make better use of their time and budgets. Not only can you use me to create a better employee experience but also for delivering critical information to leadership teams before anyone even asks. As schedules get busier and an abundance of information saturates the workday, organizations rely on me to help bridge gaps, keep everything connected, and drive efficiency.

What am I?

The answer is automation in the workplace. So, how did you do?

At a time when so many organizations are navigating massive changes to work — including new employee concerns, a somewhat turbulent return to the office, and an overall shift toward more flexible work models — planning for the future can seem like a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

Automation in the workplace can be a powerful antidote to the uncertainty of the day by providing some much-needed comfort and efficiency.

If your company is currently looking for simple ways to overcome obstacles and streamline things around the office, here is a comprehensive look at workplace automation and some essential tips to keep your organization moving forward with less hassle.

Fundamentals of automation in the workplace

As a tech leader, you may be feeling the pressure to do more with less. Meanwhile, it often seems like there are dozens of new technologies that need to be implemented just to get new business strategies off the ground. That’s why change can feel so overwhelming — especially when you factor in the amount of time and resources it takes to add a new solution to your tech stack, not to mention how long it can take to teach your employees how to use it.

To propel your organization’s growth, it’s important to invest in technology and automation in the workplace that is a good fit for your entire organization.

Examples of technology and automation in the workplace

As forward-thinking leaders know, there is an intersectionality between a company’s systems, processes, culture, and performance. In order to create the workplace of the future, organizations will need systems that help them link all the pieces together and eliminate fragmentation.

Regardless of industry or company size, companies have become heavily reliant on technology to handle everything from managing operations and maintenance to scheduling rooms, booking desks, and forecasting office utilization. Here are a few additional examples of technology and automation in the workplace:

Automation in the workplace comes in many forms, so how you choose to approach it in your office needs to be tailored for your organization’s needs.

Futureproof your workplace with automation

Although we’re facing pandemic-specific challenges that may not last, global shifts in the perception of work and the purpose of the office have left a mark that will be difficult for any employer to ignore.

One thing you can’t overlook is the value of human connection and collaboration.

Check out our Return-To-Office Bingo Card for a fun way to help employees break the ice when it’s time to reopen the office.

In terms of employee expectations, people are taking stock of their priorities and re-evaluating where they spend their time and energy. With that goal in mind, convenience and flexibility are sure to shape hiring and retention strategies moving forward. Modern professionals don’t want to avoid the office altogether, but if the environment is unequipped to support the mobility, flexibility, and fluctuation of today’s workforce, it will cause friction.

When people have the choice to work from anywhere, an inconvenient or dull office experience won’t win anyone over. Thankfully emerging technology and automation in the workplace can help leaders get creative and help improve work and how your employees experience your office space.

Employees and the employee experience

Technology and automation in the workplace will be hugely influential in how employees experience their workday, how companies operate on a daily basis, and how leaders choose to manage the workplace and support their workers and guests.

Why, then, is there still so much friction between employees and technology and automation in the workplace? And why are some users so reluctant to automate more tasks?

Technology and automation in the workplace are becoming more human-centric with the focus on employees and end-users emphasized like never before. Ultimately, the key is learning to truly understand what is needed and evaluating the solutions through the lens of those who will actually be using them. That way, IT teams can prevent low end-user adoption and avoid wasting their already-limited budgets on the wrong tools.

There will be a lot of variability in how different functional teams and individual employees make use of your office space — and there are some exciting opportunities for IT leaders to re-align our workplace technology to fit into the lives of today’s workforce. Having multiple ways of serving the needs of your organization will help pave the way toward a better tomorrow.

Saves time and frees up resources

In order to lead their organizations into the future, IT leaders must invest in technology that drives productivity and collaboration. When they do, it contributes to a positive experience for customers and employees alike.

Businesses can also use their technology to collect and analyze data, and leverage it for decision-making. For example, deciding how to optimize their real estate investments in order to meet evolving workplace needs. Improvements of this nature can have a direct impact on the company’s bottom line, thereby allowing IT to go from being seen as a cost center to establishing themselves as a profit center.

By automating more work processes, companies can save money and time. Because workplace automation enables faster decision-making and quicker reporting capabilities, time is freed up for companies to manage their corporate offices more strategically. As more organizations optimize their workflows, redundancy and tedium are being replaced by more efficient and convenient processes.

Closing gaps between functional teams

Where does innovation come from? Does it come down to chance?

Can you chalk it up to hard work? Is it created or nurtured?

Technology and automation in the workplace help drive connectivity across department lines to fully equip all individual workers and their teams with the information and resources they need to perform their jobs each day. By closing the loop between facilities, workplace experience, human resources, and IT teams, organizations are better positioned to make progress and eliminate silos that prevent growth and forward motion. That way, you can avoid a fragmented ecosystem that prevents you from properly preparing for and responding to the fast-paced nature of today’s workplace.

In other words, technology and automation in the workplace help companies say goodbye to silos and disconnected workflows for good.

How can automation affect the future of the workplace?

Technology and automation in the workplace should be added for simplifying things, not adding additional problems or complexity. While there’s no single solution for everyone, there are many types of automation in the workplace that can benefit your space.

Technology leaders are keenly aware that implementation can make or break a new solution. Before you can help make the workplace come back to life for your employees, you need to anticipate the challenges your workforce will face and help ease the friction that comes along with any change.

Don’t fear the implementation process

Balance the focus of your workplace automation strategy between what your goals are and how you’ll accomplish those goals. Then, make sure you’re considering the most important factors while you formulate your company’s plan.

Here are a few key considerations that may inform how you execute your technology strategy:

  • Are you able to lay out all of your company’s ROI expectations?
  • What is your deployment timeline?
  • How much time is needed for training users?
  • Will your solution scale as your company grows and changes?
  • What integrations are available?

Insights into the future of automation in the workplace

As an IT professional, you are already used to creative problem-solving. Even better, you know can rely on technology and workplace automation to do the heavy lifting.

When you’re ready to see it firsthand, learn more about howTeem’s return to office technology can be tailored to meet your organization’s unique needs. Schedule time with our product experts for a look at what’s possible with a technology-assisted strategy. Get your risk-free, personalized demo today.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Teem

Teem by iOFFICE provides enterprises with space scheduling and management, workplace analytics, building, and campus wayfinding, and visitor management to help cultivate workplaces that fuel productivity, efficiency, and creativity.

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