Business optimization is a recurring theme, no matter a company’s industry or size, and requires a constant dose of reinvention and adjustments to keep pace with a competitive market and ever-changing functional and technical landscapes.
While many businesses are focused on optimization, the primary areas getting the most attention are:
- Increasing profits and reducing costs
- Creating new products and services
- Enhancing the customer experience
One area often overlooked that more businesses are now looking to focus on is the optimization of the employee workforce. There are multiple reasons this is a critical piece that must be addressed for companies to stay relevant, including the following areas, known as the 4 FREE principles of Employee Experience Optimization, which we will take a deeper dive into:
- Providing Flexibility
- Competing for Resources
- Gaining Efficiencies
- Reducing Errors
Providing Flexibility
Prior to 2020, several organizations still considered it a luxury to enable their employees to work from anywhere, at any time, on any device. The COVID-19 pandemic has flipped that ability into a necessity.
Businesses who have information and systems that are only accessible within an onsite network have had to quickly shift to a new model that clears roadblocks and empowers employees to effortlessly perform their work. This includes providing access to content and collaboration anywhere, so that employees are empowered to perform their work, no matter their location or device.
Expediting the setup of new users in an environment is critical, as delays around account, VDI, VPN, and/or multi-factor authentication setup can have a negative effect on a business’s ability to remain agile and quickly execute.
Creating an employee-focused, flexible work environment can not only save organizations countless dollars and hours but can also be the difference between companies thriving and surviving.
Competing for Resources
Imagine a scenario prior to the COVID pandemic where you arrive at your new job and discover the PC procured for you is underpowered, lacking the software you need, and comes with a screen too small for you to perform work on. Furthermore, basic supplies such as a chair, pen, and paper are lacking.
In this instance, it is easy to see how a company so unprepared for its workers would have a difficult time attracting top talent to their business, let alone providing them the resources necessary for them to be successful in their role. Yet, as the world continually moves to a more digital environment, this same scenario is starting to play out in the cloud.
The most talented resources are looking for flexible environments that enable them to be successful, and a business’s ability to create an inviting experience can be the difference between you or a competitor landing a candidate. The old ceiling has become the new floor and organizations looking to compete for the best resources are adjusting for this shift quickly.
Gaining Efficiencies
The most successful organizations are constantly focusing on how to become more efficient, looking to automate processes that free up more time and energy for employees to focus on high-value activities.
Whether it be implementing robotic process automation, virtual chatbots, and/or artificial intelligence, there are various technologies available to companies that can allow them to streamline, simplify, and supercharge their current processes and systems. These efficiencies not only make employees more productive, but they also help to control costs as well.
Reducing Errors
Beyond the time saved when automating manual processes and making business decisions with the aid of artificial intelligence and predictive data, another large benefit to organizations embracing these technologies is the reduction of errors that will inevitably be made by employees working through manual tasks, managing data in spreadsheets, and relying on perfection to ensure processes run smoothly.
Reducing errors can have a significant impact on decreasing unexpected costs, including ones tied to potential compliance issues and/or the reputation of the business. The fiercest competitors are reflecting on their internal strengths and weaknesses and adjusting to create a higher level of precision.
Organizations that are focused on providing top-tier flexibility to their employees, creating an environment and culture that the top talent demands, as well as becoming more efficient with their processes and systems to reduce manual errors, are not only leading the way from an employee optimization standpoint, but are finding a competitive advantage when focusing on these areas.
Interested in learning more about how DMI can help you provide a jolt to your employee experience? There are a variety of ways we can help, including the execution of a continuous strategy that reiterates on your employee experience, tooling strategy, and platform execution, as well as providing implementation, migration, development, and support services across Microsoft Office 365. As a Microsoft Gold Partner with three Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), we would welcome the opportunity to learn more about your goals and how we can help you achieve success through our expertise and experience.
For more information on DMI services, please contact us for additional details.
