The Pandemic and its Impact on Digital Transformation

"Returning to normal" and "back to normal" seem to be phrases of comfort in this world so eager to move past this Pandemic. While I cannot wait to gather without caution at a large social event just the way we have done for as long as I can remember, there are some changes that have impacted the way we work that may be worth keeping or weaving into a new modern design. To get a grasp on how best to modernize, it is time to review the transformation that took place over the past year. This is what Richard Campbell from RunAsRadio and PAIT Group's President & Co-founder, Stephanie Donahue did in a recent podcast episode. They dug deep into the effects of the Pandemic and its impact on the workplace specifically relating to Digital Transformation and ancillary benefits that surfaced.

For your convenience I am including a direct link to Richard and Stephanie's conversation so you can hear their thoughts and voices.

Below are some highlighted topics they touched on.

3 Components for Developing Clear Business Strategy for Frontline Workers

Reports & studies such as Harvard Business Review's New Study: How Communication Drives Performance validate the importance of consistent communication and the positive impact it has on corporate productivity. In the HBR report Watson Wyatt states:

Furthermore the positive effect communication has upon productivity, the digital transformation movement (aka Industrial Revolution 4.0) has produced advancements in technology that service and support collaboration and connectivity. These advancements have included the ability to connect anywhere and from any device. If we have the technical capability to connect in a mobile way, why are we leaving a large portion of our workforce out of modern workplace communications?

Key Considerations of a Hybrid Work Model

Let's face it we really don't live in an all or nothing world (even though some of us would like to think we do). So now that the world has experienced what it's like to work remotely, do we really think everyone wants to go back to the way thing were structured and solely work in an office environment. Similarly continuing to work remotely most likely won't be the case. However, it does bring forth new possibilities for a hybrid workplace. A workplace where some employees conduct their work 100% at a physical office, some work completely remotely, and others split their time between working from home and the physical office.

To discover what this may look like to your organization you will need to dig into the following:

How can an organization effectively work together in a hybrid workplace?
In what areas should there be an increased investment ?

Let's approach each of these questions individually.

Overcoming the Challenges of Engaging Firstline & Desk-less Workers

When the people talk about firstline worker the first thought that comes to mind is frontline health professionals who are battling the COVID-19 pandemic. While these beautiful and amazing human beings are included in the definition of a firstline worker, the term is NOT used exclusively for them.

4 Challenges of Outdated Firstline Worker Communications

Each industry has their own version of a firstline worker. They are the ones who often are the first point of contact between the company and the customer or world outside of the organization. They can be found to engage directly with the customer, fulfill product orders, build the product, or perform tasks that keep an organization functioning on a day-to-day basis. Take a look at a variety of different industries and some of the job titles of their firstline workers.

Firstline Workers By Industry

The onset of digital transformation has and continues to change they way we collaborate: IMs & chats, virtual meetings, emails, collaboration of digital documents I can go on and on. Unfortunately, this transformation often does not make its way to the frontline worker. Thus, this group of employees, the ones who interact the most with the outside world, often feel cut off from communication with the rest of the company. This leaves organizations wide open to challenges that impact productivity and performance. Let's identify four challenges organizations face from failing to modernize firstline worker communications and the impact it has on the business.

Customizing your Firstline Worker Communications

Let's start off by stating upfront Firstline Worker Communications does not come in one size fits all. Different work sites and industries have their own unique challenges in delivering the appropriate information to their workers in general, let alone those direct to the Firstline. As eloquently stated in a 2018 Forbes article on going digital and the firstline worker “Digital transformation is a top-to-bottom process of rethinking what business you’re in and how to employ technological advantage to better meet the needs of customers. To get there, you need the full participation and engagement of everyone in your company, from the boardroom to the firstline."

In this Part 2 of our Firstline Worker Communication Series (if you missed Part 1 have no fear check it out), we present a few real-world scenarios of what can be customized along with key considerations to ensure business critical information makes it to the Firstline. We will take a peek into:

Furloughed Staff
Construction Staff
Retail Staff

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