Tapping into the power of IT to drive productivity, employee engagement, and revenue
By Jason Coari, VP of Lakeside Software
Employees report that they only work at 60% of their productivity potential, and many say they are losing one hour per week of working time due to inefficient tech.
The enduring shift toward remote and hybrid workstyles has placed technology at the forefront of every employee’s experience—but what happens when companies don’t update their tech stacks accordingly? Profits suffer. Employees are left to figure out tech issues on their own. Productivity is lost.
The digital employee experience (DEX), which describes the quality of a workforce's daily interactions with the technology they use to get work done, is crucial in today’s modern workforce. Employees who interface with different technologies daily are likely to encounter tech challenges. These challenges, when left unaddressed, affect workers in undue amounts, contributing to the Great Resignation.
Our research at Lakeside Software shows how C-level executives, IT executives, and employees must communicate effectively and upgrade tech systems for a more productive, digitally-enhanced future for facilities management.
How DEX can impact facilities management
Facilities management goes way beyond maintaining green spaces and conference rooms; it's a foundational piece of an organisation's business. And well-executed facilities management is key to increasing your bottom line. For example, according to research by IBM, the average capital project is 80% over budget and a year and a half behind schedule. This is not due to the pandemic but a recurring theme in this industry.
This same research indicates that using the proper capital management technology can reduce project costs by up to 45%. Facilities management software should always be up-to-date to avoid extended project timelines and wasted funds. Prioritising the digital employee experience by investing in the right software, hardware, and overall technological infrastructure only helps companies long-term.
How to retain staff, attract talent, and reduce unnecessary costs
Positive digital culture is foundational in attracting talent, retaining staff, and reducing unnecessary expenses tied to inefficiencies. Still, many companies are not taking the obvious first step to cultivate a good digital culture in their workplace.
In our Digital Workplace Productivity report, less than half of the employees surveyed said their organisation currently supports a positive digital culture, nor are they proactively working on improving their technological infrastructure. These numbers were especially low in manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services.
Employees want better tech and improved digital culture because it increases productivity, provides better employee engagement, and reduces interruptions. On average, employees think their effectiveness would increase by 20% with the right digital tools. This increase directly translates to higher profitability for companies. Reportedly, the most significant productivity gain would be in manufacturing, where employees said their productivity could increase by 29% with effective tech.
Employees also report losing nearly one hour of work each week due to tech issues—many of which they troubleshoot themselves. According to this survey, employees report tech glitches to IT departments only 60% of the time—or when they are the most severe. IT leaders must determine why staff are hesitant to report the issues they are experiencing so that they can regain employees' trust. Otherwise, employees who aren’t trained to handle tech issues are wasting work hours, decreasing their own productivity, and likely experiencing a lot of frustration.
Why your CTO should be front and center in your organisational leadership
The disconnect between executives and employees was apparent throughout those surveyed in our Digital Workplace Productivity report. Most IT executives (nearly nine out of ten) said they gave staff the necessary support and tools, while only four out of ten employees thought that C-level executives were providing a high-quality digital employee experience.
But leaders in digital employee experience are changing the game by proactively investing in updated IT infrastructure for their staff. Six out of ten leaders surveyed said they plan to invest in DEX over the next six months. Bringing your CTO to the forefront of company leadership helps further integrate effective technology into your company structure. It ensures that decision-makers are tuned into DEX issues, so staff and leadership have the opportunity to realign.
When organisations take DEX seriously, they gain more job candidates, reduce the risk of losing their current employees, and improve their digital culture. It is evident how DEX and IT investments improve employee satisfaction and retention. A systematic, digitally-enabled approach to IT services—emphasising better employee engagement—makes all the difference.
Resource Links:
https://www.ivanti.com/blog/facility-management-software-everything-you-need-to-know
https://www.lakesidesoftware.com/digital-workplace-productivity-report-2022/
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