By this point, we’re all well aware of the benefits that come with agile working – but for it to be delivered effectively, having the right technology in place is crucial. To work better as a team who can communicate seamlessly regardless of location, you need to take full advantage of the technology that is readily available to you.
Let’s take a look at five trends we believe will play a major role in the 2022 agile-sphere, and ways your business and employees can reap the rewards of next generation techs.
Collaboration Technology
I know we’re stating the obvious, but collaboration technology – such as Microsoft Teams – is only going to continue getting bigger, better, and smarter. Video meetings save huge amounts of time, money and – even better – employees love being able to join them from wherever they want. Collaboration platform usage has soared over the last 24 months, and Microsoft sure as hell doesn’t plan on stopping the improvement of its capabilities anytime soon.
In 2022, you can expect a host of updates that will improve features Teams has to offer. From live captions to ensure not a word is missed, to a dynamic view for a truly exceptional virtual experience – the new features are focused on making video meetings just as engaging as they would be in real life and enabling users to personalise their layout.
Thirsty for more on collaboration technology? Here’s one we made earlier about Microsoft Teams – providing a run down on how it can help you work remotely in the most effective way possible.
Workflow Automation
When utilised correctly, workflow automation takes an immense amount of pressure off your employees, freeing up their time and enabling them to focus on the more important aspects of their job, such as the customer. If customers are not getting the seamless experience they expect, that’s bad for business. Luckily, workflow automation is here to help by foreseeing any queries, delays and issues that might occur – before they even happen. That’s smart.
And the benefits don’t stop there. Despite the initial investment to get started, integrating workflow automation into your business will save you time and money in the long-run by cutting down on the need for human resources on time-costly responsibilities. Company productivity will only increase as automation tools become more and more sophisticated over time – and in 2022 we’re going to see that come to fruition.
Like what you read? Head over to our blog on workflow automation for more digital grit.
AI
Efficient agile working is just as much about the employee’s experience as it is about the customer’s and enhancing these experiences by harnessing the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) has never been easier.
Innovative Five9 software, for example, enables businesses to access Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVA’s), which are designed to offer intuitive answers to common questions and address client problems. The major benefit here? It leaves a whole lot more time for live agents to focus on the areas that are going to drive business growth, and ultimately increase profits.
So, if you ever find yourself banging your head against the desk as you tell your customers the same things on repeat, why not enlist AI to do that job for you? It turns out that chat bots have an admirable capacity for patience.
Workflow Optimisation
Think about it: we are always optimising our decisions and movements in everyday life, so why not integrate that natural concept into your workforce? Enter… Workflow optimisation. This management method focuses on efficiency, productivity and employee performance – whilst allowing them to flexibly work from wherever they want. This agile way of working demonstrates a level of trust that empowers employees, who like to know that they can work efficiently on their own terms. You could say that agile and workforce optimisation come hand in hand, but there are tools that help to make this partnership work harder. Using tools to manage your workforce effectively saves time and effort, allowing your employees to concentrate on customer communication whilst improving their own performance. Ultimately, it increases staff satisfaction rates too – which means they’ll want to stick around for longer. You can read more here about aspects of workforce optimisation that might help your business.
Legacy Tech. Out with the old, in with the new…
Keeping your tech up to date is a no brainer – yet somehow, there are still many companies relying on legacy technology throughout their operations. Whilst it may seem like the ‘easy option’ now, doing this presents a host of detrimental (and preventable) issues in the long-term – from security risks to decreased speed, which will give your competitors an edge. The longer you hang on to old tech in your business, the harder it is to part with it. And don’t forget – that costs money. Nobody wants to spend their time and effort learning a system that has absolutely no relevance anymore – particularly the next generation of talent who are drawn in by shiny solutions that will enable them to work in a truly agile environment.
In 2025, the legacy technology switch off is going to happen. The sooner you start to implement a plan to modernise your workplace technology, the better… What better time than 2022?
Keen to learn more about escaping the legacy tech trap? Go and check this out, because talking about landlines is getting a tad tedious.
