1.
The heroic journey to the digital workplace:
Our hero rises

2.
The digital
workplace is not a
dream destination
but a reality.
Connecting up your people and technology - on a single,
intuitive collaboration platform brings benefits which can
be felt right across the entire organisation. But reaching
that nirvana isn’t an on-off switch; it’s a journey.

3.
And the next
step on our
hero’s journey
towards that
digital workplace
is to get walking.

4.
In Part 1, you saw our hero
making plans.
They stopped thinking of “digital” as an end in itself but as part of the overall vision. The vision
of the digital workplace as a dynamic organisation where people, process and technology work
together to help organisations join up to face clients, to react to market conditions quickly and to
stay a step ahead of the competition. Organisations that have a clear vision (one that starts at the
top!) will have a greater chance of success. Our hero had a call to action - a compelling event - to
kick start their journey and draw out the map of today and the destination of tomorrow. Then,
armed with goals and plans our hero set out to find their allies.

5.
The second in a
three-part series
In this episode - Part 2 - our hero starts
travelling forward, with a spring in his
step and a song in his heart. (Or at least a
mandate and budget.)

6.
Travelling at our hero’s side,
are guides.
Guides can help you
navigate the pitfalls -
they’ve been there before.
Finally, we conclude with the
all important launch - with our
hero at mission control making
sure that all is successful.

7.
All ready for Part 3, where you’ll
see how real business value comes
not just from technology, but its
adoption and the integration into
business processes.

8.
Taking your
organisation
on a successful
journey to a
digital workplace
requires change -
are you ready!

9.
Let’s join our hero
as he looks around
for helpful guides
on his digital road.

10.
1. The Guides:
Tracking down local expertise
[Guides]

11.
You’re seeking people with specific, executable knowledge - preferably those who’ve
travelled your path before - who have a range of expertise, on both technological and cultural
challenges and can help you find your way
but the right place to look for guides
is outside your organisation.
You may have sourced your travelling companions internally (look at HR,
Facilities Management, the CFO and C-Suite in general),
[Guides]

12.
Never be
afraid to ask
for help
[Guides]

13.
More often than not these are
people related
(think adoption and resistance to change).
You may know your destination and have a plan to get there, but no matter
how well prepared you are - there will be obstacles!
[Guides]

14.
Two-thirds
[Guides]
of executives believe technology has
made listening to people more difficult.

15.
How do you
decide which
type of guide
to engage?
Look for those with experience of the
digital journey, those who understand
the steps along the way and have been
there before. These guides could be
as diverse as a training company, an
integrator or a change consultant.
[Guides]

16.
…and seek balance
from system
integrators
[Guides]

17.
The digital
workplace
isn’t limited to
the office, it’s
everywhere!
It encompasses every device,
every location - both in the
office and out! This means that
data, security and shadow I.T
will all be considerations - as
well as ever increasing user
expectations.
[Guides]

18.
[Guides]
30-40%of workers today depend on digital
workplace connectivity.
Research suggests

19.
Change is the only constant
Change management could play a key role in the digital
journey as the process which underpins any workplace
transformation. Hand holding projects from inception through
to delivery and the subsequent transition into ‘business as
usual’. Change management also drives adoption, it enhances
the adoption of services into business processes and ensures
the full benefit (and therefore full ROI) are realised.
[Guides]

20.
And, at the heart of the digital workplace (Gartner
believes providing a consumer-like computing experience
is a big part of any such effort) is the user.
After all, if the user is
resistant to change,
doesn’t adopt
or is not given
appropriate tools
then the business
case will never
show a return.
[Guides]

21.
To help you think about what this philosophy involves, here are
some fellow heroic adventurers discussing what the term ‘digital
workplace’ means to them.
[Guides]

22.
2. The Launch:
Committing to the journey
[Launch]

23.
A time for talk, a time for action...
You’ve already surveyed and researched your key to success (your users!), now it’s time to
take take on the three Ps - Plan, Prepare and Prove (proof of concept).
[Launch]

24.
spread the word
it’s not enough to simply send an email
stating the new system’s ready to
use. Each individual and team within
your organisation needs to understand
they’re all in this together. Team A’s
accurate data entry helps Team B make
better decisions. Sales’ prospect pipeline
informs Marketing’s campaign strategy.
And so on.
Whatever you do, make sure you
[Launch]

25.
...and a time to
reflect and adapt
[Launch]

26.
This might need more resources
than you thought.
That’s why the switched-on Hero packs more supplies than they think they needs for
their journey. Even when the destination’s in sight, the terrain can be rockier than first
imagined. Which brings our hero to...
[Launch]

27.
3. The Launch:
The point of no return
[Launch]

28.
If there is any sort of mission failure your
project could be seriously de-railed.
The launch is exciting. It’s the moment when you press go on your carefully laid plans - but
once you launch there’s no turning back!.
[Launch]

29.
ran a proof of
concept in their most traditional
office - their contact centre in
Amsterdam. If they could make
‘smarter working’ work there
it could work anywhere. They
took the learnings from the
pilot and used them for the rest
of the global rollout.
[Launch]
The more
prepared you are
the more likely
your digital
workplace
is likely to
succeed.

30.
From interoperability to integration
Some think integrating systems is the easy part. Interoperability might be a
hygiene factor but integration is where organisations can truly excel.

31.
It could be integrating them into your existing
core applications or making it a part of people’s
natural work processes and habits - looking at
integration issues from a workflow perspective
can be useful. If data models aren’t working
correctly, if workgroup sessions and meeting
archives aren’t easily accessible, it’s certain
your users will want to tell you about them.
Integrating
new tools and
technologies into
your ecosystem is
business critical.

32.
People, processes and technology drive digital workplace success and
integrating these is at the heart of each organisation’s journey.
“IT is the enabler to making the digital
workplace happen but it’s also down
to people, process and culture”
UC EXPO 2016 Marianne Calder, Managing Director,
Collaboration Architecture Sales Europe

33.
who better to sell your solution across functions and across geographies than your own people.
appointed internal champions in their ‘Smarter Working’ transformation. The
champions came from different countries and departments and ran opt-in sessions for their
colleagues on how they used their digital workplace tools. The result? 100% user adoption.
Appointing internal champions is
critical to integration,

34.
That’s how you deal with this middle part of your hero’s
journey. Integration brings it all together, make the
picture clear in your mind. Then aim for it. Then you will
be ready for the final stage of your journey…

35.
4. The Pitfalls:
facing down the challenges
[Pitfalls]

36.
Post-deployment challenges?
Yes, there will be some,
irrespective of how well you’ve
prepared! It’s time to consult
your guides again. Pay particular
attention to issues like:
[Pitfalls]

37.
Checking for
security conflicts
One of the most common digital workplace challenges
is around security. As we open up to a world of mobility,
multiple devices, VoIP and more there are data and
security considerations.
[Pitfalls]

38.
Overcoming
resistance to
change
But the biggest challenge of moving to a
digital workplace is another human one:
resistance to anything new. People factors
are often the real challenges of any workplace
transformation with technology as the
enabler. It doesn’t matter how messy and
manual the previous way of doing things was;
people got used to it. And they’ll keep on
doing things the old way until they have a real
reason to change. As Peter Drucker famously
said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”.
[Pitfalls]

39.
40%of people believe doing their job means
sacrificing personal time and family life.
[Pitfalls]
(It’s yet another area where IT and HR can work together. Technological solutions, human
motivation: the HR/IT partnership is a dream one.)

40.
found (after launch) that their
biggest challenge was the middle management
and their resistance to change. Their smarter
working programme meant that employees (or
associates as they call them) were empowered
to work flexibly. In some instances the middle
management were not equipped to let go or
manage their teams in this environment.
bought in eWork - a remote
training company - to teach their managers
to manage by objectives rather than by
presenteeism. The result was a for more
meaningful management culture, and as for the
employee attrition - that dropped to 2%.
[Pitfalls]

41.
Most importantly remember, others just like you have
faced these challenges and have overcome them.
[Pitfalls]

42.
Summing up:
That’s two stages of your journey
to the digital workplace complete.
Don’t be put off by the stages along
the way - the result will be worth it!
Understanding the typical journey
is half way to delivering your own
digital workplace transformation.
And remember, you have your
guides to walk with you hand in
hand. On your hero’s journey, you
never need to feel alone.

43.
And the
destination
a transformed, connected
organisation where engaged
employees share information and
collaborate quickly, easily and
flexibly - is truly worth the journey.

44.
Continue your heroic
journey to the digital
workplace.
Download Chapter Two of this
guidebook and let it aid you
as you continue your journey.
What is more, you’ll be the first
to receive Chapters Three and
get access to Chapter One -
just in case you missed it.
Continue your journey

45.
Contact Arkadin to see
how we can help you on
your journey to a digital
workplace.
Get in touch now!