Intranet as digital workplace by @markmorrell #intra13

First of all we should be clear what a digital workplace is. Mark’s definition of a digital workplace is: work is something you do not a place you go to. In a digital workplace you can:
  • work from any location or while mobile 
  • have the same or similar online experience
  • collaborate, search, and complete tasks online 
  • choose what tools you can use to do this 
  • feel comfortable whenever you are using 
  • feel comfortable whenever you are using it 
  • be confident you can use it when you need to
  • have a better work/life balance
The real difference between the intranet and the digital workplace is that you can get work done with a digital workplace. It's not just a content and publication platform, but a place where you can get work done. It's collaborative, it's task-focused.
So, how do you develop a digital workplace strategy? Mark shares several points with us:
  • it should align with your other strategies
  • is wider than an intranet strategy
  • is for the short, medium, and long term
  • has a governance framework (Mark: 'everything should be managed')
  • people who will create, support, and make it happen ('this is the hardest part', says Mark)
What steps can be made to work towards the digital workplace:
  • develop a proposal for a digital workplace
  • show the benefits to be gained
  • get it approved...... and funded!
  • have a steering group (focus on strategy, not implementation with them)
  • agree on roles and responsibilities
  • have standards, training, guidance (e.g. with vid- or podcasts)
  • coordinate IT, HR and property management
During the workshop the participants worked on these steps and shared their approaches.
Mark blogs quite a lot about the benefits of digital workplace strategy. He shared some benefits during the workshop, such as:
  • shared performance objectives reduce risk of conflicting priorities
  • help decide top priorities to implement
Benefits of digital workplace are:
  • BT employees took fewer sick days and were 20% more productive
  • a study by the Emerald group at BT showed their work-life balance improved, even though they worked longer hours
  • the BT Agile Worker program save 6000 pounds per worker
Mark also pointed to reports from other companies about the benefits they are getting from the digital workplace.

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