We are living in a digital age. Most companies and organisations today employ various technologies to function in the digital economy. While a constant advance in technology is important to be sure, it’s the people using that technology that are really at the heart of the matter. Computacenter, in collaboration with Intel, believes that human technology is what businesses should focus on when introducing new digital tools because without taking a people centric approach to user adoption of new technologies in the workplace, companies may lose out on investments and employees.
Paul Bray, Chief Technologist in Workplace and Mobile sectors at Computacenter, explains the importance of taking a user experience approach, saying, “If you choose the wrong product, or your users reject it, you may end up paying ongoing costs for something that isn’t being used.” That is why, when rolling out new workplace technologies, businesses must implement appropriate user adoption strategies. Computacenter can help put the emphasis on this user centric attitude, which is all about making technology work for people, rather than the other way around.
The people of today’s workforce, especially recent college graduates, are less and less likely to accept the divide that has traditionally existed between personal digital technology and digital work tools. More and more, the technologies in the workplace must be as seamless and easy-to-use as those we use all day every day. By implementing more agile, attractive tools in the workplace, businesses can better attract and retain talent—and talent is the lifeblood of any organisation. Intel’s Director of Business Solutions, Jim Henrys, argues for the importance of understanding the work styles of employees in order to introduce new technology in a way that invites them to move with the change, rather than against it. He says, “People like to work seamlessly and hassle free. It’s what enables them to focus on their talents and their objective. That’s how they become happy and productive. But, if you can’t help people change, then simply throwing technology at them won’t make a difference. You need to work on mindset.”
By taking a people centric view when looking at the way technology gets integrated into organisations, and focusing on user adoption as the end goal of the introduction of any new digital tool, businesses can anticipate not only more collaboration across and within departments, but enhanced overall productivity and creativity. That’s what today’s business world should be about. According to Mr. Henrys, “It’s clear that companies need to design their workspaces and work practices to enhance the power of people working together. Technology enhances that collaboration, but it doesn’t make it work. People do.”
Contact:
Octopus Group
computacenter@weareoctopusgroup.net
http://www.weareoctopusgroup.net/
