The Need for Digital Workplace: Increasing Workforce Productivity in the Information Age

Advances in communications, combined with lifestyle trends, point to a future workforce that is more productive and more capable than ever before. Employees are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with workplace capabilities as communications and productivity technology advances. Employees feel that their workplace is not smart enough and they are ready for a workplace that can accommodate their changing lifestyles. The past few years have seen an explosion in the use of smart workplace technologies. Interest in exploiting digital workplaces and smart offices is increasing, and deployments are gaining momentum. Yet the adoption rate is slow, and organizations are only beginning to scratch the surface in regard to the potential applications of smart workplace technologies. Implemented properly, the business benefits of digital workplaces can be substantial. This article explores the changing dimensions of the workplace. It highlights the importance of smart workplace technologies, identifies determinants of implementation success, and covers some of the potential benefits. Finally, this study reviews the successful implementation of smart workplace technologies in a small service industry.