New research shows almost two-thirds of Australian organisations say their current systems and processes aren’t clear and consistent or are a “patchwork of tools” — raising a red flag that fragmented workplace technology is part of the reason why Australia is lagging behind its global competitors.
Innovate for change: How Australian organisations can transform by embracing a culture of innovation and new ways of working, offers practical insights into how connected and collaborative workplaces build capacity for innovation.
What does a fragmented workplace look like?
Organisations clinging to legacy systems or adapting to remote workers may become fragmented with a range of technology tools and processes that don’t always talk to each other. Fragmentation makes it difficult to support meaningful collaboration and innovation says Ricoh Australia Managing Director, Andy Berry.
“As soon as you create friction with technology tools that aren’t working together, innovation is overshadowed by process,” he adds.
“Removing barriers to get everyone on the same technology page smashes the workplace silos that may be holding back innovation.”
Who is using collaboration tools?
Collaboration technology spans mobile devices to cloud services, but Australian business leaders still see it as primarily tied to meetings and voice communications.
The survey found:
- 64% use collaborative meeting room solutions
- 43% use video collaboration solutions
- 34% use interactive whiteboard technology
- 33% use digital signage.
Once you have the collaboration technology in place, how you use it is crucial. More than one-third (36 per cent) of business leaders admit their organisation does not use their collaboration tools in an integrated or systematic way. Berry warns this is a sure way to fragmentation and frustration.
“Business growth and survival demand innovation through consistent collaboration,” he says.
Leading transformation
With an overwhelming 82 per cent of business leaders believing innovative workplaces start with senior management, the onus is on leadership to overcome fragmentation to create an innovative workplace environment.
How does your business compare against the research?