If 2021 taught us anything, it was that life is unpredictable and that we need to be prepared for the unexpected. Over the past two years, businesses have been forced to change and review their strategies. They have had to remain agile in a changing world as work-from-home models have transitioned to work-from-anywhere and hybrid-working arrangements.
As work has evolved from a place where you go to something you do, businesses must now develop a digital headquarter that connects their employees, customers, and partners, allowing them to thrive in a world where they can work from anywhere and at any time.
But what does the new office world look like?
Reinvent your business with the digital HQ
Creating a Digital HQ allows for remote and hybrid work across all departments, as well as connecting with customers that operate in a hybrid world. Businesses that establish a Digital HQ have the chance to reinvent themselves and make work more flexible, inclusive, and productive.
“It’s apparent that the working world will not return to its previous state. Nine out of 10 companies are planning a hybrid work model in the future,” says Robin Fisher, Senior Area Vice President, Salesforce Emerging Markets. “Organisations must reinvent themselves, the processes and tools they relied on – such as in-person meetings, company-wide emails, and strategy offsites – for the digital world.”
Today’s innovations enable everyone to securely interact via channels that connect internal and external teams, as well as streamline workflows based on CRM data, providing a single source of truth for their company and a trustworthy, shared view of the customer.
Fisher feels that while the Digital HQ concept is straightforward, implementing a digital-first platform that enables your business to service consumers, grow, and respond quickly is not without its challenges.
“Success is built on three pillars: by integrating collaborative tools, teams may boost productivity; by centralising data, they can become more agile and develop more meaningful customer interactions; and by reducing the formality of communication, businesses can improve and develop a stronger sense of community,” Fisher explains.
Reduced friction and context switching helps teams be proactive and demonstrate to clients that they care about their business. Whereas communication silos and botched handoffs are frequently blamed for poor customer experiences, collaborative solutions address the issue of balls dropping across departments by tying the entire company together.
“Without a doubt, the ability to address problems in real time and readily harness business expertise through collaborative technology is transforming the customer experience for the better.”
Investing in a digital HQ is an investment in a platform that will continue to evolve with your business and help deliver long-term value for the employees, customers and partners alike.
Serviced office models the perfect partner to the digital HQ
The unbundling of work and the workplace has arguably been one of the most significant effects of the pandemic. In fact, says David Seinker, Founder and CEO at The Business Exchange, it’s been called our “once in a generation… opportunity to reimagine how we work” and has given rise to hybrid work models, the digital HQ and changed our views of work and where work gets done in a myriad positive ways.
And while the notion of working from the office between the hours of 9am and 5pm every weekday seems nothing short of archaic, the need for companies to provide some kind of space where employees can meet occasionally has remained steadfast. It just doesn’t look the way it did in February 2020.
“By supplementing the digital HQ with a tailored office space that is designed to meet the exact needs of teams, businesses can offer their employees a best-of-both experience that recognises the office as more than a location with desks and chairs, but rather as a place to encourage connection, collaboration and creativity,” says Seinker.
The serviced office space model is the ideal physical partner to the digital HQ. With flexibility and customisation at its core, serviced office spaces offer significant benefits for companies concerned about being tied down by long, inflexible leases, for example. The efficient utilisation of space and clever management of associated costs such as large fit-outs, furniture and even IT infrastructure, are just some of the ways in which serviced office spaces allow the digital HQ to take centre stage.
How people work has shifted substantially. A hybrid working world is here to stay. Not only will a digital HQ have a positive impact on a business’s employees, but it will also be better equipped to manage customers and their changing needs.