More good days

Let’s imagine for a moment a typical workday in two similar organizations. In one scenario, an employee logs on to find that a backend error has severed their access to a critical presentation — right before a meeting. When they join the meeting, in-office employees can’t hear the remote team on the call because of connection issues. The meeting is cancelled, the client pitch delayed, and the employee is left with new problems to solve.

In the second organization, the employee logs on seamlessly, shares the presentation with the group, and joins the meeting to present to a hybrid group of stakeholders with crystal-clear audio and video. During the presentation, the employee is able to hop into relevant databases and sales reports in real time to meaningfully engage with their co-workers and drive actionable and timely results for a client.

The difference between these two organizations? Their investment in workplace technologies.

The Ricoh/IDC Survey

As modern workplaces become increasingly reliant on fast and reliable technology, the tools we provide employees are critical to success and have cascading effects throughout an organization.

To better understand these challenges and opportunities, Ricoh partnered with IDC, a global leader in market insights, to conduct a survey of over 600 business leaders on the current and future state of hybrid work — especially as it relates to employee satisfaction and productivity.

59% of participants named employee productivity and efficiency as their number one concern.

When asked what their biggest organizational challenge was, respondents across demographics said employee productivity was paramount. And for good reason. Lack of access to key workplace solutions can hamper business results, shrink profit margins, and delay development of new products and services.

Perhaps even more importantly, inadequate workplace technologies can frustrate workers and negatively impact the employee experience (EX) — which has a direct impact on team productivity, your customers, and your bottom line.

94% have observed the direct relationship between EX and CX.

Another huge benefit to improving employee satisfaction and productivity is the impact it has on your customer experience (CX). Organizations that can qualify and quantify this causal relationship will be in the best position to understand how providing an exceptional experience for employees can lead to better customer relationships and enhanced profitability.

The Ricoh/IDC survey explored this topic and garnered interesting results. While only a fraction (6%) of respondents hadn’t observed the impact between EX and CX, 50% not only observed the relationship, but have implemented analytics and KPIs to measure it. Other organizations (19%) confirmed that they are seeing the relationship but cannot measure it, while 25% have measurable proof of the causal relationship between improved EX and higher CX.

47% cited automated workflows as the biggest driver of productivity.

When asked about the benefits of providing employees with automated, end-to-end workflows, 47% of those surveyed reported enhanced overall productivity; 33% noted that employees were more productive; and 30% reported improved profitability.

Optimizing workflows also directly impacts EX. Remember, EX is not a single product or service, but a broad set of initiatives that ensure employees have frictionless access to tools, training, flexible work models, and quality systems and solutions.

Over 50% reported improved team and employee productivity by implementing end-to-end workflows.

Seamless hybrid work requires both technology and support. Successful hybrid workplaces not only provide the right tools but ensure that they are fully integrated into the workflow. For organizations that provide all employees access to the information and systems they need to work effectively, regardless of location, the benefits are manifold.

Per the IDC report, implementing robust, end-to-end hybrid work solutions improved team productivity (56%), improved employee productivity (51%), and led to stronger team relationships (42%).

42% of respondents named hardware and peripheral devices as their top investment.

Hardware is having a moment. According to the survey, the top three technologies leaders are prioritizing in the next 18 months are all geared to support a more seamless hybrid work experience. They also happen to be hardware solutions.

42% of respondents named hardware and peripheral devices as their top investment priority, followed by security ID management and badging at 38%, and smart meeting room solutions at 35%. These findings are a clear indication that hardware solutions are a crucial piece of the hybrid work landscape and leaders are not only taking notice but taking action.

41% of participants are actively investing in video conferencing solutions and smart meeting spaces.

Innovative leaders are demonstrating a proactive approach to workflow automation and employee well-being. Per the survey, 41% of participants are currently investing in video conferencing solutions and smart meeting spaces, 34% in team collaboration solutions, and 32% in intelligent document processing.

Investing in advanced hardware and peripheral devices is not just about immediate productivity gains; it's about preparing for the future. As workplace technologies continue to evolve, offering holistic hybrid work solutions will keep your organization ahead of the curve. Ensuring that employees have the tools and support they need to adapt to new challenges and opportunities will lead to enhanced productivity, better business outcomes, and more good days.