Digital Workplace Software

The definition of office space has changed in recent times. Physical offices are being replaced by virtual offices and business owners need platforms that can help employees in their digital workplaces work productively and happily. 

Digital workplace software tools do exactly that. These types of solutions combine the different applications employees need when working virtually. Be it project management, collaboration, instant messaging, social media, business process automation, video conferencing, or issue resolution, with a digital workplace tool in place, your employees can access office applications, tools, and data from anywhere.

To help you find the right digital workplace software for your business, we’ve created a guide that answers important questions related to software purchase.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What is digital workplace software?

• Why use digital workplace software?

• What are the typical features of digital workplace software?

• What are the potential issues with digital workplace software?

• What are the trends in digital workplace software?

• What is the cost of digital workplace software?

• How do small and midsize businesses use digital workplace software?

What is digital workplace software?

Digital workplace software is a software solution that helps teams operating in remote or virtual settings work effectively. It offers a unified online interface that has all the data and applications team members need to work and collaborate with other members effectively. The interface, which can be accessed from any device or location, has features such as messaging, video conferencing, web conferencing, document management, file sharing, calendar management, and content management.

Other functions such as employee engagement, project management, case management, and business process automation can also be achieved using a digital workspace solution.

Why use digital workplace software?

With evolving work models, digital workplace solutions have become a necessity for all businesses. Let’s look at some of the benefits you can reap by deploying digital workplace software at your company:

• Better collaboration: A digital workplace platform provides your employees with all the apps and features they need to communicate with other team members, clients, or business partners. Instant messaging, file sharing, and video conferencing are a few features that help facilitate seamless collaboration within your organization.

• Improved employee productivity: Digital workplace software allows your employees to access all the data and applications they need through singular platform. This means they don’t have to toggle between different applications to get their work done.

• Time-saving: Repetitive tasks can take up too much time; that can be avoided by using digital workplace solutions that enable business process automation. These solutions automate repetitive tasks such as data entry, help desk case management, and content management, saving your employees’ time and bandwidth.

• Cost-saving: It’s costly to invest in separate stand-alone tools to manage functions such as document management, employee collaboration, and task management. Digital workplace software consolidates these multiple tools into a single platform, helping your business save money.

• Centralized information: With remote work gaining traction, employees are working from different locations and time zones, which can lead to issues in data access or sharing. By using a digital workplace solution, you can centralize content and files in a single platform and also publish company or work updates in real time, allowing employees to collaborate easily and stay on the same page.

Key questions to ask a digital workplace software vendor before you buy: 

• How is your digital workplace software going to help my business?

• In terms of functionality, what are the overall benefits of your digital workplace software?

What are the typical features of digital workplace software?

Listed below are some of the common features of digital workplace software:

• Communication tools: Connect with team members via internal communication channels, such as instant messaging, live chat, video conferencing, and web conferencing.

• File sharing: Share documents with different file formats (e.g., DOC, PDF, XML). You can also share media files, including videos, audio, and photos.

• Calendar management: Schedule, manage, and view appointments, meetings, or other events on a calendar. You can also access your team’s calendar to ensure collaborative scheduling.

• Employee database/directory: Maintain a centralized database to store employee information, including names, addresses, and contact numbers.

• Content management: Create, publish, and update content or written material that is distributed to stakeholders.

• Document management: Upload and store files and documents in a centralized location.

• Activity/news feed: Keep employees updated with company news, activity, and any major announcement.

• Virtual desktops/virtualized apps: Access the software remotely via virtualized apps, including mobile and desktop apps.

• Dashboards: Use dashboards to get an overall view of tasks, activities, progress, and performance.

• Knowledge management: Allow employees to share knowledge, skills, and best practices in a collaborative virtual workspace. You can also create separate groups for projects, departments, interests, or other items.

Key questions to ask a digital workplace software vendor before you buy: 

• What are the common features of your digital workplace product?

• What features do you suggest for my business requirements? 

What are the potential issues with digital workplace software?

Choosing a digital workplace solution can increase the productivity of your employees, but it’s also advisable to understand the issues associated with the use of such platforms. Here’s a key issue you may face once you invest in digital workplace software:

• Security issues: Digital workplace software will help your employees access business data online, but at the same time, the onus is on you to ensure this data is protected. Customer and employee data privacy should be paramount for your business. Look for a tool that offers data security features such as encryption, multifactor authentication, and user controls to protect your cloud-hosted data. Also, ensure the software complies with data security standards.

Key questions to ask a digital workplace software vendor before you buy: 

• What data security features are available in your product? 

• How often do you release security updates or patches for your product? 

What are the trends in digital workplace software?

Here are a few market trends to keep in mind when purchasing a digital workplace platform:

• Digital workplace software is bridging the gap between dispersed workforces. Organizations are changing the way they let their employees work. While some companies prefer “in-office” employees, most are now adopting fully remote or hybrid work models. With employees and teams working from different locations globally, it’s necessary to have a platform that allows them to work without disrupting their productivity. The use of digital workplace solutions is letting dispersed workforces access the tools and systems they need to work, communicate, and collaborate effectively.  

• Digital workplace tools are using artificial intelligence (AI). AI is enabling digital workplace solutions to streamline business workflows and improve the digital employee experience. One such example is digital workplace tools powered by AI-driven chatbots and virtual personal assistants. AI-powered chatbots can respond to common employee questions related to human resources (HR), knowledge base, etc. They not only free up your bandwidth but also help automate business processes.

Explore more trends and insights related to the future of work.

Key questions to ask a digital workplace software vendor before you buy: 

• How does your digital workplace tool enable automation in business processes?

• What new technologies are you planning to use in your digital workplace platform in the future?

What is the cost of digital workplace software?

Digital workplace solutions usually consist of different applications such as project management, collaboration, issue resolution, employee engagement, business process automation, video conferencing, and document management. While some tools consist of all of these applications, others offer just a few of them.

Some digital workplace solutions are available free of cost; however, most products in the digital workplace software market are priced on a “per user per month” basis. 

Our research found that pricing for digital workplace software solutions falls into three tiers based on their starting price*: 

• $5 - $7

• $7 - $12

• $12+

*The pricing included is for the entry-level/lowest-priced offering found on vendor websites on September 16, 2021. These ranges correspond to the 25th, 75th, and 100th percentile of the pricing information gathered from vendor websites of sample products and exclude freemium plans.

These ranges summarize pricing for the base plans of most products. An enterprise or premium product that is priced higher may include additional features such as advanced integrations, custom rules builder, advanced reporting and analytics, tailored onboarding, enterprise-grade security and governance, multiple team admins, and premium customer support.

Digital workplace software is typically available on a monthly subscription, based on the user count. In the subscription model, you pay a monthly or annual subscription fee based on the number of users who’ll be using the platform. Charges for support, maintenance, advanced functionality, add-ons, recording capability, and upgrades will be extra, so ask the vendor before making a decision.

Key questions to ask a digital workplace software vendor before you buy: 

• What is the pricing model of your digital workspace solution? 

• Besides the subscription fee, what other costs are associated with your product?

• Do you offer a free plan, free trial, and demo with your digital workplace software? 

How do small and midsize businesses use digital workplace software?

Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) often operate with small teams and limited projects. They need a single platform that fits into their budget and can help their remote employees access different applications and collaborate with team members and stakeholders efficiently. For this reason, they use a digital workplace solution that allows their employees to:

• Manage projects and tasks

• Create and resolve issues and cases

• Manage project deadlines

• View their calendars 

• Access and manage emails 

• Share documents 

• Communicate with other members

• Manage business processes

• Integrate with third-party applications

• Autogenerate reports for data-driven decisions

No matter whether you are a startup or a growing small business, digital workplace solutions will help your employees with digital transformation. You’ll be able to achieve your goals even in a virtual setting.

Key questions to ask a digital workplace software vendor before you buy: 

• How can a digital workplace solution help my remote employees?

• What are the features of your digital workplace solution?

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