COVID-19, 100% remote work, and constant adaptation by companies and teams: this is what we faced throughout 2020. In this context, maintaining collaboration and ensuring teams function effectively is no small feat. While this demonstration of agility must now become a long-term reality, the transition was abrupt, and many organizations, ill-prepared, paid the price: a rushed rollout of remote work, “unpredictable” working conditions, a drop in productivity… But once the initial shock has passed, how can we optimize teamwork, even remotely, to reap the maximum benefits, without neglecting the human aspect?
At INAGUA, we are convinced that such an approach is first and foremost operational, but also deeply human. In this context, we are offering you today some ideas for minimizing the friction arising from remote work.
Optimizing teamwork through innovative processes
According to employees, collaborative work has a particularly positive impact on knowledge sharing, team productivity, problem-solving, motivation, and creativity. The thing is, “working together” (and effectively!) is unfortunately not something that comes naturally.
Implementing process-based management makes it possible improve collaborative practices and streamline the flow of information, which is even more important when remote work is the norm! The 2020 health crisis demonstrates this: the use of collaborative digital solutions has increased significantly. Why? Because they organize, coordinate, and enable the sharing of task sequences across teams in the form of workflows.
Facilitate communication among employees, without compromising data security and the traceability of operations (dashboards, notifications, etc.) also helps break down silos; it breaks down the barriers between departments, thereby speeding up the process. Whereas a complete process used to take up to a week to complete, A collaborative tool can cut it in half : by reinventing interactions not only among the relevant departments but also beyond the company itself, within its ecosystem.
We believe, however, that to be fully effective, this process structuring must be carried out using a single tool. Centralizing data is particularly valuable because it allows project stakeholders (regardless of their location) to access consolidated information and real-time updates.
A unified collaborative “toolkit” solution such as DAMAaaS allows you to build custom applicationstailored to your company’s organizational needs, thereby optimizing remote work on a daily basis. By choosing this type of solution, you empower yourself to strengthen collaboration between your teams or between your company and its customers or suppliers, while also offering an innovative and efficient for day-to-day operations.
For several years now, the digitization of processes has been a key focus for both small and medium-sized businesses and large corporations: it is essential to a successful digital transition.
However, while the thinking is shared, the degree of implementation remains inconsistent : among our major clients, as well as at the Crédit Agricole regional banks, the Banque Populaire, and the Ministry of the Armed Forces… the issue is indeed a central one, and the teams have been established and are sufficiently staffed to handle it.
In larger companies, the IT department or Digital Transformation departments are leading this transformation, responsible for identifying and deploying all necessary technological solutions, while addressing the on-the-ground needs of business units, while engaging and educating senior management on new IT topics, security issues, and so on.
But for our small and medium-sized business (SMB) and even microbusiness clients, who is at the helm to lead this transition?
These companies are sometimes slow to address the issue, usually due to a lack of time or expertise to optimize. At their company, the CEO or a business unit manager acts as the sponsor—or, one might say, the guide—for the initiative. For example, at our client Lagarde Autoclaves, it is the Quality Manager which was selected to lead a management digitization project industrial compliance (Quality Action Plans) and then a second one focused on digitizing its customer service operations. Not really an expert in software solutions, that's right up his alley, that of manager which roles are responsible for assessing the effectiveness of a solution or tool and calculating its ROI for the company.
If you find yourself in this situation, to streamline your efforts, consider automation. It’s perfectly normal for an SME not to have the time or all the skills required for such a project in-house. Therefore, hiring an experienced service provider who can offer comprehensive support often proves to be a lifesaver.
Collaborating Using Tools: The Challenges of Training
The consequences of rapid modernization are a double-edged sword: the identified potential is certainly very real, but Be careful not to skip any steps! Rolling out new tools usually requires training teams on how to use them. Although this onboarding phase is sometimes overlooked, it can quickly lead to a significant decline in productivity and creativity, in addition to some dissatisfaction among users. It is all the more essential in a remote work setting, where communication tends to become scarce.
It is a fact that digital transformation is increasing the number of human-machine interactions. It is therefore necessary to simplify these interactions in order to encourage the adoption of these solutions and foster collaboration among users.
Choosing a solution is therefore a crucial step in setting up an ecosystem that can positively impact the way you work. You will therefore need to find the right balance between accessibility and complexity to achieve an effective workflow.
Which conductor shouldoptimize the digital transition?
To effectively lead a digital transformation project, it is important for companies to have a dedicated “project leader”—but who? Where?
Professionals are looking for new technologies, agility, and responsiveness. They use digital tools every day in their personal lives and expect find it in their professional lives. And this is all the more true in the current context of the health crisis, where most employees are working from home, which relies heavily on the use of new technologies.
Every role is a link in the customer service chain, an essential component of a successful digital transformation project. There’s no point in bypassing them or making decisions without them—they’re the ones who use the tools in their day-to-day work… So, by involving them in the decision-making process, addressing their resistance to change, and opting for collaborative workshops, you’ll successfully implement a new solution.
CIOs, with their knowledge and expertise, should be seen as true providers of agile solutions and applications. Without their help, the wheels grind to a halt, business operations stall, and customer service suffers.
As CIOs, you must therefore provide solutions to employees, ensuring the security and consistency of your company’s IT system, while offering greater agility to business units and listening to their day-to-day needs.
The conductor will thus remain impartial, listening to IT experts to ensure compliance with technical constraints while understanding customer service requirements and the needs of each business unit in order to excel in these areas. A true diplomat, the conductor ensures that the ultimate goal of customer satisfaction is achieved within the constraints of the current environment: he or she connects these goals with the resources needed to succeed and lead this transformation.
Depending on the size of your company, your internal structure, and your line of business, the lead role may sometimes fall to one person (the CIO), sometimes to another (a business unit leader)… and sometimes to the CEO (or a specific department). The key is to foster collaboration and co-creation by design.
That, at any rate, is our philosophy, with an approach that combines agile software development and Design Thinking.
