Digital tools have more impact than cultural changes in workplace transformation: Infosys

Digital tools will have more impact on workplace transformation than cultural changes or physical elements, according to a study by Infosys Knowledge Institute, the research unit of Bengaluru-based information technology (IT) consultancy firm Infosys.

The report, titled Drive Changed from Within, surveyed over 1,300 senior leaders, working in companies with over $1 billion revenue, in the banking, healthcare, retail, telecommunications, manufacturing, energy and utility verticals.

The report showed that 57% of enterprise CXOs expected digital tools to have the maximum impact on workplace transformation. At 38%, fewer executives thought that physical elements, such as co-working spaces, smart buildings and ambience, have an impact and only 15% of the respondents said that cultural changes, such as work-life balance, upskilling and training, would benefit workplace transformation.

Additionally, the report said that CEOs were still seen as the largest driving force towards workplace transformation, with 45% of the respondents saying that they were the most influential in driving the roadmap towards growth.

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“This report reinforces that workplace transformation has moved beyond physical infrastructure and has become a key priority for the C-suite who are looking to empower their employees with the right set of digital tools and fresh experiences,” Ravi Kumar, president of Infosys, said.

Digital workplace transformation could improve collaborations, 86% of the respondents said, while 84% said it could improve customer experience. As much as 80% of the organisations in the study already have a well-defined strategic roadmap, the report showed.

Coming to planning and implementation of digital changes, 55% of the respondents said choosing the right solution/technology was a significant concern before embarking on workplace transformation. During implementation, 77% of the respondents thought that data security was the biggest challenge, while 74% thought that obtaining a buy-in across the organisation was the most challenging task.

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The top drivers that made companies seek out external partners were alignment with business outlook (60%), leveraging latest technologies (55%) and managing cultural changes (53%).