If in the 1880s, all the horses were quarantined and could not be used for a year. How much quicker would the automobile have become mainstream?
A more important question is this.
After the horses were released from being quarantine for a year, how many people would trade in the automobile, they were forced to buy for transportation and jump back on their horse?
Today’s technology innovators traveled to and experienced firsthand the future of a remote worker’s world. In nearly all innovation, the innovator must imagine what the future could be based on what they believe it should be.
This virus created a future world for the workers and those who have been imagining how future work could be done. What they learned will advance innovation by at least a half-decade, if not a decade, just as it would have for the automobile industry in my quarantine horse analogy.
The many articles and arguments regarding the Work From Home movement are missing the real impact. As well, it seems many of these arguments are self-serving. Remote work is a new reality, and regardless of industries. All those in which remote work is possible, its workers will have the ability to work remotely.
Of course, if your business benefits from workers being in office buildings, the work from the home model is completely dysfunctional, according to you. On the other hand, if workers being at home brings you more benefits well, than working in the office is outdated and dysfunctional.
It is not about what you want; it’s about what’s available and what workers choose.
I believe an important benefit evaluated by workers will be the ability to work remotely. This reality will drive leaders to expand capabilities in allowing the remote worker to flourish.
So, the arguments regarding how many workers will be remote are mute. The real argument is what impacts your business or industry will have because remote work is part of everyday life. If an organization agrees that remote work will be common, then by default, they must ensure that all their business processes and customers engagements fit into that remote world.
As I have said,
“The intersection between the digital and physical worlds is where customers will evaluate their experience” These customers are both internal and external.
All business organizations must understand how to navigate themselves and their customers through the intersection, I describe between the digital and physical worlds.
In August of 2017, yes, hard to believe over three years ago. I published this article as a prescription for those denying digital realities. Here’s that Article.
It is beyond belief that e-commerce platforms and digital sales and marketing platforms are still ignored as viable customer (internal and external) experience enhancers by many of my friends in the document imaging channel.
The reasons digital realities were ignored per-virus may have been an inactive imagination of leadership; those who consulted them and misguided analysts all unsure of how they would fit in a world that scared them.
However, today, as all leaders are witnessing firsthand and participating themselves in doing things, including buying things all digitally. I can only say, it is Unbelievable, leaders are denying the realities of what they themselves are doing and benefiting from more every day as they themselves navigate that intersection between the digital and physical worlds. In reality, it is business malpractice to continue ignoring all digital realities.
As you listen to some of the conversation inside the document imaging channel from dealers, manufacturers, or the consultants and analysts some still stuck in yesterday, you would think the threats to the print equipment its supplies and services deliverables are all depending on what percentage of workers work remote. Yes, some even believe there will be page after endless pages printed in their customer’s home offices.
Here’s the real Threat- To The Document Imaging Channel
The threat to print and copy volume is not about how many workers; work remotely. The threat is about the channel’s customers changing in their business processes so some of its employees can work remotely, but all of them could. It’s in that “All of them could” statement which will force the speed to more digital processes.
As organizations become more digital, they will not allow silos of antiquated business processes to remain.
Everyone has learned a lot through this crisis; some will run from the realities of what they learned, and some will adjust and grow from what they learned.
Organizations are now scrabbling to incorporate better, more efficient processes, Like my horse and automobile example, in this article’s opening suggests. Once humans find a better experience, they refuse to go back to the old way. Instead, they continue to improve the new way.
Yes, there will be arguments regarding the need for the human to human collaboration, and those arguments have validity. However, the office of the future is here and will continually modify as it evolves. People are adaptable, and as technology enhances, so will different ways of collaboration.
There is no denying that digital transformations and increases in the pull-economy processes will leave behind all those stuck in that analog push-economy process world.
Remember my friends,
Status Quo Is The Killer Of All That Will Be Invented.
