Do Digital Tools Make us More or Less Productive at Work?

Technology has influenced almost every aspect of our life. In fact, we cannot imagine a day or two without the use of tech gadgets. From smartphones to PDAs and laptops to tablets, we are living in an age where spending your time without these handy gadgets is almost impossible.

With the evolution of technology, various digital tools emerged to help us work smartly, be more productive and save our time. However, the question is whether these digital tools help us be more productive or just waste our time at work. To give a brief overview, let us have a look at some of the studies and statistics revealing the facts.

• Employees who work in digital workplaces are not only more productive but also more motivated, have higher job satisfaction, and report an overall better sense of well-being, according to a new global study from Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.
• In a report by Aruba Networks, almost three quarters (74%) of the employees that work in fully-enabled digital workplaces said their job satisfaction is good or very good, while 70% reported their work-life balance to be good.
• Employees were also 60% more likely to say they are motivated at work and 91% more likely to praise their company’s vision when using digital workplace technologies.

Few people might disagree that the use of digital tools at the workplace has a negative impact on employee’s productivity. However, the article is centered on looking at the brighter and darker side of the statement. Let’s get started.

Revenue Growth

The purpose of any digital tool is to reduce the amount of work and be more productive. For instance, if an accounts manager has to prepare financial statements for a whole year manually, what are the consequences? There are a number of chances of human error while adding or subtracting numbers.

On the other hand, if the same accounts manager utilizes tools like QuickBooks or Sage, the chances are fewer to none for any error. Imagine if the same thing applies to the whole organization. Think about the level of productivity that can be achieved, provided every employee is equipped with relevant tools to help complete their job.

Communication on the Go

The rise in digital tools has filled the gap of communication that people experienced in the 80s and 90s. With the rise of social media websites and apps like Slack, Skype, and WhatsApp, businesses can now communicate 24/7.

With that said, 24/7 access can help organizations communicate anytime and anywhere without any limitations. They can provide support to customers, answer queries, and address any concerns on the go. Moreover, employers can connect with employees and communicate their concerns whenever they want.

Imagine old means of communication, such as postal mail where you had to wait for the mail to be delivered and receive a reply. Moreover, contacting someone on the landline was also quite challenging, as the availability of the person was uncertain.

Scheduling Tasks

There are thousands of tools and apps that help you keep track of your important tasks. Missing an important task at a certain time means a huge loss to the company. Imagine that you had to dispatch a parcel at 12 noon but were unable to do so on time because of some other engagements. In the end, you lose the client as well as money.

However, on the contrary, digital tools help you keep track of your important tasks. Trello, Todoist, and MyLifeOrganized are some of the tools that can manage your list, prioritize them and notify you on the go.

Securing Sensitive Data 

Sensitive data in today’s digital era is a big concern for financial institutions and enterprises. Organizations that collect data have to be very careful as the loss of data can result in a huge setback. Especially, if the organization is using hard drive or USB to store data, it might be vulnerable to viruses, malware, and hacking.

Digital tools have somehow facilitated enterprises to store data securely. Google Drive, Dropbox and Amazon Drive are some of the tools that can be used to store data as well as scale up with the passage of time.

Networking Capabilities

Networking capabilities and opportunities have increased with the rise in digital tools. Companies can connect with anyone working in the same industry or approach potential clients interested in their products or services. For instance, Twitter and LinkedIn are widely popular to make connections. It does not require any cold calling or emailing, just connect and say your word.

Before the emergence of these tools, imagine how difficult it was for business people to connect with the influencers and potential customers. They had to meet in person with an extra cost to bear if they resided outside the town or country.

Remote Access to PCs

With the evolution of technology, managing multiple devices has gone a lot easier. For instance, Thin Clients help you and your employees to access virtualized desktops and applications in VDI environments with zero downtime and maximum productivity. You do not need to spend extra money on maintenance of devices or cooling equipment.

Thin Client has proved to be a game changer in terms of revamping IT infrastructure. Easy to install, setup and run, you can enhance the productivity of your employees. It facilitates access to virtual desktops and applications anywhere, anytime and from any device.

Conclusion

Digital tools have played a positive role in enhancing the productivity of employees and led to greater revenue generation. However, sometimes these tools are used in excess, which might hinder workflow and productivity. For example, using social media websites for your entertainment instead of promoting the business and interacting with clients will lead to a negative impact.

Organizations that deploy several digital tools without any purpose can also distract employees, their productivity and workflow. It is important to analyze the tools before you deploy and evaluate how they can enhance productivity and efficiency of the company.