In London today, I was honoured to open the Intranet Now conference, the intranet event that the UK has needed for years.

The talk explored what the digital workplace is, where it’s heading, and how to ensure that what’s delivered is in fact better.

Key points:

• Organisations are still a mess, with tasks hard to do, and information difficult to find.
• There is a wave of digital change that is now starting to improve how we work, beyond a focus just on the customer.
• A definition: “The digital workplace consists of the holistic set of tools, platforms and environments for work, delivered in a coherent, usable and productive way.”
• The focus should be on: “The digital workplace consists of the holistic set of tools, platforms and environments for work, delivered in a coherent, usable and productive way.”
• In practice, however, it’s the journey that’s the important thing (how do we get there from here?).
• There are three streams to the digital workplace journey: technology, business and design.
• Technology: make the most of available technology, like the amazing “MyColes” solution delivered to 100,000 staff working in supermarkets.
• Design: deliver business solutions, not naked platforms. Robin Partington & Partners, and Prestige Auto are extraordinary examples in the 2015 Intranet Innovation Awards.
• Design: use design as the ‘force multiplier’ of the digital workplaces.
• Lots of people, including IT, are now talking “digital workplace”. How do we make sure we have a seat at the table, and that we’re helping to shape a great outcome?
• Three ways that we, as professionals in this space, can add unique value:
  • Technology: be the expert on change management and adoption.
  • Business: be the expert on how the business ticks, and where the pain is.
  • Design: be the expert on usability, UX and web design.