There have not been as enormous medical emergencies as we have seen throughout the year 2020 due to the Covid-19. People have been bound to stay in their homes, leading to a financial crisis for individuals as well as businesses. Before the pandemic, people who have been doing their businesses in the online digital workplace did not have to face many problems during the pandemic. However, the most concerned and affected community includes physical businesses and the jobholders as everybody was forced to work digitally.

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What will be the future of post-pandemic digital workplaces? Or will there be any difference at all? In the currently given shift of businesses from physical to the online workplace, it seems that we are going to observe some massive changes in the digital workplace once the pandemic is over. Many people who were previously jobless and were struggling for survival have adapted to the digital workplace. It has reduced their set up cost and simplified the transport of goods and delivery of services. A pandemic may have cost thousands of human lives, but it has opened multiple income streams for those previously struggling with their financial situations.

A Blessing in Disguise?

Extreme circumstances teach more than typical situations. Most people did not take digital workplaces seriously before the pandemic, but when they were bound to stay in their homes, they started to explore products or services online. Similarly, those who have already been selling through digital workplaces have experienced a sudden boost in their revenues due to the Covid-19. On the other hand, buyers have also started to feel comfortable by placing their orders online while being at their homes. The comfort level both for the buyer and the seller seems to improve in the future further. So, we are likely to witness a boost in online businesses in the future, even when the pandemic is over.

Will Companies Migrate from Physical to Digital Workplace?

Most companies have already started migrating their physical offices into digital workplaces, and many of them are already operating them successfully. Although this shift is made due to the pandemic, we can expect it to continue once the pandemic is over. Here you can find 5 reasons to consider work from home for your organization. There can be numerous reasons for that, such as reduced set-up costs, no tea or coffee expenses for their employees, not much infrastructure needed, no rents and bills, or hassle of commuting to the workplace. Considering these advantages, every company will jump into digital workplaces to minimize its cost and maximize its profit. Although they still need to make a few reforms and get used to the cloud-based systems, they will always have the option to avail themselves of teams of experts to manage their online business meetings, communications, and delivery of products or services. However, it may not be possible for specialized manufacturing jobs to work on digital platforms.

Boost in Cloud-Based Video Conferences and Live Sessions

Many companies have already been doing their business meetings through on-site server-based videoconferences using various conference rooms. However, these outdated solutions created many problems during the sessions, making the IT teams stay active throughout the conference to handle those problems. So, cloud-based video conference software tools have become necessary for those companies as they improve the performance, reduce cost, and allow the participants to join from anywhere in the world and any device. These tools have also cut down the price for physical setups, such as the infrastructure, technology, servers, etc. So, in the post-pandemic world, we may see further boost in the adoption of cloud-based video conferences by all big and small companies. Have a look at our consolidation of ways for employees to connect in a virtual world.

Will Employees Prefer Working from Home?

One of the companies’ biggest costs has always been their employees in the office and on work sites. Companies spend thousands of dollars daily for their employees’ infrastructure, computers, electricity and water bills, refreshments, stationery, and more. Although most companies include these expenses as part of their annual budget, these are massive amounts that companies have to bear. As per a report, only 15% of employees worked from home before the Covid-19. However, during the Covide-19, another 35% of employees started working from home. This means that half of the workers are currently working digitally. Both the companies and the employees have benefited from this online shifting. Companies have saved massive amounts they used to spend on their workers and on maintaining their offices and warehouses, etc. While on the other hand, employees don’t have to waste their energy in getting dressed up and travel to their offices, which has also saved their time and money. With the health situations getting worse by pandemic, we have seen a further increase in the number of employees working from home. This number will keep increasing over time because companies have acknowledged that they can save a massive amount of money if they keep going this way.

Access to the Global Market

Multinational companies always make higher revenue as compared to the companies that sell in a local market. Local companies usually sell within a city or a state, so their target audience is limited to a particular area. Pandemic has made most companies trade in the digital workplace, so they have access to a broader audience now. Companies that were limited to sell within their cities or states can now get orders from multiple cities and states in their countries. So, even without moving to the global market, they have a massive range of customers from all over the country they are based in. As the trend continues, we can assume that these local companies will also expand their businesses to the international markets in the future. In this way, they will have access to an unlimited range of customers from all over the world, and they will see a massive boost in their revenues.

Prioritize Security

Considering the increasing number of employees working online from their homes, companies need to ensure that they have secured their confidential and essential data. Sensitive software and tools used by companies should be protected to avoid being hacked or misused by anyone. Companies must consult the relevant expert IT support teams who censor the essential data and take appropriate measures to ensure that system security keeps its pace. Although the companies’ overall setup cost will decrease following their shift to digital workplaces, they must have a specific budget for their system security. In this way, they may spend thousands of dollars on protecting their essential files and data, but in the long run, they may be saving millions of dollars by avoiding cyber-attacks or data theft, etc.

Author BIO:

John Hamlin is a freelance industrial manufacturing writer who has a keen interest in new technology. John writes for a variety of websites and has compiled a multitude of articles related to automation and how technology changes not only how we manufacture products but also how we work.