The workplace of the future

What is the difference between the workplace of today, and the workplace of tomorrow?Daniel Biondi, chief technology officer,

financial services, HP (DB): The traditional workplace, where employees work at desks at fixed locations on fixed devices supported by device-centric IT infrastructure, is quickly becoming a distant memory. Enter the workplace of the future, where employees expect the same digital experience and services they consume in their private lives to be available at work. The implications are significant, necessitating a shift in the principles and priorities that have guided organisations. To leverage the intellectual capital of the workforce and maintain a competitive edge, organisations must integrate a much more flexible and user-centric IT model into their long-term business strategies.

The workplace is moving from a device-centric model, where hardware, operating systems, applications and end-user data are bonded to a single PC, to a flexible model where each component is independent and the user is the central driver. Such a flexible model, architected for the cloud, delivers multiple applications to multiple devices and personas.

What key technologies and digital trends are fuelling the workplace of the future?DB: The changes are exacerbated by one key trend – consumerisation – and the advent of mobile computing via smartphones and tablets, which is increasingly rendering enterprise applications archaic. If users can’t access it on their tablets, they don’t. The key is to provide a ‘unified user experience’ focused on usability, collaboration and

mobility, so organisations can deliver to employees’ expectations of having the same digital experience and services they consume in their private lives at work. Specific technologies bringing this together are: Cloud computing, mobility, big data, security, collaboration, unified communications (including a virtual, interactive, 3D environment), social networking and augmented reality.

The increasing use of big data and shorter cycle times means we will also see the skills mix for employees change. Tasks that can be automated will be, and much greater value will be placed on employees who are problem solvers, creative and comfortable working with ambiguity and fast paced development.

Robert Mesaros, vice-president and general

manager, HP PPS (RM): It’s no longer about work/life balance, but a work/life blend that sees users completing their work tasks outside of the 9-to-5 business day using a range of devices at their disposal to respond, review or create. As users we are

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mobile, and our technology must move with us. The smartphone and tablet are testament to this, and have even resulted in the new ‘hybrid’ PC platform that bridges the needs of the tablet user and the notebook user to offer the best of both worlds.

How does user-centric computing impact how IT departments interact with users?DB: The expectation of instant connection to information is driving a shift to what HP calls the ‘new style of IT’. This is business-led, with IT supporting organisational goals. It is efficient, open, flexible, scalable and collaborative. Going forward, it will predominantly be made up of as-a-service and consumption-based models for speed, agility and cost effectiveness. It’s a world where cloud, security, big data and mobility all converge in comprehensive solutions to better connect with end users.

Moreover, the consumerisation of IT is driving end users to adopt technology faster than it is incorporated at a corporate-grade level. This is why IT and organisations in general need to start thinking less about machines and more about how technology helps solve the user’s issues.

RM: This new style of IT places a greater emphasis on the collaboration IT departments need to have with their end users, and the potential value IT can deliver as a catalyst for business change. End users have been adopting ‘shadow IT’ for years as a means of taking advantage of the productivity gains that smartphones, personal mobile data or public cloud storage and sharing services can offer without the rigour or red tape associated with the corporate offering. The opportunit

Daniel Biondi, chief technology officer, financial services, HP

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The workplace of the future

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is in how IT departments collaborate with their users to administer policies that enable the desired business tools to benefit both the user and also the organisation

Does this shift also change the way IT departments procure and administer IT infrastructure?DB: It absolutely does. One of the significant changes is how cloud computing is transforming the IT value chain. This encompasses everything from buying and assembling technology, to the role of procurement and brokerage of IT-based services – i.e. managing a hybrid delivery model. There is a decreased focus on the classical ‘nuts and bolts’ of IT, such as evaluating hardware, installing operating systems and managing images, as much of this is now automated and outsourced.

There is greater focus on brokering services, while instituting a governance, risk management and compliance framework, and on self-service delivery through end-to-end automation. In this space, there is a wide spectrum of sourcing options, which are largely determined by service, SLA requirements and data protection guidelines.

This change is already happening and we believe it is fundamental to building and sustaining a competitive advantage, because it accelerates the delivery of new products and features to the marketplace and enables increased agility to respond to market changes, while preserving capital and facilitating compliance to instituted risk and security frameworks.

RM: HP’s Managed Print Services is a great example of an alternate procurement style to support the workplace of the future. It takes a part of the IT ecosystem that can potentially be a sinkhole of costs, and instead employs an optimised mix of hardware shaped specifically to end users, including automated management and support services, with a strategic focus of improving workflow. And from a hardware perspective, we are seeing greater focus

being placed on mobility features such as HP ePrint that allows users to email their print jobs from any device from anywhere in the world.

What are the biggest barriers to the workplace of the future?DB: The typical barriers are: Lack of sponsorship at c-suite; lack of engagement of business units and end users; IT initiative being driven in isolation; and an organisation’s resistance to change.

What business or commercial benefits does it promise?DB: Business benefits of the workplace of the future include:• A significant reduction in capital

and operational costs;

• A dramatic reduction in procurement and provisioning lead-times;

• An ability to eliminate complex asset lifecycle management;

• An increase in operational flexibility, consistency and agility;

• Improved customer satisfaction and acquisition;

• Improved employee satisfaction, retention and productivity through providing a truly flexible workspace.

What steps should CIOs take to build an end-user computing focused framework?DB: These key tips can assist in building a framework and testing it with the objective of achieving business benefits.1. Keep the ‘Big Picture’ in mind: Develop a strategy and optimal path for addressing end users’ needs and expectations of a flexible workspace.

Understand critical success factors, benefits and challenges so informed decisions can be made that build the right path for end-user centric journey.

2. Try the model: Identify an area that can be used as a pilot or proof of concept to evaluate the proposed model. For example, involve end users and try a solution that will provide a ‘unified user experience’ including touch devices and the latest enabling technology to provide a work anywhere, anytime business experience. Keep it simple.

3. Revisit and refine: Once a solution has been tested, it’s time to revisit the strategy and determine what needs to be adjusted. Once the strategy and optimal path are

refined, then it is about ensuring the appropriate execution of the transformation to incorporate the new solution that will enable the business to achieve identified bus iness benefits.

Are there metrics CIOs can use to monitor and report back on their progress and performance?DB: CIOs and organisations in general can monitor the following key metrics:• Employee satisfaction and retention;• Business productivity gains;• Reduction of legacy costs.

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To leverage the intellectual capital of the workforce and maintain a competitive edge, organisations must integrate a much more flexible and user-centric IT model

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