IP Converge Data Services Inc. (IPC) recently revealed that integration of various digital tools and solutions in the workplace will continue to lead as increasing trends and the benefits that go with them emerge. The adoption of digital tools which started in 2016 extends to 2017 and beyond, as Filipinos become more digitally reliant not only in their personal lives, but at work, as well, IPC Director for Product Management and Marketing Niño Valmonte said.
With the horrendous and anarchic traffic situation occurring daily, Valmonte also pointed out that telecommuting is a viable option for working people, as well as small, medium and large enterprises and large enterprises. Moreover, these businesses are also planning to look at the possibility of implementing “work-at-home” or “work-from-anywhere” options. “With almost everyone having devices and Internet connection at home or on the go, the option of telecommuting is viable for employees who want to stay productive,” Valmonte said. The Department of Information and Communications Technology expressed its support to these initiatives during the first DICT Summit in November. In their resolution, the DICT said they recognize that the amount of time spent on the road decreases work productivity, which translates to a P240-billion revenue loss every day.
With the proliferation of various SaaS (software-as-a-service) business applications available today, companies can maintain and even increase productivity anytime and anywhere, according to Valmonte. G Suite, Google’s office collaboration suite, is a viable option, especially for small and medium enterprises’s, where it enjoys almost 50-percent global market share, he added.
The future of telecommuting is seen to be clearer in light with high smartphone penetration rate, which is expected to reach 70 percent by 2018 and general price reduction of other mobile devices becoming prevalent in the market, Valmonte added.
Online chat apps allow teams to both collaborate in open forums or just casually talk or catch up in private messages. This saves precious time and effort since employees need only to type on their PCs or even in their mobile phones anytime and anywhere. Instant messaging tools are useful in the workplace because everyone can see what’s going on in real time. “It’s just like a meeting but better since everything sent is saved and archived,” Valmonte said.
According to a study made by We Are Social, the Philippines emerged as the country that spent most time spent on social media each day, with an average time of five hours and 12 minutes. Knowing the potential of an internal office messaging system, several online companies released their own services dedicated to optimized online collaboration at work.