If current statistics are to be believed, more than 60% of companies in Germany lack a clear digital strategy. Although we come across terms such as “virtual teamwork”, “Industry 4.0” and “digital transformation” on an almost daily basis, the prevailing view in many companies is that these topics are still at an acceptable distance and are themselves still in a development process – so there is enough time to deal with them at a later date. However, it is undisputed that the digitalization of industry as we know it today will fundamentally change our everyday working lives. Business models that have just experienced their golden age will no longer exist in the future. Experts are even talking about a significant change in work processes in up to 40% of today’s companies.
In order to redefine the competitiveness and employee attractiveness of companies, it is time to deal with this digital revolution, which also brings interesting opportunities in all areas of life.
The digital working world of tomorrow – from rarity to standard!
The digital transformation already has a firm grip on our private lives across all services on the internet, 
via smartphones and tablets. Digitalization is also advancing rapidly in our everyday working lives, which means that the question is no longer whether we should deal with this change, but when we should start and how we should approach it.
In addition to all the fears about jobs being lost due to computer-aided production processes, increasing automation and rapidly developing robot technologies, employers should prepare themselves to take advantage of the opportunities presented by this digital revolution. Job profiles such as draughtsman or typesetter are already a thing of the past and new areas of activity are emerging, such as 3D printing specialists, feel good managers or chief digital officers. Existing job profiles will almost certainly continue to exist, but here too the tasks will become more demanding with regard to digitalization. For example, anyone who currently still drives a vehicle from A to B in the logistics transport sector will be able to carry out a wide range of organizational tasks during the journey thanks to the semi-autonomous or fully autonomous driving that already exists. In the past, marketing was defined purely by conventional print media such as posters, displays or catalogs, but today we have to deal with YouTube channels, Facebook business or Google AdWords in order to reach existing and potential customers. And where just a few years ago a graphic designer or website developer needed days or weeks with highly complex software, there are now applications and apps such as “Canva” or “Jimdo” that provide this service in no time at all in a modular system and for a fraction of the previous costs.
What opportunities does digitalization offer?
- Familiar services can be offered more cost-effectively, faster and more customer-oriented on the basis of collected data
- Time-consuming manual processes are digitized
- Business travel costs and time can be drastically minimized through virtual teamwork (e.g. video conferencing, web-based project work in a data cloud)
- Companies can offer their products and services through joint online presences within the shortest response times
- Professional marketing in social networks opens up new ways to reach generations of future customers
- Processing machines network with each other “autonomously” in order to make optimum use of capacities and minimize waiting times for the customer
- Employee satisfaction thanks to a freely selectable work rhythm (from a five-day week in the office to the partial option of “home office”)
Companies that could change our everyday working lives:
Waverly Labs – “A world without language barriers”
The start-up company Waverly Labs is working on a universal translator. The plan: plug it into your ear and you can talk to customers, suppliers and business partners anywhere in the world in your own language.
(Source: www.gruenderszene.de)
DHL – Parcelcopter (self-loading drone)
The aircraft, which has been improved in terms of payload and range, interacts fully automatically with a Packstation during take-off and landing and removes or deposits the shipments and parcels. The DHL Parcelcopter is primarily used when transportation via established infrastructures is difficult and would take considerably longer.
(Source: www.dpdhl.com)
Skype for Business – worldwide online team meetings
Work as if all internal and external relevant employees and business partners were in one room, even if some of them are located in Asia or South America. Skype for Business meets all your meeting needs – from online team meetings and large-scale broadcasts to dialing into a conference via smartphone.
(Source: https://products.office.com)
Virtual teamwork: web-based project management with “Trello”
Various projects visualized at a glance? Being automatically reminded by the calendar as soon as an item is overdue? Make changes to shared team lists without actually being in the office? Access programs, lists and presentations centrally from one platform without having to jump back and forth between screens? The web-based project management tool “Trello” works with these and many other useful applications.
Summary
The digital age has already arrived in many areas, is developing on a daily basis and requires a rethink in the private sphere, in education and in working life at all hierarchical levels. Developing and implementing a digital strategy will become an integral part of every company. Companies that invest in the necessary further training in the area of digital skills at an early stage will be ideally positioned to master this transformation in the future and, almost more importantly, to qualify and inspire all employees for this journey.
by Sebastian Hähnel, trainer at Lorenz-Seminare