5 Ways Technology Unlocks Our Ability to Be Human Now

NOTE: This blog was originally posted on July 6th, 2018. It has been updated and revised as of July 14, 2023

We’ve all experienced firsthand how inevitable change is, and we know it doesn’t wait for anyone. Businesses are in a fierce and unforgiving race to stay relevant and agile despite shifts in the market and greater competition. While companies have a myriad of choices for spending their money to solve problems and improve their future, they sometimes forget that business relies on the human experiences of their employees and customers.

Organizations need to align themselves with what their employees and customers need, want, and expect from their very human experiences. A company can either lead with its experiences or get pushed out of the way for the most profits.

Digital Transformation and the Human Experience

Digital transformation creates more human experiences. Future-focused companies must pay attention to how technology impacts our day-to-day lives. Working through technology is central to our productivity. AI offers new opportunities to personalize experiences, streamline tasks, and improve efficiency. It also gives us more room to be human and provide a human touch to service.

For example, companies like Apple, Amazon, Airbnb, and Google built their business models around how human beings experience technology to get what they want. Through high-performing algorithms, these companies create low-friction experiences that make the human using their technology want to get things done.

Through transformative technology, companies can provide people with the ability to live more satisfying and relaxed lives. Similarly, they help employees prioritize the human experience. That’s not all: Let’s look at five more ways technology empowers us to be human now, why many companies are missing the big picture, and how digital transformation can bring people together.

1. Save Time

Time is an asset we can’t get back, and it’s valuable for both companies and their employees. However, many organizations aren’t maximizing their time. Inefficiencies thrive when processes are convoluted: Too many handoffs, duplication of tasks, lack of visibility in progress, actionless meetings, and clumsy interactions all make for poor experiences. Workflow inefficiencies cause dissatisfaction and a sense of dread for employees. They also create poor experiences for your customers when your team can’t offer the best service possible. Without incredible workflow experiences, your best talent—and your customers—go somewhere else.

Technology built on user needs and best practices removes wasted time. Digital transformation frees up employees to focus on adding value to their roles by automating tasks and reducing the time and resources needed to complete a project. For example, automation can save an employee 23 days’ worth of time a year! 

The effects don’t end with just one person: When an individual position is improved, those benefits ripple out to other business areas. Other employees quickly recognize the benefits of digital transformation and are inspired to improve, driving widespread improvements throughout the organization.

2. Encourage Higher Value Work

Productivity is not marked by how many hours we’ve spent at our desks; it’s about how many projects and tasks we complete well. Similarly, the amount of work completed at your organization doesn’t matter if it isn’t up to the quality your team expects—especially when high-value activities are most likely to boost your bottom line. Getting ahead and staying ahead requires leadership to remove obstacles that hinder performance and empower the generation of new ideas that inspire innovation. 

Digital transformation enables you to prioritize the actions that best serve the team, corporate goals, and objectives. For example, by automating low-value work, you can ensure that high-value work can take up the majority of employees’ time and focus, empowering your team with accelerated problem-solving and innovation. Likewise, digital transformation can inspire your team to want to engage in their work, inspiring more fulfilling work experiences, enhanced creativity, and improved productivity.

3. Facilitate Innovation and Adaptability

In today’s fast-paced and competitive business landscape, innovation and adaptability are critical factors for long-term success. From constantly evolving customer expectations and fluctuating market dynamics to regulatory changes and rapid disruption, companies must be adaptive to stay ahead and respond effectively to external factors. Adaptability fosters resilience, innovation, and long-term success in a dynamic business environment.

Digital transformation enables businesses to foster innovation, explore new ideas, and adapt to ever-changing market dynamics. For example, technology facilitates innovation and adaptability within businesses by encouraging accelerated prototyping, offering data analytics and insights into inefficiencies, and freeing up time and resources for more creative endeavors.

4. Foster Communication and Collaboration

Why should workflows be stuck in silos, unfriendly systems, and inefficiencies? Additionally, why can’t more work be automated to help systems, data, workflows, and people integrate them across the organization? With digital transformation, it’s more than possible—technology can connect and lead a symphony of applications that accelerate and inform all user experiences across all departments.

All platforms contain core capabilities, but a robust platform ecosystem allows for the development of point solutions from any department or place of need. Using a single data model, your business can move faster with tremendous accuracy in its communications. Your organization gets the benefit of the core approach with the ability to tailor its operations.

5. Acquire and Retain Great Talent

The war for great talent has only become more dire over the last few years, making it more challenging than ever to not only acquire great employees but also keep them. Having up-to-date and efficient technology is the key to addressing this issue. First of all, it can help you create more desirable, efficient processes; encourage virtual collaboration; and empower your HR teams with access to data that can transform your employee experience. 

Would you want to work for a company that doesn’t grasp digital transformation and has chosen to work based on legacy systems? You aren’t going to attract and retain your most valuable workers by developing a culture that works in the past. With technology, you can enhance your reach among potential prospects, attract a diverse and knowledgeable pool of candidates, and offer the long-term support needed to retain talent for years to come.

The Frame Has Moved

Many companies are missing the big picture. They embrace an operational philosophy that has historically performed well. But, the frame has moved, and the user has redefined requirements. Company leadership remains stuck in a comfortable past and tries to improve operations in a picture that no longer exists. And the truth is adding technology without addressing processes is going to make everything worse.

Companies that have been able to focus on high-value work through technology are succeeding in their digital transformation journey. They have a new frame to look through and, with that, a new mindset for delivering value in the dynamic and demanding digital buyer and employee landscape. Everyone’s workflows and processes are more agile and adaptable to operational adjustments and unexpected shifts in the marketplace.

Digital Transformation Can Bring People Together

When employees know how their actions impact the whole, their purpose sharpens. They have a better understanding of how the organization works and where their performance adds value. Transformative technology and immersive platforms bring people together, giving them visibility into the greater whole while removing workflow redundancies that slow the speed to market.

The fact is, most human beings prefer working together to working alone. Digital transformation feeds the ultra-social side of individuals and compels them to rally together to accomplish great things. Working with others while working from home demands the flexibility of a system that allows for the coordination of either work environment while tracking all efforts.

The happiest and most successful people I know are flexible and adaptable while anchored to core principles. Companies are no different.

We must create a company culture that embraces change to transport itself to a superior future—not one that sees change as a threat. However, investing in technology for the sake of having technology is a fool’s errand. It’s all about investing in the right technology: All companies begin and end with the quality of their people. Technology can help give them the best tools for the job. Companies that adapt to digital transformation and modernize the user experience will garner a disproportionate share of the profits while others struggle. If you’re a leader, be human now by insisting on superior digital experiences for all users.

Rely on Technology Support from Crossfuze, a ServiceNow Elite Partner

Implementing the right technology requires careful planning, excellent collaboration, and a structured approach based on best practices. Partnering with a ServiceNow Elite Partner like Crossfuze ensures you’ve covered all of your bases, offering you maximum benefits from start to finish.

If you’re searching for a ServiceNow Partner to help you drive digital transformation, upgrade from legacy systems, and achieve your goals, we’d love to hear from you. Crossfuze is a ServiceNow Elite Partner, making it a top 1 percent partner for delivering long-term, consistent success globally.

Reach out to us at LetsTalk@crossfuze.com to learn more.