By Stuart Bernard, VP of Digital Solutions at Iron Mountain

The Covid-19 pandemic is continuing to rewrite the rules governing how we live and work; no crystal ball is needed to identify that general trend. However, what is perhaps less clear is how this reshaping of our traditional work/life patterns will play out in physical, day-to-day terms during 2021.

To fully understand the impact of the virus on employment practices requires an investigation of two evolving challenges: how and where we work. These interlinked issues are already having a profound influence on a wide range of business processes and they are continuing to fundamentally and irrevocably altering the world of employment for people around the world.

Cost reduction will top business priorities

For most businesses, the need to preserve cash will be a major concern over the coming 12 months. Uncertain trading conditions customarily tighten purse strings so we can expect some near-term cost reduction measure. An agile, flexible approach to office space offers an immediate monetary benefit, which in combination with a widespread acceptance of remote working, provides ample opportunities for downsizing real estate holdings. This will enable businesses to divert cash to crucial customer-facing operations, helping protect bottom line performance.

Flexible working will enable greater workforce diversity

However, there is an enduring need for companies to provide offices for their employees, if only to support face-to-face collaborations and ensure that there’s an opportunity for direct learning and training to support career development. For many people, a single place of employment will no longer be the norm – a flexible mix of home, remote and office-based work will be the new reality. However, knitting dispersed employees together into an integrated unit is problematic. Meeting the needs of a hybrid workforce will require the implementation of seamless digital workflows that are responsive and robust enough to ensure that staff can be productive and connected no matter their location.

An unintended benefit of operating a hybrid workforce is the increased level of flexibility it provides when recruiting staff. This has the potential to open up the talent pool beyond conventional geographic areas, boosting access to skills and experience from a wider area. Once again, in order to maximise the opportunities this provides, it will be necessary to assemble a robust digital network in order to bridge physical distances as well as potential cultural ones, depending on how widespread a workforce becomes.

Stuart Bernard

Automated workflows will become critical

For 2021 it’s not just where businesses operate that’s going to change; the requirements of customers are likely to transform, too. This will be especially apparent when it comes to signing contracts and delivering services. Lockdowns and Covid-19 related restrictions on traditional in-person meetings are going to herald the demise of conventionally signed documents in many instances; they are also likely to change how records are shared and stored. An increasing reliance on digital workflows will require the parallel adoption of secure digital storage and handling. Specifically, Iron Mountain’s research reveals that IT support (49%), customer relationship management (36%) and overseeing team resourcing (34%) are the top three processes digitised in response to lockdown.

Nevertheless, efficiently storing existing physical documents or ensuring their safe destruction remain important functions that businesses should not neglect, even if they’re moving to predominantly digital workflows.

Importantly, digitising processes offers a range of benefits that will outlast the current global pandemic. According to our research sample there are four key benefits, which all deliver long-term value: increased productivity (the most popular response at 27%), time savings (20%), enhanced data quality (13%) and cost reductions (12%). Irrespective of trading conditions, there are all important developments that any forward-looking business will want to gain.

Protecting bottom line performance

How does all this work in practice? Well, a fully-searchable on-line repository will enable a company to quickly and cost-effectively access and archive documents, thanks to an array of enhanced search functions. During a period of intensified competition and pressure on bottom line performance this level of functionality delivers real-time benefits that not only meets the needs of a transforming business, it also adds value and consistency to customer services. Similarly, once in place, a properly designed digital workflow system will also be able to automate processes, allowing valuable time and budget to be preserved. What at first might look like a costly investment can quickly turn into a business driver by creating a unified and responsive platform for document and contract management with anytime, anywhere access.

Despite the changing employment patterns, 2021 will show that the physical office space will not cease to exist. Having said that, the way we remember it might change as hybrid working becomes more common place. The coming year will also reinforce the importance of enterprises being flexible and agile – those that cling onto outmoded ways of operating will lose their competitive advantage during a period of dramatic change. Importantly, in order to maximise their opportunities businesses will need to invest in the best available digital tools; adopting and adapting to a paper-free workflow aren’t optional: the next 12 months are going to transform how we create, transfer, share, store and action documents thanks to an increasing use of automated workflows.