Features sponsored by the Samsung Galaxy S22 series:

Chris Buchanan, Client Solutions Director, Dell Technologies South Africa

In his #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits, author James Clear talks about incremental shifts for massive outcomes. It is the tiny improvemen­ts, he says, that aren’t even noticeable at first, that create incredible change. He goes on to prove that 1% better every day for over 365 days will comp­ound to nearly 38 times better. The opposite of which, i.e. remaining stagnant or becoming 1% worse every day, will get you closer to zero.

This seemingly simple but profound concept can have a far-reaching impact when applied to the realms of workplace transformation, particularly now as massive technological advancements sweep across the globe. However, while digital transformation signals new beginnings and better growth opportunities, the rapid change could be daunting to some, leaving them unsure of when or where to begin. Thankfully, even though change is constant in today’s business, it need not happen overnight or instantaneously.

A New Definition of Premium

For decision makers and IT managers, this is the ideal time to look at new technologies for result-driven changes. If there is one step that organisations can take for business continuity, it is to make an incremental shift in their approach to adapting to the digital era. Encouragingly, the Dell Technologies’ Digital Transformation Index study showed that South African organisations have transitioned from planning their digital transformation efforts to comprehensively implementing them. In fact, South African organisations are succeeding in their digital transformation efforts compared to the rest of the world. 51% of South African organisations were classed in the top two categories – Digital Adopters and Digital Leaders – compared to 45% globally.

For instance, the as a service (aaS) model is gaining ground and is poised to scale greater heights in today’s digital-first, location-independent work environment. We expect PCaaS to truly come into its own this year, where organisations benefit from relying on a trusted provider to simplify the daily burden of managing a PC infrastructure without disrupting employee productivity. This means by making small changes – without major overhauls - organisations can rely on a single provider to take care of all their IT needs at one monthly price with no upfront investment while maintaining performance, security and reliability over the lifetime of that system.

Workforce transformation and improving the employee experience is another area we expect organisations to continue to monitor, embrace and invest in the coming year. In an era of hybrid work, seamless transitions between devices and locations will set the foundation for great remote work experiences. Consequently, manufacturers are responding to this workplace transformation paradigm by stripping away the unnecessary to include only streamlined features that deliver a complete, seamless experience.

Augmenting PCs with technologies like Cloud, 5G and AI to offer smart, personalised and collaborative experiences is the future. It will provide organisations with the opportunity to pause, rethink, alter and amplify employee experience, as and when needed. In other words, in a world of stunning product designs and powerful technology innovations, simple and intentional, will be the new definition of premium.

A Shift in Culture

Looking ahead, more emphasis is expected to be placed on supporting a company’s biggest assets - its people, and how they work best. IT departments will be looking for ways to ensure that their technology and services are tailored to diverse teams.

The promise of hybrid work will go beyond productivity – as we believe the pinnacle of an excellent hybrid work experience will achieve balance, and will require both a culture shift and advancements in technology. As South Africa moves towards a knowledge-based economy, decision makers need to create a future-ready infrastructure that empowers new talent, amplifies the employee experience and supports a culture of innovation, collaboration and productivity.

As we look at the future of work, incremental improvements will drive the big changes. It represents a new chapter in business operations, and enabled by extraordinary technology advances it has the potential to change the way we live, work and collaborate with one another.

In the past two years, we have transformed the way we work, virtually overnight. Now is the time to think long term and make the shift to welcome an experience-focused nimble, connected and flexible workforce – even if it is by 1%, because by the power of compounding, a gradual but consistent effort guarantees a minimum of 37.78 times impactful outcomes. And that is a small step for a big change.