Preparing Enterprises for the New Normal: The Rise of the Borderless Digital Workplace

WEBINAR RECAP

If you have any questions, please contact events@avasant.com.

On May 7th, Avasant CEO Kevin S. Parikh was joined by Kalyan Kumar, Corporate Vice President & CTO of HCL Technologies; Sanjay Poonen, Chief Operating Officer of VMware; Rakshit Ghura, VP & Global Head of Digital Workplace Services of HCL Technologies; and Naresh Lachmandas, Former CIO of General Atomics, Principal & Senior Fellow of Avasant, to deliver a thought-provoking discussion on designing and supporting remote-first strategies and scaling remote workspaces.  

Lachmandas introduced the event with the recognition that the current pandemic has forced many companies to make critical business decisions instantaneously as they switch from working in the office working from home. This is a dramatic shift for what he believes will change the operating model for many companies. He closed by posing a question to the panelists and leaders that will be joining this digital forum: Can we get a glimpse of what the world will look like in the new normal, and what we, as leaders, are going to do to help companies in this journey?  

Parikh opened the conversation by explaining that we are facing one of the most challenging issues that we have faced in the last decade. He then gave insight into how the world has changed in an instant, and how he has focused his story around Digital Singularity, his self-authored book about moving into a new way of communication, along with the importance of working together, and the type of technologies required for us to succeed. With Covid-19 and all its challenges, one of the bright spots in this is the ability to reconnect. In March 2020, Avasant went virtual in one day, something that was expected to take five years in terms of adoption. He continued by explaining that with this new model of working we will need to continue to develop new standards for communication, health and culture. Additionally, he points out that the biggest challenge ahead due to this crisis is not just communication but also the rise of borderless digital workplaces and the new technologies that will make our experiences better. As enterprises invest in hybrid working environments, our way of working will forever be transformed.  

Continuing the conversation, Kumar gave a big thank you to the front-line workers, essential workers, and the entire ecosystem. He discussed the impact COVID-19 has had on communities, businesses, and technology, claiming that no business is immune. Cities remain under lockdown with social distancing in place, which will continue. Kumar places emphasis on the employee/people standpoint, pointing out that we can and need to bring empathy and technology to serve humanity. He claims that empathy and being human are the most important aspects during this transition. He highlights the fluidization of the workplace focusing on six big factors that can be leveraged today: talent, cloud, AI, ecosystem, and experience.  

Next, Poonen gave some insight into how VMware has been handling the crisis by helping the community and their employees. He draws attention to the testament of human will as they successfully virtualized an event for 15,000 people. By turning attention first to the health and wellbeing of employees, the company and employees can focus on reaching out to offer help to clients 24/7. He notes that productivity has significantly improved, and that there will continue to be better engagement. Poonen focuses and draws importance to the continuity of a trifecta of solutions that are highly relevant: delivery of digital workplaces on mobile and virtual desktops, securing endpoints with visibility and compliance, and securing and optimizing app delivery to the home. He closes by stating that all of us during this time need to look deep at how we continue to grow, and he encourages everyone to develop routines to drive growth.  

Ghura concludes with a discussion around creating a strategy for working from home. He reviews five areas that will be essential for business continuity: infrastructure and tools, user security and network, employee health and wellness, digital dexterity, and culture and compassion. Following this, he discusses the HCI Fluid Workplace Remote Productivity & Solution Pack that has been developed with VMware. The solution highlights aspects that are becoming increasingly more important as we work from home including the virtual workspace, remote collaboration, remote-friendly support & guidance, remote UX monitoring, device enablement, compassionate change management, and adaptive security. He explains that they are working closely with VMware on endpoint management and protection to provide remote security against cyber threats. Following this, he shares the Telecommuting Readiness Assessment and Consultancy that they are providing with focus on technology and business. The outcome is a digital contingency plan that outlines the initiatives needed to make the workplace and experience best in class.  

Lachmandas gives the final takeaways, highlighting the importance of employee experience and resiliency that organizations need to develop.