World Telecommunication and Information Day is celebrated annually on the 17th of May. This year’s theme is “Accelerating digital transformation in challenging times”. It explores the limitless possibilities that technology and communication tools offer to advance business practices and improve the lives of those around the world.
Officially created in 1969, the day signifies the importance of raising awareness to bridge the global digital divide. The intranet and other information and communication technologies can vastly benefit swathes of livelihoods, from business to society as a whole. The date is chosen to mark the founding of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865 in Paris, France.
2020 and the start of 2021 have undoubtedly brought challenges to people across the globe. That’s why this year’s World Telecommunication and Information Day theme is highly relevant to businesses and communities alike. There has never been a better time to emphasize and understand the importance of digitally connecting people, even when driven apart by the pandemic.
Since the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, the shift from face-to-face interactions to digital ones was palpable. Technology provided the opportunity for a semblance of productivity for those lucky enough to be able to work from home. Staying in touch with loved ones digitally became the new norm.
The World Telecommunication and Information Day agenda for the next decade focuses on how technological advances continue to accelerate. It recognizes the part that communication technology has to play in global interconnectedness, accelerating human progress and social cohesion. But it also raises concerns about the growing digital inequity, not only worldwide, but amongst the poorest and most vulnerable in our own communities. This digital skills gap needs to be addressed in order to create an equitable and progressive society.
Why does World Telecommunication and Information Day matter?
World Telecommunication and Information Day is an opportunity for businesses, organizations, and people worldwide to unite and raise awareness of the importance of global communication and digital transformation. It focuses on software and information and communication technology (ICT) development. The day aims to promote innovation and drive investment; supporting collaboration and partnership as part of a knowledge-sharing and communication strategy.
Effective communication provides an opportunity to help the world build back better after the effect of the pandemic
The goal of improving communication through the means of software and technology ultimately affects us all. It crosses multiple sectors of business, and a myriad of countries with different levels of wealth and infrastructure capabilities, highlighting the benefits of connectivity and collaboration.
Effective communication provides an opportunity to help the world build back better after the effect of the pandemic. It holds us in good stead as we prepare global society for future challenges. Sharing resources and information through telecommunication saves lives, sustains economies, promotes organizational growth, nurtures partnerships, and brings endless opportunities to everyone from billion-dollar businesses to the developed world.
But what does World Telecommunication and Information Day have to do with intranets? Well, it comes down to digital transformation.
What is digital transformation?
We live in the age of digital transformation. It is all around us. But what does it actually mean? Digital transformation involves integrating technology and software across all levels of society, from reviving tired, aging operations to creating new ones. It is particularly pertinent when it comes to optimizing communications and establishing a culture across an organization. Digital transformation changes the fundamental operations of an environment; it breeds inspiration and innovation. Without it, the atmosphere gets stale, and newly improved techniques for working are ignored.
Tasked with improving your internal comms?
All companies have the scope to drive digital transformation in one form or another. It’s the kind of implementation that, once complete, feels like it has always been there. Improved workflows, quicker processes, enhanced communications, and a positively shifting culture are all benefits of a digital transformation project. And for many businesses, digital transformation starts with intranet software.
What does this mean for businesses?
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that there is an inherent human desire to be connected. We share lived experiences as one, even while we are all forced to be far apart. Companies have realized that as business requirements grow and employee numbers rise, digital transformation is not only crucial for collaboration; it is essential to survive and thrive.
From the digitization of the employee experience to aligning company-wide goals and targets, intranets are a must-have resource for futureproofing.
Global communications are critical for any expanding enterprise. To undertake them successfully, you need a dedicated intranet like Interact Software. From the digitization of the employee experience to aligning company-wide goals and targets, intranets are a must-have resource for futureproofing. Once viewed as aspirational, they are now absolutely essential for connected growing enterprises, particularly those operating on a global scale.
HR and recruitment teams depend on strategic and easily accessed information to manage training and onboarding; senior management can convey delicate or congratulatory messaging on an internal public forum. Internal communication professionals have the ability to evaluate new and existing content to see the uptake, and how the workforce responds. The well-documented benefits of the intranet are no longer viewed as just a “nice to have”.
Advances in technology lead to a growth in opportunity and efficiency. The digitally transformed workplace brings advantages, such as better talent attraction, more business transparency, and increased productivity. As older generations retire, new graduates and Gen-Z, raised on the internet and social media, place ever higher demands on their employer’s technology. And why shouldn’t they?
How does Interact Software accelerate digital transformation?
Well-functioning intranet software is the foundation of the digital workplace. It improves internal communication by eliminating silos and closing interdepartmental gaps, ultimately increasing innovation and effective collaboration within teams. Employees can connect over work-related projects as much as they do over photos of pets.
The digitally transformed intranet experience needs to be seamless for everyone: employees, customers, and partners alike. Technology can support this strategy with tailored content delivered via the ideal channel to the relevant person. Therefore, connecting the right messaging with the appropriate target market, without overloading individuals with updates that are not applicable to them. This approach is also a time-saver for employees within the work environment. Sharing updated documents for someone in the Finance team might not be relevant for those in Marketing, for example.
Tasked with improving your internal comms?
It’s clear that digital transformation is only achieved when the tech stack works together cohesively and connectively. Interact software supports companies going through the digital shift, whether through an enhanced employee experience or as a partner connectivity platform. Using technology to drive digital transformation helps avoid a loss of productivity due to non-efficient tools. It ensures that products integrate and operate objectively and cohesively. Ease of integration is key for strong uptake.
Connecting employees on the go
As workplaces become increasingly digitized and hybrid, intranet software supports the transition, creating hubs of connected global employees. They eliminate the need for multiple systems that all do one or two tasks well but don’t work efficiently together. It is much more straightforward to use one piece of software that unifies the workplace, tackling technical challenges head-on and uniting disparate processes.
Workplace culture can be accessed at the touch of a button, any time and place.
One key benefit to digital transforming internal commutations is the access to content on the go. Whether through a dedicated employee mobile app or a heavily-populated internal desktop intranet, providing accessible and appropriate content to the relevant employees is easy with the right software. Encouraging staff to utilize these user-friendly experiences in the workplace offers a cultural boost, reduces staff attrition, and improves interdepartmental communication.
Through the mobile app, employees carry a link to the office in their pocket. Workplace culture can be seamlessly accessed at the touch of a button, at any time or place. Familiar social networking cues, such as likes and hashtags make the interactions fun and encourage further engagement. This mobility and familiarity support the drive for connectivity throughout the entire organization. Any mandatory or critical information that needs to be observed is done at the receiver’s discretion, and smartphone security measures ensure everything is protected via pin numbers and Face ID.
Harnessing the right tools
Utilizing the right tools is critical to growth. Not having the best software for the job can hinder any digital transformation project and interfere with efficiency. Outdated tech leads to a drop in productivity and siloed teams. Technologically advanced workplaces are the cornerstone of digital transformation, setting up a virtual ecosystem in which companies can realign for the future and launch subsequent initiatives.
Tasked with improving your internal comms?
Organizations that use the correct technology solutions set themselves up for success. Internal content management supports the sharing of workplace collateral and assets, removing technical barriers, and encouraging user-generated blogs. For internal communication professionals, it is simple to create audience targeting and analyze the results, competently deriving the right business decisions and shaping future strategies. Evaluating data from internal content in this way gives an accurate measure of success and highlights areas for improvement across all levels of the business.
Encourage a sense of community
Using features that encourage collaboration within either a professional or personal environment breeds a sense of familiarity and teambuilding. Amplifying the adoption of new internal communication software allows colleagues to get to know each other outside of traditional departmental structures. Whether all about a hobby or a current business project, encouraging staff to get involved with a community can provide inter-departmental links that span offices and even countries.
Organizations that fail this test, or that are reluctant to adapt to new ways of working, are at risk of getting left behind in the seismic shift of change.
Nothing will kill off a digital transformation project quicker than a disengaged workforce. Happy employees are more productive, and they want to play their part in achieving the business goals. If workers do not feel connected to an organization, they won’t think twice about leaving if the opportunity arises. Those businesses that don’t make the effect of communicating will end up with lower productivity and a struggle for staff retention.
This World Telecommunication and Information Day, take the time to examine your own business practices and see if there are any improvements to be made. The pandemic has changed the way we work, perhaps forever. There are still many adjustments to be made to ensure that digital transformation is successful. Organizations that fail this test, or that are reluctant to adapt to new ways of working, are at risk of getting left behind in the seismic shift of change.
