There once was a time when the term workplace was associated with a physical location, perhaps a building with offices and you sitting behind a desk. Today, a single team of coworkers could be working on the same project simultaneously while on different sides of the world. Technology has given rise to the digital workplace. Here, even the largest of firms can benefit from better communication and improved efficiency in their operations at lower costs than the traditional workplace. Google Workspace is an excellent example of technology that can bring so much more to a company than just the traditional workplace.   

Although there isn't a single one-fits-all definition of what the digital workplace is, there are a few key components that everyone agrees are vital: communication, collaboration, easy access to resources, and administrative control. While this isn't all there is to it, they do make up the core of an effective digital workspace.

APPS THAT ENABLE EASY COLLABORATION

Google Workspace apps simplify what used to be a nightmare for most. Even large teams can collaborate in the creation of resources and materials with the agility of a small startup. These apps include Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides, App Maker, Sites, Jamboard, and Keep, among others.

APPS USED FOR ENHANCED COMMUNICATION

Whether you're behind your desk, out in the field, or in a different country, Google Workspace helps you connect with workmates effortlessly. The core communication apps include Gmail, Google +, Hangouts Chat, Hangouts Meet, and Calendar.

APPS USED TO ACCESS RESOURCES

One of the most significant benefits of digital workplace transformation is organizations override some of the unintended barriers that come with the traditional workplace. While sensitive information should be protected properly, it shouldn't be at the expense of employees who need access to these resources for their work. Here Google Workspace provides secure cloud storage solutions that enable employees with authorization to safely access resources wherever they are as long as they have access to the internet. These include Google Drive and Google Cloud Search.

APPS USED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL AND SECURITY

The agility that comes with seamless communication and powerful collaboration is only useful if companies are able to secure and protect their resources. These apps were designed to allow this sharing while ensuring that everything is secure and doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Administrators can manage user privileges and devices with ease. The apps for this include Admin, Vault, and Mobile.

Benefits of digital workplace transformation with Google Workspace

Reduced operational costs

With Drive's cloud storage and remote access to resources, your employees will spend much less on stationery. It also reduces the cost of having your own self-hosted network. The ability to collaborate with employees on the go reduces they need for a lot of office space. Other than the essential workers needed to operate onsite, many employees can work at home or in the field, saving your business a lot in rental or real estate costs.      

INCREASED COLLABORATION BETWEEN TEAMS AND DEPARTMENTS

Google Workspace enables teams to edit the same documents in real-time and even leave comments explaining their changes. Not only does this save the time it would take to run between offices, but it's also a great tool for brainstorming. Using Sites, teams can create a one-stop resource for creative ideas and solutions to challenges in implementing projects and other work-related activities. In the event that someone missed something, they can always look it up on this site and bring themselves up to speed.

ENHANCED COMMUNICATION WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION

This is especially useful for large organizations that operate in different countries and geographical locations. It's very easy for team members in the lower ranks to feel left out or unheard. Let's not forget how hard it is to plan meetings around everyone's busy schedules.

Apps like Hangouts, Google +, and Gmail make communication within the ranks and across borders effortless. Ideas don't get lost or ignored in the annoying wilderness of protocol. Meetings can be made more productive by sharing related files and the meeting's agenda beforehand through Hangouts. This way, everyone can prepare, brainstorm, and bring their A-game to all sessions or video conferences.      

STREAMLINED RECRUITING AND ONBOARDING

From interviewing prospects to training new hires, Google Workspace provides features that simplify the process of recruiting and onboarding. Using Hangouts Meet, you can carry out interviews irrespective of your location. Once you bring people on board, you can use Sites and Drive to create a special one-stop resource filled with training materials to bring everyone up to speed. You can keep track of their performance through project management tools like Google Sheets.      

SIMPLIFIED PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Docs, Sheets, and Slides are great ways to collaborate and create materials involved in all projects. Go a step further and use Calendar to create a shared schedule showing deadlines, upcoming projects, training sessions, and more. A shared team Drive is a great way to ensure that all resources and files are available to anyone on the team. Alternatively, use Sites to create a one-stop resource for anything from schedules to project copy for all members to see.

ENHANCED EXPERIENCE

Forms are a great survey resource to collect data on the current mood in the company. Improved communication within the team means that inquiries and service delivery to clients will become less of a hustle.   

Case studies

Below are real-life examples of companies that have transformed themselves with Google Workspace :

RENTOKIL INITIAL

Rentokil Initial is an international business offering services ranging from pest control and hygiene services to landscaping. Before adopting Google Workspace, they had more than 180 email domains and more than 40 mail systems. This made finding contacts and responding to colleagues a nightmare.

Google Workspace changed all of that. They have saved millions in IT maintenance costs and significantly reduced the number of hours wasted on administrative tasks. What impressed the administrators most is how much communication between teams across the globe has improved. It's enabled their teams to share knowledge, personal work experiences, and training materials in ways they couldn't before.

RANDSTAD

Randstad is the second-largest global provider for human resource services in the world. They have more than 29,000 employees working from more than 4,500 branches around the world. On average, in a single day, they help place as many as 500,000 workers, and that figure is growing. Collaboration and communication is something they do not take lightly. Before Google Workspace, they used different emailing systems and varying collaboration tools. Not only was it hard to find contacts, but there was also a lot of time wasted on formatting files that didn't integrate with all the collaboration tools they were using.

While they haven't yet taken up Google Workspace in all their 4,500 branches, the initial results have been more than promising. A lot of the apps on Google Workspace were apps a lot of their employees were already using in their personal lives. This meant it didn't take long for everyone to get on board.  Also, Google Workspace comes as a one fits all solution for all their digital workplace needs; incompatibility was no longer a problem.

Accessing mail takes less time, employees in different countries can schedule video calls in a moment and share files instantly. They are confident that the results will be more impressive once they adopt Google Workspace in all their branches.     

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WISCONSIN

Working in a government organization requires a strong desire to serve the people. This wasn't always easy for the employees of  Sheboygan County as their systems were old, outdated. Limits on email and VPN issues locking them out of their work outside the office were a constant headache for many.

Since adopting Google Workspace, everyone agrees there was instant relief. The email limits stopped, they could access their work at home or out on the field. A nice surprise was Gmail's ability to filter out spam mail which made it easy to focus on the important stuff. Even the sheriff's department appreciates the ability to edit important documents and worksheets collaboratively. There are plans to start using Hangouts for training. While they're in the early stages of adopting all of Google Workspace's features, the results have been promising so far with a lot of enthusiasm from employees.    

FINAL THOUGHTS

Google Workspace is Google's solution to companies looking to streamline their digital workplaces. It comes as a package of more than 17 of the best applications to help you with your communication, cloud computing, collaboration and so much more. It is what makes the digital workplace possible.