Trends and developments: What will the working world of the future look like?

You no longer need a crystal ball to take a look at the working world of the future. Many developments that could only be expected within the next few years are already visible today. The main reasons for this are rapid digital progress and the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

For Boban Kudranovic, Head of Marketing at the DEKRA Arbeit Group, one thing is certain: "Those who demonstrate flexibility and team spirit will have a clear advantage in the future."“

 

The corona crisis as a digitalization accelerator

As the saying goes? There is an opportunity in every crisis. Even if this quote may sound trite, it should be seen as motivation, especially for companies in these times. Because while the pandemic has been making life difficult for the economy for over a year now, more and more companies are focusing on the all-important digitalization of their services and processes.

In our view, this is an inevitable step, as the dynamics of the pandemic are virtually forcing the implementation of digital technologies. This applies to companies as well as schools, administrations and other areas of life. The past year has shown that organizations with a functioning digital infrastructure are at a particular advantage.

For everyone else, even if the topic of digitalization was rather neglected before the coronavirus crisis, it is not too late to initiate the digital transformation process and align your own company with the opportunities of digitalization - e.g. in the form of new forms of work, increased digital interaction or data-driven services.

Boban Kudranovic: "Companies and organizations should waste no more time and push ahead with their digitalization immediately. The more digital they are in the future, the more flexible and resilient they will be, even in times of crisis."

New business models thanks to digital transformation

However, the digital transformation of a company does not happen overnight and is a process that is as important as it is complex. Digital transformation is not just about replacing analog products with digital equivalents (e.g. converting print articles into blog articles). It goes one step further and uses the new information and communication technologies as an opportunity to transform entire service offerings and business models. A simple example of this is mail order companies that used to offer their products exclusively via catalogs and now use web stores and apps instead, where customers can find products tailored to their needs with the help of a perfectly designed customer journey, artificial intelligence and virtual reality. The digital transformation therefore requires the development of new online-based business models that question previous processes and always focus on the "digital customer" and their changing needs.

Of course, business partners and employees must not be left out of the equation. They too should and want to use digital technologies for networking and exchanging information. After all, even a digitally oriented company can only be productive if everyone involved works together constructively and forms a strong community. This is precisely where we at DEKRA come in with our Vision 2025.

Boban Kudranovic: "The digital transformation will present companies with major challenges in the future. However, if implemented correctly, it also offers enormous potential to increase efficiency and sales and strengthen customer loyalty in the long term."

E-learning for employees

Professional development and further training will also be essential in the working world of the future. However, they are also shifting more and more to the digital world - and are becoming so-called e-learning. This refers to all forms of digital learning that can be carried out conveniently on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Thanks to them, traditional face-to-face events are becoming less and less necessary - a particular advantage when it comes to being able to offer training for employees during the current crisis, for example. However, further training on digital devices does not necessarily mean that employees have to work alone: E-learning also makes it possible to learn together with other course participants and under professional guidance.

E-learning can also be perfectly integrated into everyday (working) life, as employees do not have to be at a certain place at a certain time. Instead, they can access the learning content exactly when it suits them best. They can also work through the content at their own pace and check what they have learned with the help of short questions and tasks.

However, digital training courses only make sense if they are designed to be understandable and simple and if the participant has sufficient technical understanding. If the employee feels overwhelmed by the software or the difficult learning content, it is highly likely that they will abandon the course early on.

Boban Kudranovic: "E-learning is an excellent way to familiarize yourself individually with a topic or to deepen your knowledge in an area. For companies, they are also cheaper in the long term than face-to-face events, which may also incur travel and accommodation costs. Nevertheless, face-to-face events will remain indispensable in many professions in the future, e.g. if personal experience or practical learning content is to be taught."

Increasingly digital communication and collaboration

Instant messenger, video telephony, voice messages - these communication technologies have long been taken for granted in the private sphere. But in large parts of the working world, they were still rather rare until recently. Larger meetings were held face-to-face in conference rooms, business trips were made around the world and teamwork often took place in a shared office.

This has changed fundamentally in many industries since last year - and will remain a trend even after the coronavirus pandemic. Companies will increasingly rely on digital communication and collaboration. The following collaboration tools will be used, for example:

• Communication software for text messages, voice chats and video conferences
• Software for project management, coordination and distribution of tasks
• Software for collaborative editing of documents
• Services for storing and transferring data
• Intranets

Boban Kudranovic, Head of Marketing at the DEKRA Arbeit Group: "When selecting collaboration tools, the team should firstly discuss what specific needs exist. On the other hand, the combination should not be too complex, as otherwise it can make the workflow and familiarization more difficult. At the DEKRA Arbeit Group, we see this cohesion as our greatest asset and the basis for a continued successful future. Values such as trust, reliability and open cooperation are our guarantors for good collaboration with customers, employees and colleagues. It is not for nothing that we have firmly anchored these values as our guiding principles in our Vision 2025."