The 'future of work' in government

Mass connectivity, mobility, big data, predictive analysis and a workforce full of millennials are bringing both challenges and opportunities for the working environment.

With tightening budgets and pressure to introduce new productivity and efficiency measures, government departments are under growing obligation to demonstrate true value to the public.

The ‘future of work’ is an important concept for doing so. It explores how megatrends (such as the intersection of mobile, cloud, big data and social technologies) will affect the way workplaces, including government departments, will operate. It guides investment in technology, people and processes to help deliver on the value proposition now and into the future.

Globally, society is hurtling towards mass connectivity and this will continue to have a profound effect on work. Today, more than 48% of the global population has internet coverage, and by 2019 it is estimated that 71% will be using it. This increase in internet usage will see data continue to grow exponentially as more people and devices connect.

Technology is having an increasingly pervasive effect on how we live and work. It can anticipate our responses by overlaying contextual data, information and facts, and presenting this in real time. For example, your smartphone knows when you’ve left home and when you’ll arrive at work by overlaying basic assumptions from your routine behaviours and with your diary and traffic conditions. Imagine this extrapolated in a work environment.

This is fuelling an age of computer learning and artificial intelligence. Computers are already better than humans at predicting, adapting and analysing activities and are capable of nuancing our motions and working with us intuitively. The future will see computers commoditise knowledge and the change is coming faster than many anticipate.

Australian businesses can expect significant changes to operating models in every sector, including government. Everything will be sold as a service, letting government and business operate on an as-required basis. Capital investment will be reduced and this variable cost base will afford flexibility.

The rate of digital media consumption is revolutionising the way customers interact with government. Since the iPhone was launched in 2007, the amount of time spent consuming digital content has doubled every year. Consumers access 51% of content via mobile devices and social media is now a go-to source for news.

Consumers expect information instantly, on demand and in small chunks. Failing to adapt to new models will see government and business tying up capital in inventory as consumers turn to competitors who can deliver an easier and more streamlined experience.

The future of work will also be influenced by changes in the labour force. Millennials are the future of Australian workplaces and, as of 2015, are the biggest cohort in the workforce.

Millennials bring different expectations and skills: they are self-centred, open to change, creative, outcome orientated and aren’t necessarily good team players. Workplaces of the future will be designed to derive value from these strengths and perceived weaknesses.

Connectivity will change the reason millennials go to work — independent tasks or those involving focus will be completed remotely, with people going into the office for social interaction and collaboration. This means less, and different, space. Real estate costs are likely to reduce and activity-based working models are expected to evolve as more mobility will involve designing creative workspaces for team-based and collaborative activities to encourage staff to come into work and engage.

There will also be a rise of the ‘third space’ — the cafe, restaurant or communal space where people work outside the traditional office setting. Technology will need to support this style of working.

Millennials’ independence will create new approaches to labour contingency. Millennials want a better hourly rate, to be productive in their own time, work under their own conditions and be paid for an outcome. Sites such as Freelancer.com are currently creating a global contingent workforce, allowing business and government to mobilise labour at different price points and skill levels, and access this immediately.

Investing in process improvements will be critical to adapting to these changes. Business and governments need to deliver processes efficiently, be clear about the value the process creates for customers and, importantly, generate a return on investment.

Moving away from paper-based and fixed-location processes provides staff with access to information as remote and mobile workforces grow, and affords visibility over operations. It also delivers cost savings by reducing error, improving turnaround times and using less paper.

Using a proven improvement framework as part of a digitisation strategy can help to map, optimise and streamline processes. To this end, Ricoh has developed a five-step methodology to assist enterprise and government with the transition to digital, which has been successfully used for more than 4000 projects globally.

First, government departments must understand their document environment so as to provide a baseline performance indicator. The next step is to improve the document environment by creating a solution that solves today’s problems and creates a plan for the future.

Transforming the document environment requires a dedicated, expert partner that is capable of building and introducing enterprise-level solutions. This includes guiding employees through the change process with full training and support.

Once in place, a support team governs the new document environment, based on print policies and service-level agreements tailored to the organisation.

Finally, a program of continuous improvement optimises the document environment on an ongoing basis. Ricoh supports this process with a comprehensive review and audit to ensure the implemented processes are working effectively.

Redesigning the document environment is a significant undertaking. Start with a process that can deliver hard savings — one which is easily contained, has few stakeholders and is economical. Proven results will help to convince leadership on future projects.

Demonstrating and communicating the benefits to internal and external stakeholders brings them on the journey and clarifies the value proposition and propels improvement into the future, building a customer experience that delights every time.