Improved collaboration driving innovation and profitability for hybrid work

Hybrid work is here to stay, and companies are focused on prioritizing improved collaboration in this next normal of work to drive better innovation and increased profitability, according to a study by Forrester Consulting.

The research evaluated the state of enterprise collaboration during the pndemic, as well as companies’ plans to improve and invest in advanced collaboration to support a permanent hybrid workforce. The study finds that improving operational efficiencies (76%) and the remote (73%) and hybrid (69%) work experiences are top initiatives for businesses in the coming year as they plan their return-to-office strategies.

According to the study, the most strategic and impactful collaboration activities, including working sessions, planning sessions and group brainstorming, are the most challenging to perform, and existing tools fail to effectively facilitate those activities in a hybrid work environment.

While many companies understand the basics, they struggle with advanced collaboration and see a need for solutions that support more complex and diverse use cases, from product roadmapping to sophisticated diagramming to creating wireframes and mockups. In fact, only 37% of respondents are extremely satisfied with their current collaboration and productivity platforms.

Oranizations willing to invest in advanced collaboration solutions

Companies recognize that more advanced collaboration solutions drive better innovation and increased profitability, and these organizations are willing to invest in them to drive success in the future of work.

82% of decision-makers agree that investing in a cohesive collaboration solution helps their organizations stay competitive and maintain their industry leadership. They also recognize the need for more immersive digital collaboration experiences to optimize employee creativity (66%).

As businesses look ahead to the future, they have to look for platforms that will enable a holistic collaboration experience and drive collaboration, innovation and profitability. Among key recommendations from the study, companies should consider:

• Addressing the gaps in their collaboration strategy by implementing tools that facilitate effective workflows and collaboration
• Leveraging advanced diagramming to visualize processes and architectures for the future
• Prioritize applications that integrate with existing tools to increase deployment and adoption
• Making collaboration technology a cornerstone of the workforce – as both a talent recruitment and retention strategy

“As offices reopen and new hybrid workplace models emerge, the data shows that businesses will need to make sure they are creating a frictionless and visual experience for employee collaboration,” said Nathan Rawlins, CMO at Lucid.

“With the right solutions in place that effectively bridge silos, enable more advanced and complex use cases, and reduce roadblocks in communication and workflows, they will see benefits not just in the employee experience but also in business innovation, improved outcomes and profitability.”