Digital communications platforms have the power to transform organizations. They enable companies to efficiently collect, process, and deliver targeted information to customers and employees on any screen. Digital communications drive action and help deliver results by connecting an organization's two most valuable assets: people and data. Using digital communications organizations can solve problems in ten different areas, from safety to culture to customer experience.

Safety

The safety of customers, employees, and visitors is an essential concern for all organizations. By providing timely information to employees, customers, and visitors businesses can protect their well-being and welfare. Digital communications can improve awareness and enhance emergency preparedness, through real-time alerts on any screen. Additionally, digital communication can provide periodic updates on the status of an emergency situation to keep those affected informed of what is going on.

Compliance

Businesses must take the precautions required to manage compliance and communications both within their organizations and with outside parties. From FDA compliance in restaurants to ADA compliance to health and safety regulations, companies must keep up with changing rules and regulations. A robust digital communications platform can help in this effort, allowing businesses to meet regulatory requirements, improve communication with employees and customers, reduce costs, and manage complexity.

Employee Engagement

Delivering information has always been essential to running a business. However, traditional channels like paper memos, emails, and company newsletters are no longer effective. In fact, they can negatively impact employee engagement. On the other hand, digital communications deliver the right information to the right people at the right time. Real-time Information empowers employees to make better business decisions more quickly. This information can include key performance indicators (KPIs), news, weather, and emergency notifications. You can also share more evergreen content reinforcing goals, creating awareness of policies and values, and highlighting customer success stories.

By delivering information to a variety of devices, employees become more likely to check in often, even after hours or when working remotely. This emphasis on digital communications is affecting employee engagement. A Gallup study found that 34% of US workers are engaged, the highest proportion in Gallup’s history. This relatively modest number, however, indicates the untapped potential in reaching the majority of the workforce. Gallup researchers found that work units in the top quartile in employee engagement outperformed bottom-quartile units by 10% on customer ratings, 22% in profitability, and 21% in productivity.

Productivity

Organizations dedicate significant time, resources, and money to collecting and securing their data. Unfortunately, much of this data sits unused because it’s challenging to search and retrieve. With a powerful digital communications platform data can be easily accessed and used strategically. The result is increased productivity, improved decision making, and better company performance. Digital communications help increase efficiency with visual dashboards and KPI screens while reducing errors by empowering employees with key information and stats.

The business case for creating a digital workplace is compelling. The Harvard Business Review reported that organizations with strong online social networks are 7% more productive than those without these tools. McKinsey Global Institute recently found that using social technologies to enhance communications, knowledge sharing, and collaboration had the potential to raise the productivity of high-skill knowledge workers by 20-25%. A digital workspace that easily connects employees with data from any location is a powerful way to increase productivity.

Culture

From platforms like Skype to digital signage to mobile devices, digital communications are having a profound impact on organizational culture. Emails, printed memos, and even intranet sites are no longer meeting employee expectations. They want personalized real-time information where and when they need it. By embracing digital communications companies can reduce communication barriers, improve productivity and enhance company culture. Many studies have highlighted the significant benefits transparency and knowledge sharing have on the workplace. In an era when many companies have a dispersed workforce communication has become paramount to the success of the business.

Costs

In today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, margins are tighter than ever. Real-time monitoring and communication across the business can be made more efficient and cost effective by leveraging digital communications on screens across the organization. Screens can provide real-time production alerts and metrics, enable dynamic inventory location and monitoring, and optimize inventory levels. Using digital communications also eliminates the costs associated with distributing and updating print media. Finally, these platforms allow employees to monitor operations and compare them to key targets and statistics. Employees can quickly find the source of a given problem and access useful data to make better decisions, eliminating wasted dollars.

Revenue

Digital communications not only reduces costs it can drive revenue growth. Providing employees access to tools that aids decision-making empowers them to make smarter choices backed by information. This information might include real-time operations and market results, as well as increased awareness of competitor’s product offerings or services. With digital communications organizations can make timely adjustments to plans and campaigns to meet the changing needs of their customers, raise awareness of product offerings or services, improve sales through cross-selling and upselling, and drive revenues with advertising sales and promotional messaging.

Customer Experience

Strengthening the relationship with an existing customer is an easier way to increase sales than signing a new customer. Digital communications provide a powerful tool for gathering information on your existing customers and engaging them with relevant real-time information on any screen. In an airport this might include location-based information such as arrival and departure times, cancellations, and delays. For retail customers, digital communications help employees provide better customer service by linking inventory and POS to show what is available. In a service industry, visitors can get real-time updates on their place in line and be entertained with news, weather, and other content while they wait. Finally, in any business digital screens can be used to help visitors quickly navigate through buildings with interactive wayfinding or to help themselves using a self-service kiosk.

Information Management

In business today, there’s no shortage of data but it is only valuable when employees use it to make decisions. However, ways to effectively manage information are in short supply. An effective digital communications platform enables an organization to collect, distribute and present information across a network of screens from one central location. It empowers employees by allowing them to update and make changes to digital communications content without help from the IT department. 

Software and Technology

Each organization needs to decide which information management tools are the best for its unique business needs and goals. First, a company should examine which technology it already has in place and consider how well it is serving the organizations' needs. They should evaluate solutions that fill the gaps and ensure they aren't likely to become quickly outdated. Finally, it is important to choose a trusted partner that can provide installation, upgrades, troubleshooting, and security to make the most out of the investment.