The 4 defining characteristics of effective digital workspaces

Not so long ago, it was believed that for teams to be productive, they required long hours confined in a physical office space with constant face-to-face interaction. To be fair, given the primitive state of digital collaboration tools at the time—which was pretty much limited to emails—there wasn't really a solid alternative to this scheme, so companies worked with what they had. Today, digitalization has made it possible for several people to seamlessly work together while being halfway across the world from each other. Exponential advancements in virtual workspaces have not only enabled teams to work as well as they did when they spent all day in the office, but have also proven that people are actually more productive the less they have to deal with alienating cubicles and two-way trips along traffic-congested highways. Not all digital workspaces have been equally effective, however. Yet decades of iterating and optimizing have finally given us a solid idea of the most important characteristics these spaces must have to reach their full potential. So what are they? Read this infographic to find out.

View: The 4 defining characteristics of effective digital workspaces

The 4 defining characteristics of effective digital workspaces

Not so long ago, it was believed that for teams to be productive, they required long hours confined in a physical office space with constant face-to-face interaction. To be fair, given the primitive state of digital collaboration tools at the time—which was pretty much limited to emails—there wasn't really a solid alternative to this scheme, so companies worked with what they had. Today, digitalization has made it possible for several people to seamlessly work together while being halfway across the world from each other. Exponential advancements in virtual workspaces have not only enabled teams to work as well as they did when they spent all day in the office, but have also proven that people are actually more productive the less they have to deal with alienating cubicles and two-way trips along traffic-congested highways. Not all digital workspaces have been equally effective, however. Yet decades of iterating and optimizing have finally given us a solid idea of the most important characteristics these spaces must have to reach their full potential. So what are they? Read this infographic to find out.

View: The 4 defining characteristics of effective digital workspaces

Japanese waitress and self-taught Power BI and Azure developer digitally transforms her restaurant--and the industry

For Akiyoshi Shinobu, a waitress at Ebiya restaurant in Ise, Japan, creating superb dining experience for customers and a great place to work for colleagues has always been a passion. To accomplish both, she enrolled in a nearby computer school, and on her own time, taught herself Microsoft Power BI and Azure, and also became proficient in machine learning and A.I. Her immediate goal was to visualize the data generated by customer visits in order to improve the dining experience, deliver better service, and reduce food waste by the restaurant. Today, the applications that she developed for Ebiya have been so effective, and become so well respected, that other restaurants and larger enterprises in the food service industry are calling upon Akiyoshi to help solve their problems. Watch the video to learn more about her incredible story.

Japanese waitress and self-taught Power BI and Azure developer digitally transforms her restaurant--and the industry

For Akiyoshi Shinobu, a waitress at Ebiya restaurant in Ise, Japan, creating superb dining experience for customers and a great place to work for colleagues has always been a passion. To accomplish both, she enrolled in a nearby computer school, and on her own time, taught herself Microsoft Power BI and Azure, and also became proficient in machine learning and A.I. Her immediate goal was to visualize the data generated by customer visits in order to improve the dining experience, deliver better service, and reduce food waste by the restaurant. Today, the applications that she developed for Ebiya have been so effective, and become so well respected, that other restaurants and larger enterprises in the food service industry are calling upon Akiyoshi to help solve their problems. Watch the video to learn more about her incredible story.

Mercy Housing keeps residents safe at home using Microsoft Teams

When the pandemic ushered in a new reality of social distancing, Mercy Housing was able to continue supporting the residents and communities it serves while keeping everyone safe using Microsoft Teams. This customer story video outlines when COVID-19 created a tremendous need for a tool that can maintain personal connection, Teams has allowed the company to maintain reaching residents and serving its communities, growing the business while working remotely, all while supporting highly secure environments for remote work.

Why Remote Work Trumps Being in the Office

It's no secret that when implemented with the right vision and control mechanisms, remote collaboration provides outstanding benefits for both employees and organizations. Workers enjoy greater flexibility plus the satisfaction of better work-life balance, while organizations obtain unparalleled scalability and increased efficiency across projects. In this article, we'll put you in the shoes of a passionate work-from-home advocate to discover the main reasons why this benefit is sought after by professionals in every industry. You'll also learn why, in these digital times, remote collaboration is not only an option, but THE best option for companies that wish to empower and motivate today's diverse and inclusive workforce.

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A digital workspace that transforms ideas into revenue. Subscribe now to learn more about Microsoft Teams.

Innovative ideas are an organization's greatest asset. Yet these assets need the appropriate space to grow, evolve, and transform into revenue-generating initiatives. Whether digital or physical, today's workplaces need to harness the synergy of everybody involved and empower them to share and collaborate in an environment that fosters productivity. These workplaces also need to adapt to everybody's needs and remain intuitive for the entire team, regardless of age, background, or gender. Subscribe now to stay current on the latest digital workplace trends, and discover how you can foster inclusion and innovation across your business with the help of Microsoft.

View: A digital workspace that transforms ideas into revenue. Subscribe now to learn more about Microsoft Teams.