10thThe 10th edition of the landmark research report “The Organization in the Digital Age” was released this week, revealing significant new findings about the current state of the digital workplace. Researched and authored by leading digital workplace analyst Jane McConnell, the report is based on survey data, case studies and interviews from over 300 participants across 27 countries.

The report, available at www.organization-digital-age.com, is supported by digital innovation agency Modus.

This year’s research has uncovered clear and powerful lessons for businesses and organizations pursuing digital strategies,” said Jane McConnell, the report’s author and lead researcher. “We’re seeing how central the role of vision is in driving transformation, how digitally mature organizations are crafting and implementing successful initiatives, and how challenges faced by many organizations are being overcome.”

Modus is proud to support Jane’s research, which has served as the backbone to organizational thinking on the digital workplace for over a decade,” said Scott McDonald, co-founder and managing director of Modus. “Revealing major opportunities and challenges in digital transformation, the 2016 report presents an invaluable tool for organizations of all types looking to advance their digital strategies.”

The Organization in the Digital Age includes case studies from Merck, Société General, The Guardian, Australian DTO, Danish Demining Group, Air Liquide, Navy-Marine Relief Corps Society, ALE, and a look at workplace design from Kimball Office and OFS Brands.

The report also provides in-depth interviews with Alice Obrecht, specialist on innovation in humanitarian contexts; Anne Rogers, information specialist in a global organization; Fillip Callewaert, on lean knowledge culture; and Haydn Shaughnessy author and authority on platforms and ecosystems.

FramThe report’s key findings include:

Learning

  • 50% of digitally mature organizations encourage employees to use Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for learning.
  • 56% of respondents say learning in the flow is now easy, compared with 23% three years ago.

Decision Making

  • 33% of participants say top-level managers understand and support digital initiatives.

Collaboration

  • 82% of organizations have deployed collaborative platforms.
  • 45% have ideation and internal crowdsourcing capabilities, compared with just 25% in 2011.

People Data

  • 60% of participants say the primary reason for data strategies is “understanding, managing and optimizing people in our workforce.”

Challenges

  • 40% of participants say “hesitation to rethink how we work” is a serious concern holding them back.

Key focus areas of the report include:

  • Current State of Digital – Goals; Development; Practices for Actionable Strategy
  • People & Work Practices – Digital Capabilities; Autonomy; Flexibility; Trust/Work Culture; Data Analysis
  • Customer-Facing Workforce – Organizational Difficulties; Success Factors; Data Strategies
  • Entrepreneurial & Innovative Workplaces – Horizontal Energy; Leanness, Agility & Openness
  • Fluidity – Flexibility; Mobile Workforce; Simplifying & Socializing Processes; Elastic Workforces
  • Learning & Remembering – Learning in the Flow; Retaining Knowledge; Information as Service
  • Decision-making & Investments – Decision Factors for Investment; Investment Priorities; Data & Outcome-Based Decisions;
  • Challenges – Overcoming Obstacles; Change Influencers
  • Guidance – Workable Transformation Strategy; Stronger Senior Sponsorship; Greater Sharing & Collaborating; Entrepreneurial Work Culture