From AI to Office 365: How DWG’s research programme will help DWG members get ahead in 2018

Digital Workplace Group (DWG) is delighted to announce the topics for its upcoming member research programme for 2018.

For more than 12 years, DWG’s expert research programme has been trusted by DWG members to deliver focused insights across both intranet and digital workplace good practice. In fact, in our latest survey, 83% of members said that access to research and case studies is one of the best things about DWG membership! The selection of topics is guided by a combination of DWG’s unique insight into the industry, together with member priorities for the year ahead.

The range of topics this year spans digital workplace practices from developing a strategic approach and delivering impactful collaboration, to getting to grips with AI and making the most of Office 365. Together, these comprise some core areas of intranet and digital workplace practice, building on the current library of 70+ reports.

From time to time, DWG also makes a report available publicly for free download.

Here are the seven topics we’ll be covering in the coming year:

1. Collaborating in the digital workplace: how to have and to measure impact

In previous reports, we have explored best practice approaches to defining and implementing collaboration in the digital workplace. In this new research project we will go a step further, focusing in on how digital workplace teams can ensure that these efforts have impact – and how to measure and communicate that impact. The report will illustrate the guidance with some powerful examples of how organizations are already doing this successfully.

Related research:

• The art of collaboration: Optimizing online collaboration for success – download the executive summary
• Successful social intranets: Creating business value through strategic alignment and adoption planning – download the executive summary

2. Taking a strategic approach to the digital workplace: teams, structures, methods

DWG’s digital workplace management reports – covering topics such as roadmaps, governance, UX and more – combine to form a playbook for digital workplace and intranet teams wanting to fast-track the programme. This year we’ll be adding to this robust collection with new insight into how to take a strategic approach across the various elements of the programme, including the make-up of the team, the wider structures involved, and methods for developing and implementing the strategy.

Related research:

• Digital workplace integration: Key approaches to drive benefits – download the free report
• How mature is your digital workplace? What leading organizations discover from the DWG Digital Workplace Maturity Benchmark – download the free report
• Digital workplace roadmaps: From strategy to implementation – download the executive summary

3. Office 365: a detailed look at the wider suite

Following on from our popular report “Office 365: What digital workplace teams need to know”, we’ll be taking a deeper dive into Office 365 to help digital workplace teams gain greater understanding of the wider suite. Through detailed examples from organizations utilizing the suite extensively, the report will explore opportunities, approaches and potential pitfalls of tools such as Planner, OneNote, Flow, Dynamics, Powerapps, PowerBI, Delve and Graph.

Related research:

• Office 365: What digital workplace teams need to know – download the executive summary
• The SharePoint 2013 Intranet: An evaluation of SharePoint 2013 as a platform for intranets – download the executive summary

4. Digital literacy in the workplace: how to raise the organization’s digital IQ

The digital skills of the workforce are a key contributor to the success – or otherwise – of digital workplace programmes and initiatives. In this report we will explore why digital literacy matters as well as the range of key digital capabilities employees need, from basic technical skills through to using tools to collaborate and innovate, plus adopting new mindsets towards workplace technology. It will also highlight key approaches to improving the organization’s digital IQ.

Related research:

• Is your organization ready for the digital workplace? – download the executive summary
• The Inside-Out Digital Leader: Digitally transforming your organization from within – download the executive summary

5. Successful intranet migrations: strategies, approaches, tactics

This highly practical report will help guide teams through the common challenge of executing a successful migration to a new platform. It will explore best practices relating to, for example, defining scope, preparing for migration, ownership and accountability, communication, governance, roadmap/planning, forming the team, etc.

Related research:

• Setting up a user experience programme: The path to a user-centred digital workplace – download the executive summary
• Evidence-based intranet success: Best practices revealed by benchmarking data analysis – download the executive summary

6. The intelligent DW assistant: what teams need to know now about artificial intelligence

With a surge of interest in this area, DWG will be following its research into the future of the digital workplace (coming very soon!) with a dedicated report exploring the notion of the intelligent digital workplace assistant. Our research team will take a bold, yet practical, look at what’s next for artificial intelligence, highlighting tools and techniques that digital workplace practitioners need to be aware of and act on.

Related research:

• Digital Workplace 2030: Preparing now for the digital worlds of work to come – free report coming soon!
• My new boss is a robot – listen to the Digital Workplace Impact podcast

7. Digital workplace trends, themes and statistics: insights from DWG research and benchmarking

Drawing together data and insights from across DWG’s research surveys and benchmarking data, this publicly available report will highlight current trends and themes in the digital workplace industry. Through robust analysis and interpretation, it will provide practitioners with well-grounded insights to help inform their thinking, engage stakeholders, and help guide plans.

Related research:

• What is the first step towards evidence-based intranets? – read the expert blog
• Paul Miller’s digital workplace predictions for 2018 – listen to the podcast

As always, the DWG team is incredibly excited to see the launch of the new programme. DWG’s Managing Director of Member Services and Strategic Partnerships, Nancy Goebel, says:  

“DWG’s member research programme delivers actionable insights, robust good practice examples and a vantage view of the digital workplace landscape. This combination uniquely positions DWG members to accelerate learning, make confident decisions and build robust plans to drive the performance of their digital workplace programmes.”

Also commenting on the programme, DWG’s Director of Research, Elizabeth Marsh, says:

“In 2018 we already have a robust and broad-ranging research library, which we know empowers digital workplace teams to develop well thought-out plans, have informed and persuasive conversations with stakeholders, and ensure that their efforts follow best practice approaches. The new programme will build on existing strengths, such as strategy and collaboration, as well as extending it into new areas, such as AI and digital literacy. I’m excited to see all these topics mapped out and delivered to members to provide them with new insights and inspiration throughout the year ahead.”

To join organizations like 3M, Adobe, BT, The Coca-Cola Company, IKEA, Scottish Government and Verizon, who are already benefiting from DWG research, contact Nancy Goebel, Managing Director, Member Services and Strategic Partnerships to learn more.

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Categorised in: Digital workplace, Research reports