Post-COVID, the workforce model fluctuates between remote, hybrid, and in-office. Despite the charge by many employers for their teams to work on-site, being a part of a distributed workforce remains steadfastly popular and is now the expected norm. According to Bloomberg research, 61% of organizations offer some location flexibility, and 83% of workers prefer it. In the future, nearly half of American employees (48%) will likely work remotely part-time post-COVID-19.
While implementing a flexible work model can be disruptive, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) face a trend that could be even more so—the talent shortage. A recent VMWare survey showed 62% of respondent organizations are currently experiencing talent shortages, with hospitality (81%), media and entertainment (69%), business and professional services (68%), and public healthcare (68%) experiencing the most dramatic shortages. These trends are helping to facilitate the rise of the distributed workforce.
What is a distributed workforce?
A distributed workforce can include remote and hybrid workers, but it goes further. Distributed workers may be full- or part-time and work across geographies, time zones, and office locations.
So even offices where most employees are on-site most of the time may have a distributed workforce. You may have a central office in Madison, Wisc., and smaller locations in Los Angeles and New York. Or you may not have full-time marketing or IT staff, but contract these individuals as needed. Salespeople often work from their homes or remotely while traveling.
The distributed workforce model is considered future-proof, boosting innovation, driving employee satisfaction and productivity, and enabling companies of all sizes to access talent pools across the globe.
Automation technology and distributed workforces
One thing all these workforce models have in common? The need to implement automated solutions to connect and work digitally and smartly. Automation is no longer just a buzzword; it’s a strategic imperative. With some headwinds due to skill shortages, automation technology is the linchpin that holds the workforce together, irrespective of physical location.
The investments in this technology made during the pandemic have proven to be enduring solutions critical in today’s work environment. These include cloud-based applications for automated workflow, document creation, team collaboration, communicating with clients or prospects, or getting contract signatures.
Complex automation solutions include eSignatures, document editing, payment collection, and no-code robotic process automation.
Automation tools have become indispensable, as they can trigger processes automatically, regardless of where someone is located. For example, an electronic signature can trigger an alert that a contract with a new client is signed or a job candidate agrees to your offer. They enable employees to sign and send documents, contracts, and web forms that are legally binding from any device. They can also integrate with CRMs and databases. In short, these tools also help companies close deals faster.
The importance of e-signatures in business operations
Our recent third-party survey highlights a significant shift from traditional wet signatures to digital signatures, with two-thirds of respondents using digital signatures in business operations.
Xerox’s 2021 study, The State and Fate of Small and Medium Business, surveyed 1,200 business decision-makers from companies with 25-1,000 employees, confirming the importance of automation and digital transformation in the post-pandemic work environment.
- 81% acknowledge that reliance on technology is essential to support and secure a distributed workforce.
- 80% saw automating tasks and processes as essential to their survival post-pandemic
- 82% strongly emphasized the importance of digitizing paperwork.
- Two-thirds planned on upgrading their automation tools, with 65% already in the process of upgrading their workflow solutions.
- Following the pandemic, 85% of these businesses were more reliant than ever on communication technologies, remote IT support, and security hardware and software.
Our internal research confirms these findings. Customers who use SignNow have shared benefits such as:
- 300 hours saved per week; 15,000 hours saved per year
- One whole salary
- Cut the signing process from 15-20 minutes to 30-60 seconds.
They also shared the Intangible benefits realized from implementing SignNow:
- Improved customer relationships due to easy-to-use UI and the ability to sign from any device
- Digitally stored documents can be instantly accessed
- Reduced signing error rate and audit trail to maintain compliance
The benefits of workflow automation
Workflow automation has proven to be a game-changer for businesses in this distributed work environment. Some key benefits include:
- Streamlined communication: Workflow automation eliminates manual communication, reducing stress and workplace misunderstandings. Team members receive automated reminders for tasks, improving overall communication.
- Seamless remote onboarding: With the continued embrace of the hybrid working model, companies are turning to automated systems to streamline the onboarding process for remote employees. Onboarding is crucial for integrating new team members into the company culture and ensuring they understand their responsibilities. Automation helps plan and orchestrate the onboarding experience, making remote team members feel welcome and connected.
- Increased accountability: Automation assigns responsibility for every aspect of a project or process, reducing the chances of errors or missed tasks. Managers can easily oversee operations and identify inefficiencies.
- Cost savings: Businesses can reduce costs by eliminating errors and streamlining processes through automation. Administrative labor costs are reduced as repetitive tasks are automated.
- Empowerment: Workflow automation empowers employees by enabling them to manage their work more effectively, giving them more time for strategic tasks.
- Efficiency: Workflow automation software simplifies task assignment and approval processes, speeding up operations that previously required manual intervention.
- Productivity: Employees can focus on higher-value tasks when routine and time-consuming activities are automated. This results in serving more clients with higher profit margins in client-facing industries.
- Quality: With more time for meaningful work and less exposure to human error, businesses see higher-quality output from their teams.
Final thoughts
The post-COVID work environment has ushered in a new era where technology and automation are crucial to business survival and success. The distributed workforce is here to stay, and businesses, especially SMBs, must invest in technology to thrive in this dynamic landscape. Workflow automation, e-signatures, and other technological innovations are shaping the future of work, and embracing them is essential for businesses looking to stay competitive and agile in the years ahead. As the world of work continues to evolve, those who harness the power of automation and technology are best positioned to succeed.
