Tomorrow’s Workplace: Advancing Team Collaboration

By: Vann Abernethy

Understanding and leveraging emerging trends is more than just staying ahead of the curve; it’s a strategic imperative for businesses aiming for long-term success. Identifying and acting upon trends can provide businesses with a competitive advantage. For instance, predictive analysis allows businesses to anticipate market demands, optimize inventory, and enhance customer satisfaction. Data mining tools, such as Power BI, empower organizations to turn raw data into actionable insights, leading to informed decision-making. The integration of AI in daily operations streamlines workflows, enhancing efficiency and reducing operational costs. By staying attuned to trends like cloud collaboration and sustainability, businesses can not only meet current demands but also future-proof their operations. The ability to spot and harness emerging trends positions businesses at the forefront of innovation, ensuring resilience and success in the ever-evolving landscape of the modern workplace.

As we embrace the early adopter phase of AI, data visualization, and collaborative tools, the possibilities seem limitless. Drawing on over two decades of experience in the technology industry, here are some of the emerging trends that I see that are poised to shape the future of the business world.

  1. Data Mining to Data Visualization: The ability to make informed decisions based on visually presented data is becoming a cornerstone of the modern workplace. The journey from data mining to data visualization is a major trend driving business decisions. Organizations are increasingly relying on tools like Power Automate and Power BI to refine and transform raw data into actionable intelligence. Power BI serves as the initial step into data visualization. The versatility of Power BI allows numerous ways to categorize and analyze information seamlessly. It allows a business to efficiently transform a ton of data into a structured format that can be evaluated and used for more effective decision-making. One of the biggest trends I’m seeing is businesses going from the data mining to data visualization. Power BI helps take your current system to a new level. AI is impacting this even more and will be used to supercharge data visualization to a whole different level in the coming years.
  1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Integration: AI is no longer confined to academic circles; it’s making its way into mainstream business applications. From chatbots to advanced programs like Copilot and ChatGPT, the integration of AI is creating more efficient workflows. The real-world impact of machine learning can be found in industries like healthcare where AI has been successfully used to predict things like tuberculosis outbreaks. Data mining from AI provides actionable intelligence that allows health organizations to tamp down potential outbreaks. We’re just scratching the surface with what AI can do.
  1. Collaboration with the Cloud: Cloud technology is not just about storage; it’s about driving collaboration and efficiency. The shift towards Modern Workplace allows employees to streamline tasks and increase productivity. It also helps consolidate systems. There are different systems for different business units. An employee could be tracking sales calls in one system, looking at pricing in another, and processing orders in a third. Many employees are currently working in four or five systems to do their job. Modern Workplace can help consolidate these diverse systems, presenting a unified interface that allows you to access and manage all of the different tasks in one place. As remote collaboration is becoming the norm, especially post-COVID, collaboration through Cloud technology will continue to extend beyond organizational boundaries.
  1. Sustainability through Technology: Thanks to the cloud, there’s no longer a need to purchase a new computer annually just to acquire the latest operating system. Our shift from a disposable society is evident – we’re extending the lifespan of technology, staying current through cloud-driven updates. This means the updates happen seamlessly in the cloud, eliminating the hassle of acquiring a new laptop, reinstalling applications, and facing productivity losses. The cloud ensures continuous improvement, allowing users to upgrade their devices and maintain efficiency, emphasizing the crucial role of productivity through Modern Workplace. With the younger generation’s focus on environmental consciousness, we’ll be seeing even more of this trend in the future.
  1. Interactive Experiences: Technology has a way of bringing fans even more together through shared, immersive experience. One game-changer has been the incorporation of interactive experiences through mobile apps. I go to a lot of NASCAR events. With e-tickets and app-scanned entries, the NASCAR experience has truly evolved from simply watching a race. Now, spectators engage in collaborative activities and interactive games through the NASCAR app which fosters a sense of connection among everyone at the venue. Spectators can even use their phones to create stunning visual effects, like the illuminated phone shows at Bristol. Geolocation is used to achieve this affect. Geolocation has huge potential in so many industries especially healthcare. Businesses have just started scratching the surface with how they can leverage technology to enhance customer experiences through interactive experiences.
  1. Predictive Technologies: Our current state of knowledge allows us to make informed predictions. It’s not merely about tracking your Amazon order; it’s about anticipating trends. Consider the phenomenon of Christmas decorations appearing before Halloween – a result of meticulous trend analysis. We are transitioning from reactive models to proactive strategies, driven by the power of machine learning and sophisticated data visualization. Predictive technology is going to change industries like healthcare dramatically. Picture yourself as a rural doctor receiving real-time notifications about a surge in COVID cases in your vicinity, all thanks to geolocation technology and collaborative data analysis among local healthcare professionals. Geolocation technology will also help deal with supply chain challenges where leveraging tools within Modern Workplace provides dynamic, real-time data management. Predictive technologies will keep you updated after you buy a product to let you know when parts will need to be replaced based on your usage or when to prepare to purchase new equipment based on planned obsolescence.
  1. The Future: No one truly knows the future, but there are trends that I believe will come to fruition. When I was younger, video chats were on Star Trek or The Jetsons. Now we video chat all the time. The future is already here. The integration of AI in everyday activities is already starting. Your phone already does it. If you’re having a conversation and say you need to pick-up milk today, Siri is listening and asks, “do you want me to set a reminder to pick up milk?” This transition is now being experienced by the business world. If someone types something in group chat, an AI program, whether it’s Copilot or another, asks, “do you want me to put a reminder on your calendar?” These applications are going to help make collaborations run even smoother in the future. Truly futuristic applications of technology are already being explored. For example, having diagnostic technology on your toilet. When you go to the bathroom, your doctor gets a readout of what’s happening. If there are concerning changes, like seeing numbers that could be a precursor to cancer, they’ll contact you to come in and get screened. I can also see how we’ll eventually get rid of the big, clunkier devices that we currently use and have more embedded technology. This is many years away, but we’re on the path there.

These trends provide a glimpse into the exciting future of the workplace, where technology continues to shape the way we collaborate, make decisions, and interact with the world around us. Technology will become an even more integral part of our daily lives from embedded technology to predictive analytics. As businesses navigate this transformative journey, it’s imperative to stay informed and adaptable now and in the future.

Contact us at ModernWorkplace@vertilocity.com for more information on future trends and what solutions may work best for your organization.