The Technology Layer for Real Estate
Greg Materdomini, Head of Sales, Americas at spaceOS
Technology should be intuitive. It should increase performance, efficiency, and productivity. The year 2020 has clearly articulated that all companies, if they haven’t already, need to be focused on one thing: becoming a technology company in some way.
We have reached a point where the rapid advancement of innovation and technology is making digital transformation accessible to every company of every size, giving organizations incredible opportunities to reimagine their businesses. (1) In a recent McKinsey study on implementing new technology, some 50 percent of surveyed companies reported moderate to a significant impact on realizing new revenue streams, almost 70 percent reported an impact on increasing existing revenue streams, and 76 percent reported an impact on reducing costs. (2)
So how can we remove the pain and resistance to implementing new tech across all levels of work, regardless of company tenure, size, or scope? It is easier than you think.
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” One of the more popular quotes by Albert Einstein, that he never actually said. But the point is clear: make things easier to use. Sometimes reframing the pain points helps to clarify the solution. In this case, leave developing the technology for the experts. It is their job to make it intuitive for the rest of us.
Here are some ideas to help bridge that gap, engage your employees, and get a hold of the right tech which will spring your business forward.
Buy the technology, don’t build it.
Software development is a never-ending road. Building great software is hard and expensive. Maintaining it is just as much a hassle. Chances are building software is not your core competency. You most likely don’t have hundreds of engineers, nor the deep pockets to keep hiring to get your software to where it needs to be. Then after it’s built, how can you guarantee engagement? You shouldn’t want to build your own software when you can buy or lease the tech for pennies on the dollar.
Prioritize the need, then demo many providers.
Understand what it is you might need, then talk to many companies and let the consultative sales process help guide you to make the best decisions. Functionality and cost are important but don’t undervalue user compatibility. Look for systems that are accessible and intuitive to use. Most importantly, ask questions about implementation and customer support. You never want to invest in technology that no one knows how to use or worse, can’t find help.
Be confident with your selection, communicate with the team, and transfer the excitement.
Once you have selected the right tech, be happy about the choice. The hard part comes next, employee buy-in. Nearly 1 in 4 workers say they don’t trust their employer and only about half believe their employer is open and upfront with them, according to the American Psychological Association. Employees who are kept in the loop and understand their role in the process will be more likely to help you achieve a seamless transition. (3) Communication in the process is paramount. If the team understands the purpose and reason for the change, along with the benefits of it, you will lay the foundation for success. Tie the value of the technology to improving workflow, simplifying job processes, and increasing productivity. Ensure to gather opinions and value the feedback. This is critical stuff.
Ensure forward progress
All the hard work is done. Don’t let it fall to the wayside. You don’t want to invest time and money to start strong and not finish. Someone should be placed in charge to ensure proper implementation, engagement, and continued success. The process should be closely monitored and should be consistently followed up on to ensure everyone is engaged and getting the most out of the software.
There has been consistent growth in the number of apps deployed as companies adopt tools to become more agile. Believe it or not, people will come back to the office. This is the time to implement the technology that will create and sustain community, monitor safety, and improve productivity for a highly mobile workforce. Three elements of employee experience transformation have emerged in recent years: augmentation, future-readying, and flex forcing. (4) If we have learned anything during the past decade of digital transformation, it’s that employees can be either the greatest inhibitors or the greatest enablers of transformation success. Accordingly, companies have begun to focus on the employee experience as intently as they do on the customer experience. Is your company ready to welcome life back to the office and get us all moving again? We hope so.
