5 tips for convincing your employees of digitalization

To help you convince the sceptics in your company of the benefits of digitalization too, we would like to give you 5 arguments to work with.  Because if you want to develop a successful concept for the future, you should not put these changes off for too long.

1. An end to paperwork chaos at last

Day after day, more and more bits of paper pile up on the desk. Whether they are important documents or post-its meant to remind you of the tasks still to be done. After a short time you lose track and first have to spend time bringing some structure to the chaos. Digitalization can put a stop to that: instead of being on paper, the relevant information is now available digitally and can be filed in folders in a structured way. Of course that does not mean handwritten reminders are no longer allowed.
Working hours and project documentation are often still recorded by hand. It is no rarity for slips of paper to go missing or to get lost in the rush of the day. Digital recording not only saves you a lot of work, it also puts your employees on the safe side, as they do not have to hand the documents over.

2. Know-how instead of time-consuming bureaucracy

Everyone knows one or two unwelcome tasks that come up every day and have to be done. Digitalizing processes makes it possible to automate standardised processes. Administrative office work and tiresome bureaucracy can be reduced to a minimum. This is by no means about replacing employees with technology. Rather, it frees up time that your employees can spend on tasks that really matter and that relate to the actual work.

3. Working more efficiently

Print out the document - sign it - scan it back in. An inefficient, time-consuming procedure. So why not simply replace it with a digital signature?
That is just one example of a process that digitalization can make considerably more efficient. Arrangements, scheduling and exchanging documents can all be done easily online as well. But digitalization does not mean everything has to happen online. Team meetings, shared coffee breaks or talking things through in person at the office are of course still possible.

4. Working from any location

A tradesperson has to come round, or your own child is ill. Now and again, employers in every industry face the challenge of fitting their regular working hours and other appointments together. Switching to the home office is not possible in many cases, however, because the computer or the paperwork needed is only available at the business. Companies that digitalize processes offer their employees more flexibility and freedom here: depending on what has been agreed, people can work from home regularly or in particular situations.

5. A perspective for the future

Digitalization is the key to a business concept fit for the future. Both when it comes to holding your own against the competition and when looking for more employees. For businesses today, there is usually no way around digitalization. Your employees will thank you if you lay the foundations now for your company still being an attractive place to work in a few years' time.

The list of benefits could go on indefinitely. In the end, what matters is that you as the managing director do not go it alone but actively involve your employees in the change processes. Establish an open culture of conversation and go step by step. That way you prevent anyone from feeling overwhelmed and give everyone enough time to get used to the changed processes. The start of your digital future should be a team project!

How quickly scepticism can turn into enthusiasm is shown by an anecdote from clockin founder Frederik Neuhaus about a 67-year-old employee at one of their customers:

“I gave him two minutes … and he said: ‘That is brilliant.’ … ‘I may be at the end of my working life, but I still fancy doing something new.’” – Frederik Neuhaus, founder & managing director, clockin