A new way to improve enterprise work management, collaboration, and productivity in the digital age

By the Workfront team

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Workfront recently hosted a webinar about mastering the three As of work management, in which Chris Marsh, Research Director at 451 Research, and Ryan Herson, head of people consulting at BASF, reveal how businesses can accelerate work effectiveness and improve outcomes by focusing on (and striking a balance between) three things:

• Agility

• Autonomy

• Alignment

The Workfront team sat down with Chris Marsh after the webinar to ask him about 451 research and why businesses should watch the webinar to find out more. 

Tell us about 451 Research. What are you most focused on?

451 Research is an information technology research and advisory business that provides insights to organizations worldwide. We explore the evolution and adoption of different enterprise technologies. Our research covers many things, but the future of work is one key theme that we are covering. I head up the workforce productivity and collaboration team, which looks into productivity software, communications technologies, and the digital workspace. The sheer scale of innovation means it’s a hugely dynamic space. 

Can you tell us about the research you shared?

My team conducted four surveys last year to ask businesses what they are trying to achieve, what’s impeding them, and what they’d like to see happen to achieve their goals. I share some of the findings in the webinar, particularly the correlation between leading companies and their large-scale deployment of work management software.

What trends or factors in the market were you hoping to explore?

We wanted to find out how technology can enable people to work more effectively. My team feels like we’ve reached an inflection point; so much has changed and so much needs to change, that this isn’t just about new tools enabling slightly different types of workflow—it’s about a fundamental change in the relationship between employers and their workforces. We see companies rethinking everything, from tooling to engagement and even how they frame their recruitment efforts to attract and retain talent.  

Who should listen to the webinar?

Anyone with an interest in work management technology or with decision-making responsibility in how workforce technology is deployed. We offer people a new way to think about work and how to choose technology that supports work management, collaboration, and productivity. 

What can they expect to learn that will benefit their businesses? 

The digital age requires companies to be more operationally agile. Agility is the first A in our framework. There’s more change in markets than ever before, there’s more disruption, and companies need to respond quickly. Operational agility can only be achieved if you give more autonomy to more people. Autonomy is the second A. To give people autonomy, technology needs to be designed in a way that allows non-technical people to get more value out of it. In giving people more autonomy, you also need to ensure there is alignment with the company strategy, departmental goals, compliance requirements, etc. Alignment is the third A. We discuss ways in which companies can find the right balance of agility, autonomy and alignment.

What technology solutions can help businesses achieve greater collaboration and productivity across their workforces?

We talk about work management platforms and how they are being used to achieve the sweet spot between the three A’s. They give more people in your organization a stake in how work is aligned, planned, and executed. The biggest pain point for many people is the number of apps they have to use. It’s overwhelming, confusing, and creates even more silos within the workplace. Work management solutions help companies overcome this through integrating disparate applications and providing a single platform to connect all work, the result of which is better collaboration and productivity.  

You are joined in the webinar by Dr. Herson, Head of BASF people consulting. How do his insights bring your findings to life?  

Ryan’s practical experience illustrates our findings. His real-world insights show how work management systems can be leveraged at scale, across the enterprise. In particular, he emphasizes the need to take your lead from the customer value you’re trying to deliver. Ultimately, it’s about applying the Three As framework and work management technology to achieve return on investment (ROI). 

How can we learn more about operational agility?

Read Systems of Delivery Take Agile Mainstream to Define the Future of Enterprise Apps by 451 Research and listen to the webinar for more insights on how to prepare for the future work using enterprise work management software to strike a balance between agility, autonomy, and alignment.