Early Adopters – The IT Innovation Storm Approaches

Try to keep up? Most likely you are already behind!

Big business is in the midst of an IT innovation storm and, for now, no one really knows exactly how the landscape will look when the skies clear and new technologies are firmly in place. One thing is certain: those companies that are willing to embrace change and the advances in technology, albeit in the midst of rough weather, rather than hiding in the storm cellar, are securing a superior workforce and market position as a result.

These days employees need to be wired up to access their work and deliver what is expected of them from multiple mobile devices—work happens anytime, anywhere. But just as managers expect their employees to move seamlessly between platforms, employees now expect corporate operations to change just as rapidly and demonstrate their commitment to innovation. If they do not, a company may be faced with a disgruntled workforce that starts looking for an organization that is leading the pack rather than following it.
The user experience on mobile phones, laptops, and tablets has to be consistently considered and improved. Constant feedback from the frontlines needs to be implemented; studies show that many feel lame as employees, but powerful as consumers. Interface design, functionality, and collaboration needs are being met outside of work, and lessons need to be learned to keep employees engaged and satisfied within company walls.

Web-based applications or Internet-based software allow companies to take advantage of the Internet to allow employees to simply log in, perform a task from anywhere, and track activity. Technological advancements can go a long way in streamlining not only everyday operations, but also employee training and, perhaps most important, the employee feedback that comes out of these experiences.

An Early Adopter

Cenovus Energy is a company that prides itself on being an innovation leader. Seeing the possibilities in multi-screen operations, their manager of Learning Solutions, Arlette Watwood, is looking to shake up the way classroom training is conducted within the organization. “Learning through others and interacting through social learning is a key objective.”

Watwood and her team envision the use of tablets by both course facilitators and those in attendance to in-class interactions and feedback. Her main focus is to allow class attendees to provide real-time feedback during the class through a mobile device’s Web browser instead of filling out paper feedback forms at the end of the class. “A huge priority is managing the quality of facilitators. Quality assurance is very important and ensuring that facilitators are delivering not only a quality message, but a consistent message is paramount,” she says. Management of the courses and the entire class experience are also handled entirely on a mobile device.

Watwood’s ultimate goal is to increase the awareness around student feedback, lower operating costs, and, as a bonus, keep Cenovus moving forward and leading its field in all endeavors. “Baby boomers drove companies with their values, just like today, millennials are driving companies (that will listen) and are shaping their workplaces. Companies need to be on board or else they will be stuck flat-footed. We have to be the company that this generation looks at as being innovative and one that keeps up with innovative, great technology.”