IDC Publishes Future of Work Framework to Help Organizations Tackle Work Transformation Challenges

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.– The future of work is about rethinking the way work gets done. It is a fundamental shift in the work model to one that fosters human-machine collaboration, enables new skills and worker experiences, and supports an intelligent and dynamic environment unbounded by time or physical space. To help organizations structure their work transformation strategies, International Data Corporation (IDC) has published the Future of Work framework.

As organizations accelerate and expand their digital transformation (DX) initiatives and move into what IDC calls the “era of multiplied innovation,” traditional work models simply aren’t nimble enough, adaptive, nor scalable. The status quo presents organizations with four intransigent sets of challenges: inflexible work environments, talent limitations, rigid organizations and hierarchical leadership, and conflicting security, privacy, and trust requirements.

In the new work experience, human workers will operate side by side with “digital co-workers,” enabling human workers to focus on higher-value activities. By 2021, the contribution by digital co-workers will increase by 35% as more tasks are automated and augmented by technology, including AI, robotics, AR/VR, and intelligent process automation. Other factors driving the urgency for work transformation include employee expectations for more personalized experiences with easy and anytime/anywhere access to resources; a multi-generational workforce with a range of workstyles that must be accommodated; and broader macroeconomic trends such as globalization and sustainability.

“The future of work isn’t really about the future — it is about initiatives that companies need to pursue now,” said Holly Muscolino, research vice president, Content and Process Strategies and the Future of Work. “IDC believes that organizations that embrace these technological and organizational changes and cultivate an agile, dynamic worker experience and work environment will gain a competitive edge.”

To help organizations structure their work transformation strategies and scope future of work initiatives, IDC developed the Future of Work framework. The framework can be used by key decision makers to define the technologies and related services essential to the modern workplace. Technology suppliers can use the framework as a guide to ensure their solutions are meeting the demands of the enterprises that are and will be undergoing work transformation efforts.

To learn more about IDC’s Future of Work framework with guidance for the technology buyer and technology vendor or service provider, please read Holly Muscolino’s new blog post at http://bit.ly/IDC_FoW_Framework.

The IDC report, Strategies for the New Work Experience (IDC #US45711419), reviews the challenges that organizations face as they transition to the new work experience and presents a framework for addressing those challenges. The report also addresses critical technologies that are essential to success and outlines the first steps organizations should take toward achieving the new work experience.