CONTROL Source: Gartner SaaS Portfolio Size and Spend by Company Size As the size of the company grows, so too does its SaaS portfolio As the percentage of employees expensing SaaS grows, so does the average utilization rate. Percentage of Employee Expensing SaaS Average Utilization Rate Source: Zylo Balancing Employee Choic and Compliance Source: Vantage Circle Worker Priorities Have Shifted More likely Less likely 217 330 $15.3M $42M $243.9M $64.7M 609 323 26.2 31.3 20 16.4 9.4 7.4 18.5 0% 30% 60% 1-1000 (Small to Midsize) 1001-5000 (Enterprise) 5000+ (Large Enterprise) Average Across Database Company Size Application Count Annual Spend 66.5 68.3 66.2 63.5 49.4 44.9 59.8 “Compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, how likely are you to prioritize your health and wellbeing over work? 50% 60% 51% 55% 53% 53% zation and align themselves to your processes,” he said.” But it is worth noting that adding this extra step can often result in outsized rewards for the investment.” Tools of Engagement One recurring the e that has emerged during the remote work era is how to keep communication, collaboration and engagement up using the various services that apps and software provide – such as Slack or Teams. Christopher declined to say which he believes is a better choice, but instead pointed out that many organizations use both. “We strongly believe in the power of rationalizing your tech stack and listening to what your employees want,” Christopher said. However, he did speak to employee engagement. “I would define employee engagement as the working relationship between organizations and their employees, and how this relationship impacts employees in their day-to-day,” he explained. “In a time where we’re interacting with our co-workers through screens all day every day, engagement is vital to any successful organization because a burnt-out and unhappy employee makes for a burnt-out and unhappy – and ultimately unproductive – organization.” Christopher said a key way to develop positive employee engagement is to ensure employees have access to the technology that helps them do their jobs. “Organizations need to bridge the digital divide between employees, their colleagues and the work itself. They need to invest in tools that allow them to collaborate and stay connected, while also empowering them to choose the tools that will help them get their jobs done and make a positive impact on the business,” he continued. A major cause of disengagement is forcing employees to use software and tools they do not want to use, suggest Zylo’s findings. “We used to invest heavily in office perks – snacks and catered lunches, ping pong tables, happy hours and so much more – to ensure employees had a great environment to do their work. But in the wake of the pandemic, all that has changed,” Christopher related. “Instead of focusing on just an employee’s physical work environment, we need to pay attention to their digital one as well.” That includes answering questions such as: • Do they have the tools they need to get their job done? • Do they have tools to stay connected and collaborate with colleagues? • Do these tools work well? “You can help prevent disengagement and improve the employee experience by making a concerted effort to provide them with the best tools,” Christopher said. The Great Return Even as more businesses are reviewing whether or not to require employees return to the office – at least for part of the work week – many of the newly adopted software tools still are needed to enhance collaboration, communication and engagement. “Collaboration has massively changed over the last few years as remote and hybrid work took hold – and is set to change again as Google, Salesforce and other companies are welcoming employees back to their offices,” Christopher said. “Whether your teams are fully remote, in the office or a hybrid of the two – collaboration is still extremely important, and companies need to invest in having the right tooling to ensure a seamless experience.” Gone are the days of on-premisesonly tech, concluded Christopher, “and in are the days of ensuring equal opportunity and access for employees no matter where they sit.” J SaaS Categories Experiencing the Greatest Growth Business process management Digital content VPN client Screen and video capture Email marketing Data warehouse Authoring and publishing Survey and forms Predictive analytics and forecasting Design Source: Zylo 26 REMOTE WORK SOLUTIONS rwsmagazine.com
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