Building a modern workplace: What it means (and why it matters)

Table of contents

First things first: what is a modern workplace?

As an SME, why should I modernise?

How can you get started with your modern workplace?

Looking forward: what does the future hold?

Take the step to modernisation

First things first: what is a modern workplace?

You’ve heard of modernisation. But right now, it might feel like a fluffy, inaccessible term that is too complex to get started with. Particularly with the game-changing opportunities now available with AI and automation.

It’s an understandable position to be in – as it can seem like a sizeable shift from where you might be now. But at its core, adopting a modern workplace is simply a strategic evolution, rather than a product. It comes from people, process and platform all working together.

So, what does that actually look like? It means that your business has cloud-based, secure, flexible environments, so it can support and ensure productivity when your teams are working hybrid or mobile. It also means your teams can collaborate and share information seamlessly – wherever they are.

And it’s powered by platforms like Microsoft 365 and the wide breadth of functionality and applications it offers. While it can feel like an overwhelming concept, modernisation for SMEs starts by simply choosing a unified tool, like Microsoft 365, with everything in one place.

As an SME, why should I modernise?

Building a modern workplace will bring your business plenty of benefits. We know that, now more than ever, things are shifting quickly. Technology, industries, it’s all moving and changing – and staying competitive requires keeping up with the fast-paced nature of the world. And that requires a modern, digital approach.

But adopting a modern workplace does more than just help you keep up. It is also an effective way of improving employee satisfaction and retention, with smoother processes, simpler collaboration and easier access to what they need. Add in the operational benefits of faster decision-making, increased flexibility for adopting new tools and more agility when responding customers, and it becomes an enticing prospect. Plus, by freeing staff from manual tasks, they can spend more time on exciting, strategic projects.

Which brings us to our next point. A modern workplace can boost efficiency and reduce manual burden. Consider Microsoft 365. In one tool you have your favourite Office applications, collaboration through Teams and Outlook, cloud storage and device management – saving time.

Plus, with threat detection and data security features, you’re also enhancing your security – protecting sensitive data and remaining compliant.

How can you get started with your modern workplace?

One of the major challenges of adopting a modern workplace is what happens to your legacy systems with siloed processes. Modernisation is about connecting all the dots and having an aligned approach to your operations – so it may mean moving away from your existing technology to accomplish this.

It’s also common to feel like you don’t have the internal expertise to navigate the complexity of modernisation and access the benefits that it brings. And with many tool options and buzzwords out there – it’s understandable to feel confused.

Focus Group are experts in Microsoft 365, with a comprehensive understanding of how the Microsoft suite of solutions operate – so no matter your knowledge level or expertise, we can support you throughout the journey.

We offer tailored, strategic guidance based on what your business needs; your requirements, goals and expectations. From your first steps to adopting technology like Microsoft Copilot, we can guide you on how and when to explore AI and automation, depending on your readiness.

Plus, our range of managed services remove the stress and internal resource burden off your team and maintain pace. This can look different for each industry and use case:

• For Retail: Opt for unified communications that help manage multi-site teams and ensure inventory systems, customer insights and sales data sync seamlessly across locations.
• For Healthcare: Implement a secure, cloud-based environment that supports remote consultations, data compliance and staff coordination.
• For Professional Services: Integrate productivity tools to enable smoother hybrid working, fast client collaboration and secure file sharing.
• For Education: Add a centralised platform like Microsoft Teams to deliver hybrid learning, manage assignments and enable seamless parent-teacher communication.

Looking forward: what does the future hold?

As we move into AI and automation becoming more commonplace, implementing a modern workplace makes it simpler to continue to evolve, as and when you’re ready to.

The opportunities are vast. There is a notable shift from generative AI (creation of content based on prompts) to agentic AI (independent decision-making and action once set up), which holds plenty of promise to enable businesses to be more productive.

There’s also the potential to improve the first-day experience for employees. With aligned and unified technology, they can get started quickly and make an impact without having to learn a significant number of processes before they can contribute.

Combined, this creates a solid digital foundation for long-term success.

Take the step to modernisation

While terms like modernisation and modern workplace may feel like they involve a lot of complexity – your business success has always come from trying new things and staying competitive. This is the latest step on the journey, and while it may seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be.

Focus Group can guide you to a more resilient modern workplace, demystifying the journey and helping you to remove operational inefficiencies.

To learn more about what you can achieve through modernisation, speak to a member of the team.