Series: The Definitive Guide for Developing an

Employee Experience Strategy

Part 1: Understanding the Digital Workplace

and Employee Experience 

LOVE THE WAY YOU WORK

SALES@AKUMINA.COM • 888.685.1465 • W W W. A K U M I N A . C O M
The ‘digital workplace’ and ‘employee
experience’ are exciting concepts which take a
strategic and holistic view of how employees
are experiencing the technology and
applications they use at work. More and more
organizations realize that delivering a robust
digital workplace for employees can provide
enormous benefits for the organization.
Employees should be using tools and
applications as well-designed and convenient
as the ones they use outside of work. All too
often this doesn’t happen; applications may be
slow and clunky, interfaces are confusing and
difficult to use. Sometimes critical systems
can’t be accessed on a mobile device.
Employees can’t get things done and get
frustrated.
LOVE THE WAY YOU WORK
SALES@AKUMINA.COM
The ultimate impact is inefficiency, low
productivity, wasted opportunities, and less-
than-happy employees.
Organizations focused on delivering a strong
digital workplace and excellent employee
experience are on a different path. When
access to applications is seamless, when
work can be carried out from anywhere, and
everything employees need can be easily
found, then organizations will save time,
reduce costs, and improve processes. A whole
range of other positive outcomes can emerge
such as more engaged employees, the
realization of strategic objectives, and even
better customer service.
• 888.685.1465 • W W W. A K U M I N A . C O M
Diving into the Digital Workplace
Essentially the ‘digital workplace’ is the technology that organizations provide for their employees,
but there is no precise definition of the term. Different organizations have slightly different ways of
looking at it

While some suggest it is just a collective name for the technology provided, others qualify that
by defining a digital workplace as where all the systems and applications that employees need to
access have been delivered as a more coherent, structured, integrated, and seamless experience.
An excellent digital workplace might:
• Feel more like one digital ecosystem than a series of separate applications, sometimes with
a relatively consistent look and feel
• Have a “front door” which employees use as a starting point to access applications,
complete everyday tasks, view key content, stay informed, and collaborate
• Be based on Single Sign-On, so employees don’t need to re-authenticate and enter new
passwords when they access applications
• Allow employees to work from anywhere, at any time, on any device, and in any language.

The digital workplace is also much more than just a technology environment. It’s also an approach,
even a mindset, which delivers workplace technology in a more coordinated structured, holistic,
user-driven, and thoughtful way.

It means working closely with cross-functional stakeholders throughout your organization.

LOVE THE WAY YOU WORK

SALES@AKUMINA.COM • 888.685.1465 • W W W. A K U M I N A . C O M
Exploring the Employee Experience
The “employee experience” can be defined
as the overall experience of work employees
have. Many different factors influence
this including the actual work carried out,
the physical working environment, how
employees feel about the organization they
work for, and so on.

The digital workplace or ‘digital employee

experience’ is also a factor in how we
experience our working day – all of us are
influenced by technology throughout the time
we are working each day.

Just as organizations make sure there

is a definite “customer experience” at all
touchpoints with the customer, the same care
and attention need to be put into the employee
experience.

LOVE THE WAY YOU WORK

SALES@AKUMINA.COM • 888.685.1465 • W W W. A K U M I N A . C O M
What about the intranet?
One common misconception is whether the
‘digital workplace’ is just a new name for an
intranet? The answer is no.

A digital workplace is much broader in scope

than an intranet and encompasses multiple
systems, as well as a whole different approach
and mindset. However, intranets play a
significant role in your digital workplace and
are often the “front door” into an organization’s
portfolio of applications as well as the hub for
communications and collaboration.

Interested in learning more? Visit Akumina.com to learn more today and schedule a demo.

LOVE THE WAY YOU WORK

SALES@AKUMINA.COM • 888.685.1465 • W W W. A K U M I N A . C O M
About the Author

Steve Bynghall is a freelance consultant and writer,

specializing in intranets, collaboration and knowledge
management. Following an MSc in Information Science
from City University, Steve worked at accounting firm BDO
LLP for over 13 years, working in various knowledge roles
including managing the firm’s global extranet program. In
late 2010 he set up Two Hives Ltd.

As well as his consulting activities, Steve produces and

coordinates Step Two Design’s Intranet & Digital Workplace Awards. Steve is also a consultant,
knowledge manager and benchmark evaluator for the Digital Workplace Group. Steve recently set
up a new intranet strategy, governance and measurement training company with Chris Tubb called
Spark Trajectory.

About Akumina

Akumina is a modern intranet platform founded on a simple yet powerful belief that empowering
employees through technology to work smarter, not harder will make them more engaged and
more effective at building your business. Akumina makes building and deploying customizable,
branded workplace experiences quick and easy. Akumina’s customers include the Boston Red Sox,
Walt Disney Corporation, iRobot, The World Trade Center and the Department of Defense to name
a few. To learn more visit www.akumina.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

LOVE THE WAY YOU WORK

SALES@AKUMINA.COM • 888.685.1465 • W W W. A K U M I N A . C O M