Remote problems and opportunities

Boomi, a Dell Technologies business, has published the findings from its Connections Survey, benchmarking the interpersonal and technological impact of remote work. Nearly 60% of employees feel more isolated and disconnected from their work and their teams, with 49% stating they want to see their offices improve remote collaboration tools and systems. 

“It’s now more critical than ever to overcome data silos and connect information, systems, and ultimately people. When we are connected, new ideas emerge, problems are solved, and human ingenuity prevails,” said Mandy Dhaliwal, chief marketing officer at Boomi. “When you connect systems and data, you ultimately connect through to people and it’s this power of connection that drives us. We are entering a new era of integrated experiences when tech infrastructure and most importantly, people, need to be better connected and offered the same, seamless experience we’re all experiencing — from telemedicine to ride sharing — as digital-first consumers.”  

The survey from Boomi explores the challenges facing workers and IT leaders, as well as the unique ways they are making new connections to overcome challenges and move their organizations forward. Workers are feeling the negative impact of remote work:

• 58% of employees feel more isolated and disconnected from their work and their teams. In response, 49% of workers want to see their offices improve remote collaboration tools and systems.
• To address challenges, the use of technology is changing, with 41% of workers increasing how often they use technology and 38% reporting adding new apps or technology processes to help them get their work done. 
• C-suite respondents noted that remote work is affecting their ability to innovate and be creative, with 60% pointing to a lack of in-person information sharing with colleagues.

For their part, CIOs and IT leaders are emerging as the heroes to help make these much-needed connections and drive organizations forward: 

• The reliance on technology while working remotely is driving a new appreciation for IT teams. Nearly 80% of IT leaders say their team feels more valued during this era of remote work. The feeling is mutual as 78% of senior leaders said IT has been helpful or extremely helpful (compared to 58% of individual contributors who shared the sentiment).
• IT leaders are addressing information silos with new connections. The two areas at the top of their agendas: IT Architecture and Design (ranked #1 in importance by 32%) and Collaboration Tools and Data (ranked #1 by 25%).

Today, Boomi supports more than 12,000 customers across a variety of industries including healthcare, ecommerce, energy, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and higher education. Boomi has seen over 250% growth in usage on its platform over the last few years. The number of certifications issued has been averaging 50 per day during this calendar year alone. This growth is reflective of the increased need among organizations to ensure employees, as well as customers, instantly connect to the information and systems they need and want, helping organizations not only survive, but thrive in today’s environment. Boomi recently released Work Reimagined, a catalog of quick-start applications based on Boomi Flow, its low-code application development platform, to help IT leaders solve the critical and immediate needs specific to today’s challenging environment. 

The Boomi Connections Survey also found: 

• CEOs are eager to be back at their desks: The idea of returning to the office tomorrow is exciting to 58% of CEOs, compared to only 23% of individual contributors. 
• Introverts and extroverts alike miss connecting: Both introverts (48%) and extroverts (55%), especially Baby Boomers, miss connecting with their peers. But at the same time, 85% of workers have some level of concern about returning to their offices.
• Workers are turning to new tactics (and pets) to cope: With no water cooler to chat around, 20% of workers have started chatting with their pets to cope with isolation. This is more than those who have turned to digital meditation (18%), professional development (17%), or therapy (9%). 

“During this era, it’s even more important to be our authentic selves and give others permission to do the same. When you start with the intent to build integrated, human interactions and leverage available technologies such as the Boomi AtomSphere platform, you lay the foundation for true digital innovation to occur quickly,” concludes Dhaliwal.