2018 Predictions: Data Will be the Roadmap to the Future of Work

Think about every interaction a single person has over the course of their work day. Dialing into a conference call, a group chat with their team, a quick video conference with partners – then multiply each touch point by the millions of professionals who make up the global workforce. Inherent in the way we work, there is a tremendous amount of data that is being created on a daily basis. From individual preferences to behavioral patterns, when analyzed correctly, these zettabytes of information paint a picture of how collaboration will be defined by the minutiae of what makes our working styles unique.

The key to making sense of this data will be the proliferation of graph analytics and machine learning as part of the lifeblood that fuels communication and collaboration tools. Fuze alone powers conversations between nearly 30 million people around the globe every month. Those interactions give us an unprecedented pulse on how people are working, in real time. We’re expecting a rapid increase in investment in enterprise AI in 2018, and we’re not alone in that prediction. According to a Gartner forecast from last October, intelligent analytics systems will be among the highest IT spending priorities this year. There is agreement among IT leaders that the data mines on which businesses are built on are our most valuable resources – with the right tools they can serve as an actionable guide through 2018 and beyond.

One consequential way working styles will evolve as a result of this data-driven strategy will be looking at conversational cues and finding opportunities to reduce time spent on administrative tasks, ultimately improving productivity. Earlier in this predictions series, Fuze CTO Keith Johnson touched on how artificial intelligence will permeate the enterprise through digital assistants in 2018. This adoption of AI is very much contingent on a digital assistant’s ability to tap into the data mine, as it will be the source for understanding the type of information an individual expects to receive. If developers will be tasked with anything this year, it will be to train these tools to understand what information is valuable, and who needs to receive that insight. 

A Data Fueled User Experience

As working styles evolve to reflect the technology we use in our personal lives, the user experience (UX) has never been more important. The lens through which we view the end-user is no longer the IT professional or decision maker, but rather that of a consumer who has their own set of expectations and experiences. Therein lies enormous potential to improve collaboration throughout the workplace. As organizations look to build platforms that are not only seamless and intuitive, but mirror the consumer experiences, a strong analytical infrastructure can inform how platforms need to change in real time. Expect to see less of a static UX in favor of one that embraces the flexibility of how people work over time.

With data as the new standard of currency among businesses, 2018 is primed to be a year of new innovation and advancement in the tools that fuel the workplace.

Want to catch up on Fuze’s 2018 predictions? Find the full series here:

• 2018 Predictions: The Future is Visual, Flexible & Collaborative, Colin Doherty, CEO
• 2018 Predictions: Security Will Be at the Top of the CIO Agenda, Chris Conry, CIO
• 2018 Predictions: AI Will Drive Personalized Productivity, Keith Johnson, CTO  

What do you have any more predictions for 2018? Tweet your thoughts to @Fuze.