The workplace of yore might be a distant memory for many of us, but it’s hard to forget what a grand mess it was. Dust-laden files, storage space submerged in paper, communication that was both expensive and sluggish, the necessity of physical presence for everything from meetings to office management and impossibly long hours wasted on mundane, repetitive manual tasks. 

But as technology advanced, first with a revolution in telecom, followed by high-speed internet and now in the new frontiers of digital transformation like AI and IoT and cloud, the experience of working in modern-day offices is radically different.

Modern video communications tools are increasingly replacing in-person meetings, project management has become seamless by platforms such as Trello and services such as Slack and G Suite products are allowing people to collaborate in real-time and co-create deliverables, with big upshots on building trust, transparency, and accountability. By reducing the operational inconveniences of running an enterprise, technology has been greatly responsible for allowing employees to place more emphasis on creativity and innovation and achieve greater productivity with limited resource allocation.

At our organisation, we believe that the consolidated impact of these dramatic shifts has been avowedly positive. We are a future-ready workplace. Technology is an essential part of our work culture and it helps us win with the ‘Less is more’ approach. It is helping global companies like Times Bridge overcome the challenges of distances, integrate remote operations, collaborate optimally across geographies and time zones, enhance productivity and performance. 

The adoption of technology has also fuelled the rise of a flexible, mobile workforce that’s connected 24×7 and can deliver work anytime, and from anywhere.

Tech adoption is part of our DNA and it helps us stay ahead of the curve. It helps us score higher on HR metrics including workplace happiness. Apart from the usual KPIs, our core value at work is versatility. By using technology to un-complicate the lives of our people, we encourage them to contribute outside of their mandate and drive synergies across teams. This unleashes their creative output exponentially. 

Our exposure to global companies also enables us to have a continually updated mindset and remain up to speed with the latest cultural and technological trends in the workplace.

While we fully recognize the structural shifts technology and automation are effecting at the workplace, we aren’t purveyors of hyperbolic tech dystopia. We believe tools like AI and machine learning can significantly enhance the human condition, and our relationship with technology needs to be viewed from an altered vantage.

We need to see the onset of the fourth Industrial Revolution not as a battle between man and machine but as a prolific collaboration. We don’t buy the notion that technology will replace jobs. Human ingenuity and emotional quotient don’t have an easy substitute. The nature of work will change. We must await this era of disruption with a sense of anticipation rather than anxiety. We must remain ready and equipped to conquer the future. At Times Bridge, that remains our continuing endeavour.

Author(s)

  • Viral Jani

    SVP, Investment Operations at Times Bridge. Ex Twitter

    Viral Jani has been the driving force behind several challenging projects in Consumer Tech, Television Broadcasting, Digital, Social Media and Media Planning. Armed with more than 15 years of experience in media and technology, Viral plays a key role in spearheading Investment Operations at Times Bridge. He is based in Mumbai and oversees the company's growing investment portfolio in India. A postgraduate in Communications, Management, Media and Brand Management from MICA in his previous avatar, Viral has led strategy, television and entertainment partnerships for Twitter across India and worked with key strategic partners across sectors to drive innovation and monetization. Prior to Twitter, he was Head of Strategy and Social Media for Times Television Network, Viral has also been associated with several other major media houses in India like NDTV, Disney, Viacom and Mindshare.