With 25% of the current US workforce now filled by Millenials and an expected 50% by 2020, it makes sense to create workplace structures and processes that let them work the way they will be most productive and ultimately most satisfied. Every generation is a bit different, but the Millenials, born between 1980 and 2000, are a world apart from the Baby Boomers they are replacing.Stereotypes of lazy, self-absorbed, entitled know-it-alls are dissipating as we learn more about the workstyles of this young generation. This is a hard-working, driven group of bright and creative individuals, but growing up digital, they naturally think and approach work and life differently than their predecessors.
How Millenials Are Different from the Baby Boomers They Are Replacing
According to a recent PWC study, Millenials at Work: Reshaping the Workplace, these young workers are not comfortable with the status quo rigid corporate structures. They expect instant access to information and they are turned off by silos of information. Our own observations tell us that Millenials are frustrated by a model that does not empower individuals to research and solve problems on their own by accessing and exploring data at will. They see no issue with skirting inefficient or redundant processes if they think they have a better way (and many times, they do).
The same study stresses Millenials’ desire to work from wherever they are, be it a café between customer calls or on their backyard deck. Millenials often use their own devices at work—other, less connected workers should refrain from assuming that younger workers who are checking phones or tablets throughout the day are not working. The Internet, business apps, and Cloud connectivity make it possible to be completely device independent, allowing workers to use whatever device is convenient. Most Millenials also think the 9-5 workday is outdated. They feel they should be able to switch from work tasks to personal tasks during the day as long as they get the work done.
Unlike the generations before them, these workers prefer to communicate electronically over face-to-face or even phone conversations. They have no time for attending unproductive meetings for the sake of having meetings. They feel electronic communications give them the flexibility to communicate without making the time commitment required by conversation. Further they expect constant feedback and reinforcement.
Cloud ERP—Made for the Millenial Workforce
A company’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is one of the backbone IT systems in most any company and today’s Cloud ERP systems align perfectly with the needs of Millenials.
Cloud ERP lets Millenials work the way they want. Cloud ERP gives anywhere, anytime, self-service access to integrated enterprise data through personalized portals. Acumatica Cloud ERP allows users access to ERP, customer resource management (CRM), and operational data on a single platform without having to comb through silos of disconnected data. They can see any data made available to them given the corporate security implemented without regard to where the data came from or who “owns” it. Users no longer have to wade through the IT backlog in order to access data. Personalized dashboards allow them to see information in context and explore the data as needed.
Cloud ERP provides 24/7 access from anywhere you can access the Internet. Acumatica lets you use your phone or tablet to access information so, again, it aligns with the needs of users who need device-independent access to information from the office, from a home office, or from their child’s pediatrician’s office.
30-year-old co-founder and CEO of SpeakUp, Ray Gillenwater, recently said in an article on entrepeneur.com said, “We don’t like business software. Many of us cut our teeth on iPhones and Macbooks. But then we got to the workplace and had to use—and still do—the software that the IT department purchased ten years ago.” Using ERP software in the Cloud means that you will be using the latest version, so say good-bye to outdated technology and give your employees access to software that thinks the way they do—in today’s terms.
And for those who need to share views and collaborate but don’t have time for meetings or lengthy phone calls, Acumatica Cloud ERP allows for collaboration between employees and beyond, including customers and vendors, through portals and shared reports and views.
To see how Acumatica Cloud ERP will work for your changing workforce, contact NexVue (now Net at Work) at 203.327.0800 or visit us online at www.nexvue.com.
To access the entire pwc study, Millenials, click here.
To read Ray Gillenwater’s article on entrepreneur.com, click here.
By Sandi Richards Forman, sforman@nexvue.com
NexVue (now Net at Work) Information Systems, www.nexvue.com
Learn more about Acumatica.
Download the whitepaper, “Clearing the ERP Clouds.”