deskless workforce – Orion https://www.orionlabs.io Voice Platform for the Deskless Workforce Wed, 11 Jan 2023 16:30:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.orionlabs.io/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/favicon.png deskless workforce – Orion https://www.orionlabs.io 32 32 Intelligence Amplification: Unlocking Limitless Potential for Deskless Workforces https://www.orionlabs.io/intelligence-amplification-deskless-workforces/ Wed, 30 Jun 2021 14:30:22 +0000 https://www.orionlabs.io/?p=8643

Discover what Intelligence Amplification is and why it’s mission-critical to have it built into your deskless collaboration solution. Learn more on our blog.

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People + Intelligence Is The Future of Frontline Work

As a concept, Intelligence Amplification isn’t anything new. The term has been around since the 1950s when W. Ross Ashby wrote the Introduction to Cybernetics.

In the time since Ashby, though, there’s been much debate around whether organizations should pursue Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Intelligence Amplification (IA). At Orion, I’m proud to say we use both, with Artificial Intelligence serving the greater goal of Intelligence Amplification for the Deskless Workforce (or, “Connecting the Deskless Workforce,” if you look at our company tagline).

“The distinction between AI and IA is as simple as it is significant. AI makes machines autonomous and detached from humans; IA, on the other hand, puts humans in control and leverages computing power to amplify our capabilities.” — WIRED

Intelligence Amplification:

At Orion, this distinction between AI and IA is much more than a concept or banal platitude. The philosophies with which a technology company develops its software or an organization rolls out its digital transformation initiatives to its deskless workers are as crucial as the technology itself. We’re passionate about helping frontline workforces use Intelligence Amplification to dramatically improve safety, increase productivity, and optimize operational processes.

In this blog post, I’ll answer three questions:

  1. What is Intelligence Amplification for the deskless workforce?
  2. Why did Orion build Intelligence Amplification for the deskless workforce?
  3. How soon can I implement Intelligence Amplification for my deskless workforce?

By the end of this blog post, you’ll understand why Intelligence Amplification unlocks unlimited potential for deskless workforces and why it’s mission-critical to have Intelligence Amplification built into your collaboration solution.

If you’re already sold on the concept of IA for your frontline workers, go ahead and skip to Question 3 or email hello@orionlabs.io with any specific questions you might have. This blog post is the first of a series of posts about Intelligence Amplification, where I’ll dive into specific examples of how Intelligence Amplification serves deskless workers in industries like retail, hospitality, manufacturing, oil and gas, the military, and more.

1. What is Intelligence Amplification for the deskless workforce?

One major goal of digital transformation is optimizing existing processes so operational efficiencies and organizational outputs can improve. Intelligence Amplification puts deskless workers in charge of optimizing those business processes with real-time access to systems, data, and subject matter experts.

If you have used a virtual assistant like Siri or Alexa, you have used a form of Intelligence Amplification. Those assistants provide access to the data you need when you need it, but they certainly don’t make your decisions for you.

“Intelligence amplification is the use of technology to augment human intelligence. And a paradigm shift is on the horizon, where new devices will offer less intrusive, more intuitive ways to amplify our intelligence.” — Harvard Business Review

Of course, Orion’s Intelligence Amplification capabilities go well beyond virtual assistants, inventory checks, and running license plate numbers. Our IA technology is built collaboratively with our customers and industry experts to ensure deskless workers in every industry can meet the objective of optimizing processes and improving productivity.

This is Orion’s stated goal for Intelligence Amplification:

Amplify employee intelligence by providing real-time context and access to systems, data, and SMEs to dramatically improve safety, productivity, and customer engagement.

Intelligence Amplification is a large part of the Orion Business Value Model and how we’ve built our voice-first intelligent collaboration platform that connects deskless workers in any industry.

The Orion Innovation Model

Diagram of the Orion Business Value Model: a pyramid showing the 5 steps of the transformation journey: voice-first collaboration, operational control, process automation, intelligence amplification, and analytics

Orion built Intelligence Amplification technology for organizations looking to digitally transform their deskless workforces by connecting them to the rest of the digital enterprise with real-time information at the point of work.

Doesn’t Orion use Artificial Intelligence?

Yes, but always in service of the deskless worker, so they can eliminate routine tasks, focus on higher value items, and make the best decisions possible — the value is in increasing the power of the deskless worker.

“Artificial intelligence, it seems, has a PR problem. While it’s true that today’s machines can credibly perform many tasks (playing chess, driving cars) that were once reserved for humans, that doesn’t mean that the machines are growing more intelligent and ambitious. It just means they’re doing what we built them to do.” — Jerry Kaplan, Artificial Intelligence Expert and Futurist, Stanford University

Technically, Orion’s Analytics solution could fall into the broad AI category, as we use a substantial amount of signals from employee metadata, predictive analytics, and machine learning to forecast and optimize deskless worker processes. However, we leverage all of the power of that data to make frontline workers more intelligent about the way they do their jobs and the way they communicate with one another.

Or, to put it in terms your average sci-fi fan would understand, Orion’s Artificial Intelligence is much more the J.A.R.V.I.S./F.R.I.D.A.Y. to your frontline workers’ Iron Man/Tony Stark and not the HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey to your frontline workers’ Dave Bowman.

2. Why did Orion build Intelligence Amplification for the deskless workforce?

Technology is rapidly changing the landscape of every industry.

Studies from Accenture show that leading enterprises are compressing a decade of digital transformation in 1-2 years and that 83% of executives agree that their organization's business and technology strategies are becoming inseparable. In supply chain alone, only 4% of Chief Supply Chain Officers view their operations as future-ready and 34% expect to be there by 2023, which is an ambitious undertaking.

83% of executives 

agree that their organization’s business and technology strategies are becoming inseparable.

Leading enterprises are compressing a decade of digital transformation in 

1-2 years

The Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, big data, and cloud storage have all changed the game for real-time data collection and analysis like never before. Now, frontline workers must have access to this massive amount of information right at their fingertips.

As organizations leverage digital transformation more and more, it's essential that frontline workers aren’t left behind. Intelligence Amplification becomes the path that truly connects the deskless workforce to the rest of the digital enterprise.

Many industries with frontline workforces have large seasonal fluctuations, contractors, high turnover rates, and use complex machinery that creates safety issues. Intelligence Amplification is the fastest way to get deskless workers up to speed and keep them productive and safe.

Orion’s IA workflows allow frontline workers to learn more about new processes and products in real time by connecting them to manuals and best-practice guides. Our IA workflows deliver deskless workers predictive insights at speed from their backend systems and empower them to address common mistakes and identify opportunities to capitalize on customer behavior patterns with reminders for key steps and precautions. If a customer has a specific or nuanced question, Orion’s Intelligence Amplification instantly connects frontline workers to knowledge bases or subject matter experts (SMEs) for real-time information.

In short, we built our Intelligent Amplification capabilities to connect and empower the audience we care about most: deskless workers.

 

Orion Intelligence Amplification serves deskless workers in industries like energy, hospitality, retail, and more

 

3. How soon can I implement Intelligence Amplification for my deskless workforce?

Intelligence Amplification is available for your workforce today. This is because Orion’s collaboration technology solves for something you are probably already using in an inefficient or outdated way. Your organization is likely using radios, multiple devices, or push-to-talk applications to communicate with each other, and none of these solutions connect to backend systems, IoT sensors, knowledge bases, or SMEs who in many cases will be out of range of radio networks.

Orion’s voice-first intelligent collaboration platform not only solves for multimodal communication and operational control, but for process automation, analytics, and of course, Intelligence Amplification, as well.

Orion customers who use our Intelligence Amplification technology see dramatic improvement in customer satisfaction, employee productivity and safety, operational efficiencies, and organizational outputs. This is because we built our collaboration solution with the goal of connecting and empowering the deskless workforce — not just making machines smarter.

As technology advances continue to transform every industry, it’s imperative deskless workers aren’t left behind. Intelligence Amplification becomes not only the way to increase your organization’s productivity — but could very well be the variable that stands between you and blowing past your competition.

Achieving Intelligence Amplification for your organization is as simple as investing in a voice-first intelligent collaboration platform that connects your frontline workers to systems, data, and SMEs in real time. And it’s possible today.

Want to know more? Let’s talk.

This blog post is the first of a series of posts about Intelligence Amplification, where I’ll dive into specific examples of how Intelligence Amplification serves deskless workers in industries like retail, hospitality, manufacturing, oil and gas, the military, and more. If you have any specific questions, email me at hello@orionlabs.io with the subject line “Intelligence Amplification Blog.”

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]]> 451 Research Issues Business Impact Brief: Enabling Workforce Digital Transformation and Agile Collaboration for Deskless Workers https://www.orionlabs.io/451-research-digital-transformation-2021/ Tue, 23 Mar 2021 14:30:29 +0000 https://www.orionlabs.io/?p=8345

Understand 2021 workforce productivity and collaboration trends for the deskless workforce. Get the Business Impact Brief from leading analyst 451 Research.

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2021 Workforce Productivity and Collaboration Trends for the Deskless Workforce

451 Research, the leading analyst in topics and technologies driving digital transformation, issued a new report on digital transformation for deskless workers.

As 451 notes, “the deskless workforce is a critical component of a wide range of vertical markets and use cases — including security, facilities management, retail, energy and mining, transportation, hospitality, manufacturing, and health care — but they have been largely underserved by business communications and collaboration tools.”

Get the Business Impact Brief

Enterprises must consider how they manage, empower, and connect their deskless workforce with a business communications infrastructure that also addresses compliance, end-to-end encryption, and mobile device capabilities.

The brief affirms that business conditions are increasing the importance of including deskless workers in digital transformation initiatives, stating “conditions are making secure remote collaboration a top priority for organizations that aim to differentiate based on their digital transformation leadership – ahead of other initiatives including risk mitigation, ensuring continuous uptime, modernizing and mobilizing business applications, and supporting different cloud platforms.”

Download 451 Research’s Business Impact Brief to discover:

  • How collaboration software enables productivity and an agile operating approach
  • Why voice-first, intelligent tools are key for frontline workers
  • The enormous cost savings achieved with effective collaboration
  • How improved communications transforms business operations
  • And so much more

Get the Business Impact Brief

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]]> 3 Reasons Orion’s Multimodal Frontline Collaboration Platform is Critical for Operating a Digital Organization With a Connected Deskless Workforce https://www.orionlabs.io/multimodal-collaboration-deskless-workforce/ Wed, 20 Jan 2021 15:30:18 +0000 https://www.orionlabs.io/?p=8095

Orion’s voice-first intelligent platform transforms frontline work with the multimodal user experience required for deskless workers. Learn more on our blog.

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Deskless workers are tasked with executing their jobs at the point of work — whether that’s serving customers, protecting company executives and property, driving vehicles, using heavy machinery, loading stock in a warehouse, or operating in the field.

But on average, deskless workers must switch between 4.5 different communications devices or methods to complete their tasks. Deskless workers would be more productive and safer if they had a single solution that provides a multimodal user experience.

Multimodal Collaboration for the Deskless Workforce - Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile

Orion leads the way in delivering one interface, over a high-performance cloud-native architecture, to enable comprehensive best practices for deskless work. With this offering, Orion’s platform supports the digitalization journey for organizations by enabling their deskless workforce to communicate with a multimodal experience on the go — creating a truly connected workforce.

Here are three ways Orion’s multimodal frontline collaboration platform helps digital organizations support a connected deskless workforce:

1. Orion Offers the Multimodal User Experience Required for Best Practices in Frontline Work

Maintenance worker repairing commercial aircraft engine - Multimodal collaboration from Orion Labs

Deskless workers require multiple modes of collaboration that support how work gets done on the frontline at a given moment. They need the option to communicate and collaborate via voice, text, files, video, or picture, with all of these options available to them at all times, on one device, in one app, and in one user experience.

Orion’s intelligent collaboration platform offers deskless workers and their organizations the best practices in multimodal collaboration with optimized high-quality communication methods. This includes the highest audio quality available on the market as well as extremely low latency push-to-talk (PTT) that works over low bandwidth connections.

Multimodal communication is critical for deskless workers operating in dynamic environments. Here are a few examples of where multimodal functionality is required:

  • A maintenance worker needs the ability to send photos of a part they need so centralized support can locate the correct item and deliver it to their location.
  • A manager wants to securely share information via text to their team without requiring them to remember on the fly or write something down when they may be in the middle of a workstream.
  • A construction worker with a ruggedized device uses voice to ask a question of his manager who is working remotely on a computer with the web dispatch console.
  • A security guard needs to share a photo or video of a person or object that poses a potential security risk with their team members so they can be on high alert.
  • A cleaning crew completed a task in a particular room or a warehouse worker finished restocking inventory and wants to provide photo evidence that it is complete.

2. Orion’s Multimodal Collaboration Platform Means Deskless Workers Only Need One Device.

Orion supports the best practice of providing access to multimodal collaboration within one application on one device.

Deskless workers often need to use multiple devices to achieve their collaboration requirements. They should not need to switch between one device for voice communications and their phone to send text or pictures. Orion’s users can choose from a breadth of supported device types to suit every possible deskless workforce and worker job, including browsers, tablets, push-to-talk (PTT) ruggedized phones, and mobile phones.

Orion’s innovative approach supports the broadest range of iOS and Android smart devices and the ability to interoperate with LMR radios and VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).

3. Orion is Always On. Always Secure. Always Available on Any Network.

Other PTT apps can do multimedia, but carrier networks that offer PTT apps often lock users into their own networks, restricting the availability of multimedia to one device and one location. This doesn’t account for the manager who may need to check in on a personal or alternate device when working from home or offsite. Orion, however, supports the highest levels of quality on any network.

Orion customers can use any network for their communications, including LTE (5G-ready), private LTE (CBRS), Wi-Fi, satellite, and mesh. Users have the always-on ability to communicate with any size team via unlimited groups, 1:1 communication, or mass communication over any distance, including on-site, on the road, across town, or around the globe.

Regardless of network or delivery system, each multimedia message is fully encrypted with enterprise-grade end-to-end encryption (E2EE), supporting the highest standards of data security. Orion’s multimodal collaboration platform delivers the highest security and encryption standards that today’s digital enterprises need.

Why Deskless Workers Need Orion

Voice-first, multimodal collaboration is critical for ensuring the deskless workforce can do their jobs well and without roadblocks. Multimodal collaboration is also the first step in building a connected workforce, and ultimately delivering digital transformation across the enterprise.

Orion is the leading voice-first intelligent platform that supports enterprises on this digital transformation journey. The Orion frontline multimodal collaboration platform empowers deskless workers by enabling real-time team collaboration, process automation, location mapping, and access to enterprise systems to improve workforce productivity, safety and compliance, and customer engagement.

Learn more about Orion here.

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]]> Manufacturing Technology Insights Names Orion Labs “Top 10 Industrial IoT Solution Providers for 2020” https://www.orionlabs.io/top-10-industrial-iot-solutions-award/ Thu, 14 Jan 2021 12:11:28 +0000 https://www.orionlabs.io/?p=8077

Manufacturing Technology Insights recognizes Orion for automating processes, boosting operational efficiency, and furthering industrial IoT innovation.

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Orion Labs’ collaboration platform recognized for its innovation and excellence in automating processes, boosting operational efficiency, and furthering digital innovation

Manufacturing Technology Insights Names Orion Labs “Top 10 Industrial IoT Solution Providers for 2020”

SAN FRANCISCO, January 14, 2021 — Orion Labs, Inc., the leading voice-first, intelligent collaboration platform that empowers deskless workers, today announced the company was named a Top 10 Industrial IoT Solution Provider for 2020 by Manufacturing Technology Insights. The judging panel noted that Orion Labs was selected for its unmatched innovations to support the deskless workforce with voice-first multimodal collaboration, process automation, intelligence amplification, and analytics.

Read What Manufacturing Technology Insights Had to Say About Orion Labs

Manufacturing Technology Insights provides industrial manufacturers with intelligence for investing in new technology platforms and building new operating models.

“Each year, the organization’s editorial board and industry-leading CEOs, CIOs, and CXOs select 10 companies at the forefront of reducing the complexity of various processes, boosting operational efficiency, and furthering digital innovation,” said Laura Davis, Editor-in-Chief at Manufacturing Technology Insights.

Cover image for Manufacturing Technology Insights magazine featuring Orion Labs industrial IoT solutions

Digital innovation is key to transforming the manufacturing industry as it faces increased pressure to operate more efficiently, growing global competition, downward pressure on profits, and constraints from COVID-19. Deloitte estimates 62% of manufacturers will make smart manufacturing and digital transformation investments this year to increase agility and productivity, with many organizations accelerating their investments due to pandemic-related challenges.

Orion supports the digitalization journey and transforms how an organization’s deskless workforce operates by enabling deskless workers to collaborate in real-time with a multimodal experience, including voice, text, photo, and video. The Orion platform leverages real-time edge-delivered data from IoT sensors to create smart plants and enable industrial companies to be more operationally aware, asset-efficient, and automate workstream processes to save time, and reduce costs in delivering goods and services.

“Orion makes possible a truly connected deskless workforce, and ultimately, buttresses the digital transformation of an enterprise,” said Michael Schwartz, Orion Chief Marketing Officer. “With Orion in place, companies transform their deskless workforce into an unmatched advantage — a crucial step to remaining competitive in today’s environment. We are honored that Manufacturing Technology Insights recognizes our dedication to empowering the deskless workforce with voice-first, intelligent collaboration.”

Preview of MTI magazine article featuring Orion Labs industrial IoT solutions

Orion has continually been recognized by analysts, industry pundits, and leading journals for its innovative and market-leading solutions. IDC named Orion an IDC Innovator for its unique ability to digitally transform communications for the deskless workforce with AI-powered bots that enable process automation and access to IoT systems. The company won an Edison Award for the Onyx, its patented wearable that supports hands-free, heads-up collaboration for workers. Orion holds 45 patents to protect its innovation advantage and continues to advance new ways to help its customers embrace the benefits of digital transformation.

Learn More: Read What Manufacturing Technology Insights Had to Say About Orion Labs

About Orion Labs, Inc.

Orion is the leading voice-first, intelligent platform that empowers deskless workers by enabling real-time team collaboration, process automation, location mapping, and access to enterprise systems to improve workforce productivity, safety and compliance, and customer engagement.

Orion holds 55 patents that support its award-winning solutions and has been named an IDC Innovator. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and backed by leading investors. For more information, visit www.orionlabs.io.

Stay in touch with Orion Labs | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

Media contact

Jacqueline Wasem
Orion Labs, Inc.
415-800-5467
press@orionlabs.io

]]> Infographic: 23 Facts About Collaboration Software for the Deskless Workforce https://www.orionlabs.io/infographic-23-facts-about-collaboration-software-for-the-deskless-workforce/ Wed, 13 Jan 2021 15:30:51 +0000 https://www.orionlabs.io/?p=8065

Here’s why you need a voice-first intelligent collaboration platform to connect your deskless workforce to your digital enterprise. Get the free infographic.

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Make the Case for a Voice-First Intelligent Collaboration Platform With These Stats

Collaboration Software for the Deskless Workforce - Infographic - Orion Labs
You likely know that radios and push-to-talk (PTT) applications are holding your deskless workers back. We’ve put together an infographic to help you make the business case to the rest of your company about why you need a voice-first intelligent collaboration platform to connect your deskless workers to your digital enterprise.

Now more than ever before, leading organizations are turning to collaboration software to empower their deskless workers, create their connected workforces, and digitally transform the majority of their operations. They know radios, PTT applications, simple cell phones, or relying on desktop/desked-designed applications just can’t cut it to stay competitive in today’s digital world.

Get the Infographic

Download Orion’s free infographic to discover:

  • 4 statistics about digital transformation
  • 6 facts about how collaboration software creates connected workers
  • 8 facts about technology for deskless workers
  • How a voice-first intelligent collaboration platform digitally transforms your organization
  • And so much more

Learn more about collaboration software for the deskless workforce. Get the infographic today!

Collaboration Software for the Deskless Workforce - 23 Facts Infographic - Orion Labs

Get the Infographic

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]]> E-book: The Future of Voice at Work https://www.orionlabs.io/e-book-future-of-voice-at-work/ Wed, 23 Dec 2020 15:30:48 +0000 https://www.orionlabs.io/?p=8025

Learn about digital transformation and how to turn your deskless workforce into connected workers with PTT, Operational Control, and more. Get the free e-book.

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Navigate the 5-Step Journey to Creating Your Digital Deskless Workforce With a Voice-First Intelligent Collaboration Platform

80% of the global workforce performs deskless work. Yet, all too often deskless workers are left behind during discussions and planning of the digital enterprise and instead have to rely on radio technology from the 1940s or push-to-talk (PTT) apps with no path for innovation.

Orion is the voice-first intelligent collaboration platform to change this.

The Future of Voice at Work - Connecting the Deskless Workforce | Orion Labs

Get the E-book

When Orion created the voice-first intelligent collaboration platform, we knew we were solving problems much bigger than simple PTT apps and radios’ poor coverage and audio quality, unwieldy form factor, and unreasonable costs for limited value. We knew we were empowering a much-too-often overlooked yet crucial part of our workforce: the deskless worker.

Companies are on a path to innovation, and leading organizations are discovering that in order for digital transformation to drive real productivity and value, they must connect their deskless workers to the rest of the digital enterprise.

In The Future of Voice at Work, we define the concepts of digital transformation and the connected worker and what those concepts mean for the deskless workforce. You’ll read about the amount of value your organization stands to achieve with digital transformation and how leading companies are digitally connecting deskless workers to the rest of their organization following the stages of Modernization and Innovation in the Orion Innovation Model.

Discover the Orion Innovation Model

In the e-book, you’ll see how Orion’s platform takes your deskless workforce, and ultimately your organization, through the stages of Modernization and Innovation following the Orion Innovation Model. This model was created by Orion’s technology leaders and is used by industry-leading companies.

Following the Orion Innovation Model, The Future of Voice at Work is broken out into two distinct sections:

Section 1: Modernizing Communications

In this section, we follow the above first two steps in the Orion Innovation Model and explain how collaboration software modernizes and enhances the functions your deskless workforce performs today.

You’ll learn why fast, reliable, and secure multimodal communication should be table stakes for your organization’s modern deskless workforce. You’ll also discover how to coordinate and centralize operational visibility, management, and decision making with operational control.

Section 2: Innovating Operations

In this section, we cover the upper three layers of the above Orion Innovation Model and show how a collaboration platform creates a path for true innovation and digitalization for your deskless workforce and your organization — well beyond anything radios and PTT apps could ever imagine possible.

You’ll learn about how leading organizations are using process automation, intelligence amplification, and analytics to drive profit for their businesses and make them more efficient and productive.

This all ultimately culminates in improved employee productivity, customer engagement, and safety and compliance.

Download The Future of Voice at Work to learn:

  • How Orion’s platform creates a connected workforce
  • How radios are last-century technology and holding your organization back
  • How a voice-first intelligent collaboration platform enables digital transformation for your deskless workers
  • And so much more

By the end of this e-book, you should have a clear and complete understanding of how you can empower your deskless workforce and enable digital transformation for your entire organization by using a powerful, intelligent collaboration platform.

It’s time to discover the future of voice at work. Get the free e-book today!

Get the E-book

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