From friction to flow: Building the resilient digital workforce 

The modern workplace has never been more connected…or more complex. The influx of AI tools, new collaboration tools, and the pressure to move faster have created a paradox: we’ve digitized work – but not always simplified it. 

Ninety-seven percent of organizations say they’re affected by “digital friction”—the unnecessary effort employees expend just to access information or use technology effectively. Every extra click or search adds up. Multiply that across thousands of workers, and digital friction becomes one of the biggest hidden drains on productivity. 

Yet the organizations that have overcome these barriers share one common trait: they’ve embedded AI content management into the flow of work. 

Understanding the roots of digital friction 

Friction doesn’t happen because employees lack motivation. It happens because information is scattered across systems that don’t talk to each other. A single task, like reviewing a contract, updating a customer file, or approving an invoice, might require jumping between email, shared drives, chat apps, and enterprise platforms. 

Every time an employee pauses to find or verify content, momentum breaks. 

That’s why more leaders are turning to digital content services to connect content, data, and processes across the business. These platforms create a single, secure hub where employees can find what they need without context switching or waiting on IT. 

From information chaos to intelligent flow 

Digital content services platforms with embedded AI productivity tools do more than store information—they make it actionable.  
By combining structured and unstructured data into a unified workspace, AI can summarize, translate, and recommend relevant content instantly. 

For example: 

• HR teams can use AI to surface employee documents by role, region, or compliance status in seconds. 
• Finance can automate invoice approvals, reducing processing time and errors. 
• Operations teams can access the latest reports, policies, and workflows—all in one governed location. 

The result is an environment where information flows freely but securely, empowering teams to make faster, more confident decisions. 

Resilience starts with access and governance 

A resilient workforce is one that adapts quickly. That adaptability depends on having access to trusted information and clear governance frameworks. 

AI content management solutions strengthen both. With built-in permissions, lifecycle controls, and classification, content stays accurate and compliant, no matter how or where employees work. 

Even as regulations evolve or teams shift, the system keeps information protected while AI tools accelerate routine tasks like summarizing reports or updating records. It’s this combination of governance plus intelligence that turns digital content services into a foundation for the future of work. 

A faster path from insight to action 

Resilience isn’t just about recovery; it’s about readiness. 
Organizations using AI to automate workflows and surface insights are finding that decisions happen faster, collaboration improves, and employees can spend more time on creative, high-value work. Organizations choosing a platform that offers embedded GenAI benefit from an intelligent assistant trained on their content – meaning results are not only faster, they are also more valuable.  

When information moves without friction, so does progress. A Foundry MarketPulse Survey found that enterprises integrating AI with content management are seeing 28% productivity gains and saving nearly three hours per employee per day. 

How to start reducing digital friction 

Building a resilient digital workforce doesn’t require reinventing every process. It starts with a few focused steps: 

1. Audit where friction lives: Map out where employees lose time or duplicate work. 
2. Unify your content layer: Bring documents, data, and processes into one governed platform. 
3. Empower with an embedded AI  content assistant: Give teams a tool that summarizes, translates, and finds information in seconds. 
4. Build a culture of continuous improvement: Use insights to evolve workflows and refine governance. 

Each small improvement compounds, turning everyday frustration into lasting productivity gains. 

Next step 

Discover practical ways to unlock AI productivity with the CIO White Paper: Content Management + GenAI: Building the limitless, resilient workforce of tomorrow.