Apps not only solve problems and save time in our personal lives — we're also more effective at work with the right tools. Airline pilots, for example, used to lug heavy flight bags through the airport. Now they carry a tablet that weighs less than two pounds. They also used to spend hours manually inserting new papers into their trusty, back-killing bags whenever flight charts or aircraft manuals changed, but updates now sync automatically for instant digital access.

Employees have come to expect that apps at their workplace help them avoid needless drudgery. With easy-to-use productivity and business process apps, employees can:

• Get work done whenever and wherever. For manufacturing company AB InBev, automating administrative tasks that previously had to be done by hand with a custom Field Sales Execution mobile app has freed AB InBev sales reps to spend more time to engage with customers.
• Have a single view of important data. For retailer Party City, approximately 100 executives, from the CEO down to district and regional managers, rely on their custom app in Salesforce for daily views of retail operations of 850 stores.
• Unlock back-end office systems. Life sciences company NEB connected Salesforce to its own back-end systems and automated inventory replenishment through its existing ERP system to consistently provide scientists with the products they need on a daily basis.

Empowering employees with digital tools isn't just a nice to have. Employees are more likely to stay where they are, to perform well, and to better serve your customers when they feel valued and have the necessary tools to get their jobs done. When your employees are wrestling with outdated systems and processes, they're unlikely to feel energized and inspired, and may look for greener pastures. If that's the case at your company, it's time to update your digital employee experience.

Solve Business Problems with Apps

The right digital tools do more than improve your employees' experiences — they also solve specific problems that stop businesses from turbocharging their growth and lowering expenses.

Here are a few scenarios in which solving the needs of the employee with easy-to-use apps contributes to the success of the company:

• New employees can onboard more quickly through well-planned, intuitive digital training programs via a New Hire Onboarding App with access to a digital community of peers who can help answer questions in real time
• Employees can pose a question or service request through a simple Q&A interface via your company's app rather than fruitlessly navigating an out-of-date, firewall-protected intranet website
• Traveling employees spend significantly less time submitting expense reports because they can snap pictures of their receipts to auto-capture payment information, building their expense report as they go
• Employees engage with corporate social responsibilities goals and can easily find volunteer opportunities and track their efforts through an intuitive app interface

The IT and HR Partnership

Both HR and IT bring important experience to the table. HR's expertise lies in the employee experience and determining where there are opportunities to improve. IT knows how to make it happen. Together, HR and IT are an innovative dream team for the digital employee experience. HR and IT professionals who spearhead the effort to modernize the digital employee experience are seen as forward-thinking leaders who value employees and improve business results. Everyone loves the people who make their lives easier.

How Salesforce Transformed the Employee Experience

Not to brag or anything, but a focus on digital employee experience is part of what has landed Salesforce on Fortune's 100 Best Places to Work list for eight years in a row.

See how Salesforce CIO Ross Meyercord and L. David Kingsley, SVP Global HR Strategy & Operations, partner to build engaging apps that help Salesforce employees every day.

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