Workplace Revolution: Key Trends Changing How Work Is Getting Done in 2017 We are just at the start of an enterprise renaissance where companies (and people) are hungry for a simple way to do work.

Whether the goal is to create transparency, improve accuracy or simply obtain data to make faster decisions, organizations today are rethinking the way work gets done. Now that we're well into the new year, there are some leading trends companies should consider adopting to drive success.

Here are five key trends driving business success in 2017:

1. Adaptable processes are being using increasingly to eliminate IT reliance.

Organizations are using processes that are easy to build and to change, as needed. These processes can be updated as necessary, and managed by the business-users themselves, eliminating their traditional reliance on IT. Business managers are also seeking solutions that allow employees to be productive on the fly and make an impact in real time to company operations.

This consumerization of work goes beyond IT and devices: Workflow and employee-behavior processes are also mimicking real-world apps like Snapchat, Uber, Slack, etc.

Digital employees and customers are thinking and acting differently and have different expectations. They want every business to work just as their favorite apps do. Enterprise software is also starting to mimic consumer apps and ultimately reshape the role of IT and the processes it manages to support employees.

We are just at the start of an enterprise renaissance where companies (and people) are hungry for a simple way to do work.

2. Enterprise mobility and information on the go are becoming synonymous.

According to IDC research reports, the population of mobile workers in the United States will be 105.4 million by 2020. Mobility has become a synonym for productivity regardless of the workplace. This year will see the rise of employee apps, making it possible for most employees to carry their work and information with them.

3. Organizations embracing transparency are gaining customer trust.

Organizations must implement radical transparency or risk irrelevance. The reason is that customers want to do business with companies that match their beliefs and values. And those customers are increasingly aware and informed. This means that businesses must run counter to their normal practices, by changing and communicating this vision and in everything they do.

With a more plugged-in understanding of human nature, companies are not only creating a happier and more productive culture: they are benefiting from empowered employees, leading to an internal resurgence that yields new and innovative products, services and processes.

4. A "chief process officer" has entered the C-suite.

Process is fundamental to the way we work; yet for too long, it's been confined to specialist-quality or process-improvement departments. Instead, 2017 is paving the way for process to play a more prominent role in the boardroom. The chief process officer is becoming responsible for developing a more effective approach to process design, management and execution -- and that entails comprehensive responsibility.

At the same time, it requires creating a framework that can be effectively used by the whole organization.

5. A concerted emphasis is being placed on a "return on learning" (ROL).

The classic ROI model is being augmented through the mining of organizations' operational performance data. This is allowing organizations to mobilize around solutions centered on people, process and performance.

Organizations can now detect issues such as process/SOP (standard operating procedure) inefficiencies and identify teams or individuals who exhibit sub-optimal performance, compared to an organization's benchmarks. Executives and managers need this capability, to gauge operational performance in real time. With it, management can view a situation and intervene immediately to mitigate and remedy any problems.

These trends will emerge more and more as every aspect of work continues to be redefined: Where we work, how we work, whom we work with are all categories subject to change.

Here's to empowering your organization to be the best it can be this year, as it sets your team up for operational success.