COVID-19 has forced companies to conduct the greatest workplace productivity experiment of all time. Millions of employees who once clocked in at offices are now working remotely. They depend on digital workflows and virtual collaboration tools to stay connected and get work done. We must take the best of what we are learning during the pandemic and use it to drive innovation and productivity going forward.

Looking across our global customer base, we see many organizations testing hybrid work models to learn what works across different teams. For example, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is on a mission to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. In 2020, COVID-19 created a significant headwind to that mission. With much of the hospital staff required to work from home, the need to digitize manual workflows became more important than ever.

In less than four weeks, the hospital leveraged ServiceNow’s low-code App Engine and Integration Hub to integrate disparate systems and build custom end-to-end workflows, ultimately allowing them to ensure seamless delivery of critical services.

Now that we have effective vaccines, many organizations look forward to reopening their physical workspaces. Even so, I think flexible work models have proven their value and are here to stay. Digital transformation enables hybrid models that combine virtual and physical interaction. By adopting the best of both, we can unlock productivity while attracting, motivating, and retaining great talent.

The pandemic accelerated many business trends that were already underway, including work-from-anywhere models enabled by digital platforms. By forcing a remote environment for everyone, it broke old paradigms and challenged assumptions about what truly drives productivity and value creation. We need to lead differently going forward, learn from this global experiment, and become even more productive in how we work.

While I believe the future of work is hybrid—and that productivity doesn’t require in-person interaction—every company is different and must define its own version of success. Here are five principles that any organization can apply to develop the workplace model that’s right for them.