How is technology improving the workplace?

Over the last month, we’ve been taking a look at how technology is impacting our customers and our great city regions. As a business, one area we are particularly familiar with is technological advancements in workplace design.

The workplace has been changing dramatically for over a decade now, with people finding new ways of working and companies striving to provide the best environment to attract and retain the best staff. Providing the right technology for productivity, effectiveness and efficiency is key to this.

Flexibility

One of the most simple ways in which technology has impacted the workplace over the last ten years is through portability. Long gone are days when staff had to be chained to their desk and computer screen to get their job done. Laptops, tablets and mobiles are making working life so much easier and allowing us to work on the go and from any place we please (providing the WiFi connection is good enough!). This has had a massive impact on businesses, now being able to easily offer staff the option for agile or flexible working. The additional freedom leads not only to greater productivity but increased creativity.

Desk occupancy

With more and more people working flexibly, many companies are finding they no longer need as many desks since not everyone is in the office all day every day. Smart sensor technology is now able to monitor how many people are using a set of desks at anyone times. By analysing this data, companies can easily see how much space they actually need. This is something Bruntwood regularly puts into practice.. As the business moves offices, this type of data is used to assess how many desks, meeting rooms and breakout spaces are needed for the team.

The working environment

Sensor technology can also be used to monitor aspects like noise, temperature and lighting, with these real-time and long-term analytics showing the overall usage of a building. This data can then be used to create optimum environments for staff. By providing a comfortable environment, people are more likely to be healthier and more productive, aiding staff retention.

This isn’t just good for people , of course, it’s also great for environmental efficiencies, as being able to more accurately set the temperature and lighting of a building helps to reduce energy consumption.

Communication

Whether you need to communicate more efficiently with people in the same office or business, or you’re looking to speak with a contact further afield, in another city or even country, there’s so much technology for businesses to take advantage off to make this process easier. More and more companies are utilising tools like instant messaging to easily communicate with coworkers, as well as face-to-face calling options such as Skype and FaceTime to contact overseas connections.

Additional office elements, such as meeting rooms and breakout spaces, are also seeing the impact of technology. To help productivity and ease of communication, businesses are taking advantage of more apps and software to work across locations with little disruption. This is impacting office design through the need for screen sharing and meeting room booking engines.

All this extra technology is making the workplace a more productive and enjoyable place to be. What technology would you like to see in your office?