Smart Technology Trends in the Workplace
Featured Image: Geralt / Pixabay
From phones and wearable technologies like fitness trackers to smart thermostats, keyless entry systems, garage door openers, and digital assistants like Alexa and Siri, smart technology has quickly become a major part of our everyday lives. Given how effective smart technology has been at improving our lives at home, many companies have been interested in finding ways to bring it to the workplace
When people talk about smart offices, they often talk about things like tools to support video conferencing and remote collaboration. As important as those solutions are in today’s workplace, many other types of smart technology can potentially be very valuable in improving office operations and employee experiences.
Reservation Systems
For many companies, making the switch to a hybrid work structure means saying goodbye to the idea of having assigned workstations. When people aren’t in the office on a regular basis anymore, unassigned workstations prevent space from being underutilized while giving people the freedom to work wherever they’d like. But to avoid potential conflicts, reservation systems can be used to let people reserve their spaces ahead of time.
In addition to using smart technology to reserve workstations, reservation systems can be used to book spaces like conference rooms and other collaborative areas to make sure everyone has access to the resources they need when they need them. Even in offices that don’t do hybrid work, meeting room reservation systems are extremely helpful to have available.
Smart Lockers
Lockers are another office feature that’s grown in popularity along with hybrid work. When people don’t have assigned workstations, they still need a place to safely store their personal belongings when they’re in the office during the day. Smart lockers are a great option to consider since people can get the storage they need by accessing lockers through their mobile devices. Smart lockers can also be used to limit access to things like office supplies and other items that should only be used by certain people in the company.
Image: Wiredsmartio / Pixabay
Building Security
Very often, companies rely on a system of providing employees with keycards or keyfobs to control access to their offices. However, this isn’t always the most efficient system since keycards and keyfobs can easily get lost and cost money to replace. And if someone loses their keycard or forgets to bring it with them, they may have to rely on help from others to get into the office until their card is found or replaced. As an alternative, smart technology can be used to issue security credentials through mobile devices that can easily be reissued or revoked as needed. When visitors come to the office, smart technology can also be used to help with any check-in procedures.
Image: Dan LeFebvre / Unsplash
Light & Thermostat Controls
Utility bills are a basic expense of operating an office, but it’s one that nobody wants to spend more on than necessary. Rather than manually adjusting the thermostat each day or hoping employees remember to turn off lights when they leave, smart technology can be a great tool to control things more efficiently and are becoming the norm with building codes. With smart sensors, lights can be set to automatically switch off if no motion is detected in an area or adapt to changing lighting conditions throughout the day. Smart HVAC systems are another option to consider to automatically regulate temperatures based on factors like weather conditions, how many people will be in the office, and how they interact with the space.
Fresh Vending
Many large tenants or building owners have carved out space to provide a fresh market for their employees or occupants. This can look many different ways, but one smart solution involves tracking inventory and purchase trends via the internet where an operator is not on-site. This allows the operator who supports the market to know which items are selling and how to restock prior to even arriving, saving time for the company, but also alerting when a restock is required even prior to a potential scheduled one to keep the clients needs met.
Ready to give your office an upgrade? Premier Construction & Design can help. Take a look through our portfolio and case studies to see examples of spaces we’ve worked on. When you’re ready to get started, contact us and our team will be ready to learn more about the needs of your project.
