A new decade means new ways of working. Think back to 2010 and how things have changed between then and now: things like video conferencing, hot-desking and agile working were merely exciting new concepts back then, but in 2020, they’re ubiquitous parts of our business lives.
None of us have any idea what the next ten years will bring, or how we’ll be working come 2030. But what we can do is make sure we’re equipped with the technology to best handle the changes ahead, whatever they are and whenever they come.
So with that in mind, here are ten top tips to get your workplace technology 2020s-ready:
1. Optimize and refine
As your company grows, it’s natural to want to branch out with bigger premises – but that may be a major investment that you just don’t need to make.
That’s especially true in a world where the typical utilization of office space is just 39%.
It’s likely that you can get much more out of the real estate you already have available to you, and occupancy sensing software is the easiest and quickest way to better manage your office space.
2. Say hi (properly) to AI
Most enterprises have dipped their toe into the AI waters with things like chatbots, but as the technology continues to develop, now is the time to see what it can really do for your business. But don’t just take a customer-facing view of what AI can do for you: it also has immense potential to uncover internal information about your business’s workflows and efficiency. So investigate solutions that can help you in this area.
3. Take agile to the next level
A 2018 Condeco survey found that,
30% of workers already work flexibly up to half the time,
and that’s highly likely to increase as employers strive to keep hold of talented staff that demand flexibility.
That’s why it’s imperative that your workforce can be 100% productive and functional wherever they are, making apps and mobile integration a must for your workplace technology as you further enable a fully agile business.
4. Make meetings magic
If you’re still using email, Google Calendars or – taking it old school – a whiteboard, to organize meeting room schedules, it really is time to expand your horizons. Meeting room software is a key piece of workplace technology that can remove the arguments from clashing bookings, better utilize available spaces and ensure the right meetings take place at the right time with the right equipment.
5. Smart buildings for smart business
The Internet of Things (IoT) encompasses all manner of innovations that can not only make your premises cheaper and easier to run, but can create nicer and more enjoyable places to work, too. Everything from interactive whiteboards through to dynamic lighting and air conditioning can help employees feel less stressed, more productive and much more motivated to do their jobs.
6. BYOD!
Whether you like it or not, Bring Your Own Device is here to stay – and you’ll need to find ways of accommodating it in your business without compromising data security. As more millennials and Generation Zers enter the workforce, the demand for BYOD is going to increase.
7. Hot desking can be hotter
For many hot-deskers, the checking-in experience can still be pretty clunky. They have to meet a receptionist, sign in, get a visitor pass, then lumber around the building in a seemingly never-ending search for a desk that no-one’s using. Every single one of these processes can be integrated into a single front-of-house kiosk:
- Check in digitally
- Get directions to a desk
- Easily find colleagues
- Job done
8. Gamify to engage
If you want to better engage your employees with the overall growth of your company, there are few more effective ways of doing so than with gamification software. By introducing incentives and rewards for hitting targets or completing certain actions, you can give your workforce something clearer to work towards and allow them to share in your business’s success.
9. Simplify in the cloud
As workplace technology has rapidly expanded, many businesses have found themselves lumbered with eleventy-twelve million tools, each one filling a niche purpose. The cloud, however, offers huge opportunities for either integrating these tools so they work together, or for adopting newer, more multi-functional ones. (And yes, eleventy-twelve million really is a number.)
10. At your service, as-a-service
Connected to the tip above, the cloud has been the primary driver for the growth in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for businesses the world over. Pretty much anything can be run as-a-service now, with all the benefits of reduced hardware costs and quick set-up times. So it’s worth reviewing anything and everything you don’t currently run that way and making some changes to streamline your workplace technology.
