There are two hot topics in the business world right now that are seemingly separate, but are actually more interconnected than you may think: new ways of working, and business technology.
In 2022, it’s going to be vital for businesses to make big advances in both of these areas, in order to keep pace with their competitors.
But what does this mean from a technical standpoint, and what are both employers and employees looking for from IT teams in order to work successfully in the year ahead?
In this blog, we’ll explore four key areas in which the changing world of work and technology can come together to satisfy everybody’s needs and motivations.
1. Connected workspace
It seems like the number of applications that employees need to access to do their jobs increases almost every day. Keeping track of all the information stored within these applications, and how those applications talk to each other (or don’t, as the case may be) can be incredibly complicated. That some employees now work from home some or most of the time only adds a further layer of complexity.
This is why a connected workspace is so important.
The technological means must be there for an employee to access all the data and applications they need, anywhere and any time, and to be able to communicate with co-workers wherever they may be located. Not only can further cloud adoption help with this, but so can applications that integrate with existing solutions (such as Microsoft Teams within the overall Office package).
2. Easy flexible work
Connected to the previous point, it must be as uncomplicated and seamless as possible for employees to choose where and when they work. In the current climate, employers want to encourage employees happy working from home to return to the office at least partially. However, complex systems for organizing office work will quickly deter them from making the effort to commute in, even if only a couple of times a week.
This is where technology like workspace booking solutions can make such a big difference. If employees are able to use their phone, computer or even their Microsoft Outlook calendar to reserve personal spaces and meeting spaces for the times they need them, all the stress of organizing office days is removed. If they’re also able to search the schedules of their co-workers to set up collaboration (whether in person, virtual or a combination of the two), fully flexible work becomes a realistic option for everyone.
3. More efficient workplaces
Changes in where and when people work means that businesses have perhaps an unprecedented opportunity to find major efficiencies in how they operate. After all, if an organization no longer has its full workforce working in the office five days a week, then the overall real estate required to support the needs of the business is substantially reduced.
As flexible work becomes more established within the business, it will be easier to know how office spaces can be reshaped – and what kinds of workspaces and technology are needed under the new working model. Reducing the office-based IT estate can relieve some of the burden on the IT team to focus on more value-adding projects, while also helping support the business’s sustainability goals through smaller heat, light and ventilation demands.
4. Knowing what the future holds
Of course, getting that workspace right for today doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be right for tomorrow. The world of work is extremely fluid at present, and the needs of the business means demands on the workplace could change significantly at very short notice. And with a flexible work model in place, employees can quickly alter their arrangements to suit and quickly create peaks in workspace demand.
Data and analytics can help ensure IT teams are ready for these challenges whenever they strike. They can understand patterns in workspace usage, including who uses what kind of space, when and why. Armed with this information, they can then make pre-emptive changes to workspace and meeting room provision to suit expected changes in usage, so that any sudden requirements can easily be catered for without any business disruption.
