How is the ‘smart office’ revolutionising the way we work?

Over the past few years, the ‘smart office’ has been heralded as the new goal for workspaces in both look and functionality. The smart office is one which uses technology to optimise the productivity of a workplace, and, as more and more businesses adopt this way of working, the benefits are becoming clear.
 
 

What makes a smart office?

The smart office is about productivity through innovation, collaboration and a sense of freedom. It should be accessible from anywhere and should seamlessly integrate technology into every function to allow staff to work efficiently no matter where or when they’re working. A smart office is a working environment in which employees are given the freedom to choose how they work best, whether that means granting them the flexibility of working to their own timetable, or the informality of working in an open, comfortable environment. The idea is that a relaxed workforce is a creative, productive workforce, which is achieved through access to collaborative tools which ensure communication is easily achieved.
 
 

Increased productivity

There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to get work done on a computer that is working painfully slowly. Not only can this situation be endlessly demotivating for a team, but such equipment can stall productivity. Even waiting just a few seconds for a computer to keep up can be jarring and can stagger an employee’s workflow, and these seconds add up over time. This means that a workforce using superior technologies could be infinitely more productive.
 
There could be a plethora of reasons why equipment might be unable to quickly and effectively perform tasks in a short space of time, from slow internet speeds to outdated technology, but fewer people in the workplace are settling for these malfunctions. To encourage increased productivity, ensure you have a reliable and fast data cabling solution installed in your building and that your network infrastructure is robust and up-to-date. This can be achieved by talking to experts in the network infrastructure industry, such as Nexsis Comms Ltd.
 
 

Workplace wellbeing

The frustrations of using old or slow technology have been cited as one of the biggest causes of stress in the workplace. With more emphasis being placed on mental health as a whole year on year, and with studies suggesting that positive wellbeing has a positive effect on productivity and work output, employers are always looking for more ways to aid their teams’ mental welfare.
 
Smart offices look to streamline processes and ease out workplace malfunctions, from the little things that cause minor irritations – such as difficulty signing on to conference calls – to larger scale problems like security breaches, and everything in between. The layout of the workplace is changing too, with hot desks and standing desks meaning people will need more portable ways of accessing the web.
 
 

Flexibility

Flexi-time and working from home have long been staples of any forward-thinking office environment. Not only can these increase workplace positivity and job satisfaction, in many cases it proves to save employers money in the long run, due to increased efficiency.
 
Smart offices rely on flexibility, which means that employees need to be able to access everything they need on multiple devices wherever they are. It also means that homes need to be just as secure as office buildings, which is why installing the best possible infrastructure in your home is essential if you’re looking to create the perfect home office environment.
 
HR departments will have to come up with smarter ways of regulating and keeping track of where employees are working, as being able to work at any time from anywhere could mean employees are working longer hours than they should. The smart office will need to integrate ways to regulate staff working hours and encourage a healthy work-life balance.
 
 

Capacity for collaboration

Collaboration is a buzzword often used when discussing smart offices. There are more tools and applications out there which streamline workplace collaboration than any one team could make use of, and it’s essential for a flexible and future-proof working environment. Smart offices are implemented with equipment and technology which makes collaboration easy, from projectors in meeting rooms to conferencing telephony.
 
Collaboration means several people working on the same project at a time, with each team member having an equal level of production to the others. It’s therefore imperative that your infrastructure allows such working. For more information on how this could be achieved, take a look at the building management solutions we offer.
 
Nexsis Comms Ltd is always looking to bring the newest technologies to our ever-growing list of customers, and many of the products and services we offer are perfect solutions to help you turn your office into a smart office. Take a look around the site, or get in touch to find out more.