#workplacesoftware

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Choosing workplace technology that works: why your business deserves a consultative approach

What’s the difference between a supplier and a consultant? Your business needs to know – because a consultative approach is what you need to gain the competitive edge. Find out why

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Design for life: How we’ll be linking design, productivity and well-being in meeting rooms of the future

When the LinkedIn network features around a thousand managers who describe themselves as ‘Chief Happiness Officer’, you can tell that well-being has moved right up the workplace agenda.

That’s only right and proper, of course, from a moral point of view. But it also makes sense from a business perspective – happy and comfortable workers  tend to be more productive. And the benefits of creating a connected workplace where people can collaborate and get on with their jobs easily go even further than that.

As workplace strategist Joelle Jach said recently: “By understanding the connection between humans and their environment, and by providing an environment that supports human needs, organisations can target cost savings as well as an engaged workforce.”

He argues that comfort and wellbeing also have a direct impact on employee retention; we all want to work somewhere that’s nice to be.

However, Jach also warns that open-office environments can cause feelings of stress and exposure that need to be addressed by workplace design.

And he also argues that while technology has made working far more flexible, social interaction is an important part of a creative and productive office life  and managers are needing to take it into consideration.

So are we happy in our current working environments?

Part of that is definitely down to us, the workers. A survey of the personalities of more than 3000 UK employees found that those who had most good days at work were those who scored high for positive emotions and enthusiasm, lower on depressive tendencies and who tended to start things and finish them.

You might say: ‘Well, they would have good days, wouldn’t they?”

But the co-author of the study, Manchester University professor of organisational psychology and health Cary Cooper, says:

“The implication here is that employers should try and recruit people with these characteristics but, of course, some people who lack some of these characteristics may have key skills that are even more important.

“And, even if you do recruit with happiness traits in mind, being content at work will to a larger extent depend on the workplace culture that truly values staff,trusts them, manages them humanely and compassionately and provides them with greater balance in their lives.”

This is a real wake-up call for every business that wants to succeed and prosper.

With the cost of workspace continuing to escalate, many organisations are looking hard at their offices and meeting rooms, and examining how their workers actually use them.

They know the UK workforce is becoming more mobile, and that offering an element of flexible working – where people drop in and out of the office as appropriate – can be both cost-effective and appealing to staff.

So many corporates are taking the opportunity to re-design their existing workspace, or even moving into new purpose-built space designed by architects with wellbeing and productivity in mind.

Things have moved quite a way since companies simply installed ping-pong tables or – in one case – a slippery slide from one floor to the other.

We’re not talking about short-lived fun any more, but rather about sustainable design with mental health at its core. So first, let’s look at what office designers are having to cater for:

5 trends changing the way we use our workplaces:

> Flexible working

> Activity-based working

> Video/Audio conferencing

> Digital signage/Wayfinding

> Business intelligence

Flexible working is perhaps the biggest of these changes, and it’s on many people’s minds – a recent survey found a third of UK workers would rather have flexible working than a pay rise.

It’s particularly popular with mercurial millennials; around 70% said they would appreciate a flexible working environment.

But while other studies have found that being able to work in different locations is empowering and satisfying, that only applies if organisations implement carefully thought-out policies.

There’s nothing satisfying or empowering about walking round the office with your laptop looking for somewhere to sit.

The most savvy companies are dealing with this with the help of workspace software that enables flexible workers to find and book the space they need online, often even before they come into the office.

Workspace management systems are now so sophisticated they can help staff select not only a desk or room, but also a quiet spot, a cool or warm area to work or specific technology they will need.

This kind of technology is also invaluable in responding to the worldwide change in activity-based working.

In previous decades, most offices had formal meeting rooms, often including a large boardroom that was seldom used.

As business imperatives have changed and costs have risen, that kind of meeting space is increasingly a thing of the past, with offices opting for bookable and flexible space where people can get together.

Informal collaborative areas have also become the norm – but as with agile working, it’s important to make sure all of these moveable feasts are easily available for consumption whenever they are needed.

Meeting space manager software is providing an answer. As with desk booking software, it shows the spaces available on graphic screens accessible and bookable from mobile devices.

Meeting space manager software integrates with Outlook, and also with occupancy sensors that can detect if a room or space is standing empty.

If no-one shows for a meeting, the meeting space manager software automatically restores it to availability so someone else can book and use it. The reduction in admin time is significant – and so is the reduction in valuable rooms standing empty.

Video/audio conferencing is a modern technological phenomenon that’s almost the norm in offices across the world today.

Companies like it because it cuts down on travel costs and promotes easy collaboration – and workers like it because they don’t waste stressful time fighting their way to meetings through heavy traffic.

The organisations that see the best uptake of VC are those that make it easy to use. Meeting space manager software is valuable in this area, because it helps staff organise and book their video conference in multi locations, automatically adjusting for any time zone differences.

The system will make sure the necessary equipment is available, and staff can book it – and even catering for the event – in a single online transaction.

Perhaps best of all, it removes a major irritation and obstacle to effective use of video conferencing. Staff can be daunted by the idea of setting up a complex VC meeting only to find a detail such as the time needs to be changes.

Meeting space manager software removes the strain completely – any changes are notified automatically to all involved in the meeting (even the caterers).

Another technology that integrates with meeting space manager software and enhances it is digital signage/wayfinding.

This is in part a response to that huge creator of frustration in the workplace – the no-show. How many times have you sat waiting in a meeting room for someone to turn up?

Advanced digital signage reduces no-shows by providing check-in and check-out, and by acting as a wayfaring guide to make sure the right people get to the right meeting – even visitors to the building.

In-room signage can also provide attendees with the ability to extend the meeting from inside the meeting room, and also provide connection to link room equipment and facilities such as HVAC.

All of these technologies are behind the rise of the final major trend in the way we run our workplaces – business intelligence.

Meeting space manager technology provides a wealth of data on which the office manager or FM professional can base sound decisions.

How is that space really being used? With data at the manager’s fingertips – available online via a mobile device – there is no longer an element of guesswork to planning the future configuration of the office.

Designing for concentration, collaboration, confidentiality and creativity

The five important trends I’ve outlined are already having a major impact on the way we work, and on how office design is evolving.

In order to keep staff happy and efficient, it’s vital to respond to these trends successfully, consistently and on a continuous basis.

As a report by the World Green Building Council notes:

“There is a complex relationship between the office worker and his or her co-workers, the tasks they carry out and the physical environment in which this takes place.

“The way the interior of an office is configured has a profound impact on concentration, collaboration, confidentiality and creativity – and can therefore either enable, or limit, productivity. It can also have a very direct impact on health and wellbeing, which in turn also impacts productivity. “

In other words, when we design our office spaces, we design for life. And in the future, even more than now, the organisations that care about efficiency and mental health will be linking design, productivity and wellbeing in their meeting rooms.

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COLLABORATION IN THE REAL WORLD – MAKING TECHNOLOGY WORK FOR YOUR WORKPLACE

Collaboration in the workplace now goes way beyond meeting around a water cooler or conference table. Today, globalization, technological advances and remote staffing have revolutionized the way we communicate and work together.

This changing “office” has a new standard that includes greater efficiency, a transformed workplace environment and a new norm. Millennials have certainly made their mark in the workplace and continue to make changes.

New technological advances have also brought a ‘face-off’ to old school corporate collaboration – video conferencing and AV are now used by a variety of businesses. They have discovered that it’s genuinely possible to create ‘face-to-face’ collaboration without actually being physically in someone’s presence – and you can save travel costs and employee stress, too.

That’s a win-win, of course. Except – in the real world – many organizations make a significant investment in collaborative technology, only to find it’s a struggle to get their employees to embrace it.

Video conferencing is certainly worth the effort. In fact, 56% of global CFOs say they would invest in video conferencing to reduce travel.

Businesses using video conferencing see a 30% decrease in travel costs. The cost of a domestic trip is estimated at $949 per person with international travel at $2,525. If just one employee reduces their travel by one day per month their company can save $11,000 per year.

It helps managers and coworkers deal with each other in a personal way while visually seeing their counterparts from any location in the world. Only 13% of the world’s workers feel engaged at work; the future of business collaboration will be dependent on organizations investing in a digital transformation and better supporting the increasingly mobile workforce through video conferencing.

So what’s still getting in the way of using 21st century collaborative tools?

Workers can be slow to adopt these money saving benefits – they think organizing a video conference is just too complicated, particularly across different time zones with multiple participants.

Also, finding rooms equipped with video conferencing equipment can be a nuisance.

To a busy employee, it can all seem like too much trouble, despite the obvious advantages. Fortunately, that’s where technology can step in and make the whole process a lot easier for everyone.

Selective meeting scheduling programs offer practical workplace solutions that integrate meeting room management and video conferencing.

A meeting and resource scheduling system allows employees to book meetings and video conferencing online with one touch from a laptop, tablet or smart phone, from anywhere they have an internet connection.

Finding an available room with VC equipment is easy, and time zones are no problem because advanced meeting scheduling software will automatically take it into consideration. If the meeting time changes all attendees are alerted through Outlook – even the caterers.

Bye-bye no-shows…

A further benefit of using meeting scheduling software is that it monitors who actually turns up to the meeting. If no-one comes, the space is automatically released back into availability, so valuable rooms do not stand empty.

Skype for Business  simplifies business meetings with one platform for calling, conferencing, video and sharing. Owned by Microsoft, Office 365 is incorporated for users. Office space is expensive, and Skype for Business lets you collaborate without a fixed meeting space.

A complete collaboration solution, it integrates audio, video, instant messaging, web conferencing, and file sharing in one simple platform. Plus, it lets you know when someone’s online and available. You can coauthor in real-time using Word, Excel, and even in PowerPoint while presenting.

Good meeting scheduling software can be used in conjunction with Skype for Business while using Outlook to notify attendees of meeting time and any changes. When a meeting room is required, it can find the room, book it and notify all attendees. It’s just a push of a button.

Social media platforms play a role in office collaboration too, if permitted in workplace organizations. They allow team members, especially Millennials, to stay on point with content creation, assignments, deadlines, edits etc.

Social media tools employees are using:

> Evernote: organize content into notebooks that log individual notes. You can add text, images, and files to notes and share them with other users.

> Google Drive: create documents and share them with as many users as you need. Everyone can leave notes and comments.

> Basecamp: a web-based project management tool that allows the creation of to-do lists, sharing of files, and communicating with the project team.

> Slack: for team members who need to be in contact every few minutes. This is done through threads – similar to a private chat room.

Creating a collaborative, connected workplace

With collaboration as a real driver for innovation, it’s in every business’ interest to create the conditions that enable it to happen.

Video conferencing, Skype for Business, social media and meeting management software all play a role in real time connectivity and improved relationships among colleagues — not to mention saving money for organizations across the globe.

Efficient meeting scheduling software integrates with video conferencing and allows employees to find and book a meeting space, add desks, catering, wayfinding and more with one touch of a button.

Advanced space occupancy sensors linked to visual displays can even be added to make it even easier for them to identify available workspace.

And a good room scheduling app does all this from a smartphone or tablet. It saves organizations money on expensive real estate while improving employee meetings and productivity, and promoting wellbeing.

Collaboration made easy, anywhere, anytime; it’s how the real working world should be every day.