We’ve been working with Integrated Workspace Management Systems (IWMS) companies for many years, building and customizing their products and platforms for corporate real estate and facilities managers. But never before have we witnessed such drastic changes in our work and workspace management systems. Innovations are changing our workspaces and their management systems as a response to the pandemic. Most of these digital solutions, products that enable team collaborations and manage workflow, will continue to evolve and stay beyond the pandemic. Here are some new directions the workspace management systems are evolving.
Better Communication Systems for Hybrid Workspaces
Some love working from home and some others believe they can work better from their office. In the past one and a half years, we have also fine-tuned our work processes, first to make collaborative remote working possible, and then to make the most of it. Post-pandemic, our workspaces will turn hybrid, and more flexible. The communication systems should then enable seamless integration of both at-office and remote workspaces. When employees are given the choice of working from their office or remotely as per their preferences, they can balance their responsibilities better, are more productive, and enjoy their jobs. This is also good for companies as they get access to a wider talent pool. They can recruit employees based on their skills and talent than on the place they reside in.
Apps or Platforms that Enable Informal Conversations
We also foresee the need for collaboration systems that enable informal conversations. These conversations in the cafeterias, or during coffee breaks, or near the water cooler play a huge role in building trustable relationships. They do help us in understanding our teammates well enough to trust them with remote work. How can our digital systems accommodate these casual conversations better?
Pre-pandemic, we could easily change a location to change our mood. We periodically used to gather in a cool place for team lunch. Though we can meet our colleagues and participate in team-building activities virtually, they may not be interesting enough. We have to think of new ideas to make these team activities more different from regular work calls, like playing online games together as a team. Since remote working will continue for at least a few more months here in India, ‘Gaming Platforms for Corporate Teams’ are very much needed, like any other remote working tools. They can be used to introduce and welcome virtually onboarded new recruits to the team. Even after the offices open up, they can be used to build good team relations among distributed teams or client and offshoring teams.
Office Systems that Suggest Social Distancing Protocols
Workspace management has new directions to grow. Even after offices open up, it might take a long time to discard social distancing norms. The next normal workspaces may be installed with tech systems that encourage us to maintain social distancing at least in congested areas like the elevator lobby, dining halls, and cafeterias. Also, the existing offices will seat fewer people than the pre-pandemic days.
Sustainable Office Management Solutions
The pandemic has forced us to slow down. For the fear of the virus, most of us are working from home and are hardly stepping out. For the past one and half years, we have been using the time saved from unproductive but unavoidable situations like traffic congestions, to think about important but often neglected problems like the climate crises. More companies are now committed to at least reducing if not nullifying their carbon footprint. These solutions are often too complicated. Too many factors make it very difficult for us to manage them without the help of technology. Digital Technology has a huge role in solving ‘The most important problem of humankind’.
Some companies are organizing their workspaces with hot-desking systems where a single physical workstation can be used by different people at different times. It helps companies run efficiently with a smaller office space. Moreover, it allows employees to use any desk available and not a fixed desk every day. Their desk is chosen according to the climate, season, and timing of the day. This can significantly reduce electricity consumption. Companies now rely on software solutions that consider all the relevant factors and manage such dynamic workspaces.
Meetings are Made in Cloud
Almost all companies now have serious timelines to accomplish cloud transformation as soon as possible. Offices have extended beyond the four walls to the virtual colonies of cloud. Some offices only exist in the cloud with no physical office space at all. Such cloud companies are possible only because of a deeper and broader digital transformation of most of the work and business processes. Companies can optimize their office space for the essential staff in one location, and the rest can collaborate either on the cloud or in satellite offices.
Conclusion
Adopting new technologies to simplify business and organizational processes digitally transforms companies. It is an essential step to not only succeed and grow but also sustain. COVID-19 has digitalized our work as much as possible. It is imperative to digitally transform our workplaces to accommodate our remote or hybrid working conditions. Some of the solutions discussed in this blog are in use, and many more are being tested and improvised. However, digital transformation of workspace management systems is only possible if we put software/digitalization at the core than digitalizing a part of the office or a process. For strategic digital transformation of integrated workspace management systems, please contact us at [email protected]