Smart Office

The joy of using smart technologies, even in the office!

Today, smart technologies are increasingly used in all areas to improve our lives. The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized the way we work and live. Although the history of the smart office dates back to the early 1990s, with the advent of the Internet and the availability of computers for the workforce, the term has now grown and most managers seem to agree that a new era of the “smart office” is slowly dawning. It is emerging.

 In this article, we will have a brief overview of the meaning of smart office, its type of smart technology, and the benefits it can have for employees and managers.

What exactly is a smart office?

A smart office is actually a workplace, using advanced Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and the analysis of collected data has helped to increase the productivity and efficiency of employees, and at the same time, by optimizing the work environment, the office space is compatible with the environment and keeps it affordable. The tools used in smartening of office can include video conferencing software, meeting room software, table reservation software, hardware tools, and analytics tools that provide insight into how different spaces are used.

Why is space management important for making the workplace smarter?

The core of smart offices lies in optimization. Organizations are seeking to create a revolution in the spaces where we spend most of our professional lives by making offices smarter. Internet of Things (IoT) office technologies is essential for businesses today to retain employees and recruit new talent. Modernizing the office space where employees spend significant time is just as important to improving the employee experience as the tools currently used in offices.

Get to know the benefits of smarting of office 

There are many benefits to implementing Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the office environment. Some benefits of smartening of office that should not be ignored are:

• Facilitating work planning

By benefiting from advanced Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the sharing of documents, files, and more are facilitated for managers and employees, making the entire work management process easier.

• More productive working days and meetings

Internet of Things (IoT) office technologies significantly helps improve the efficiency and productivity of employees. Because it makes things easy and by automating many processes, it helps people to focus on more valuable tasks instead of repetitive and unimportant tasks. In turn, smartening of the office allows people to achieve their career goals faster by focusing on developing higher-level skills. This is important for both the organization and the people working in it.

• Development of employee participation 

Those employees who are more satisfied with their workplace will have the most participation in organizational affairs. These people come to work with more energy and motivation and are ready to provide fresh ideas for the development of the collection every day.

• Personalization of staff rooms 

A smart office provides more comfort to the people who work there and makes the space more personalized and comfortable. In fact, using the Internet of Things (IoT) allows employees to remotely manage some parts of their work environment, such as setting lights and temperature, booking meeting rooms, and interacting constructively with other colleagues. Therefore, supporting the independence and more ownership of employees in their work, leads to having a happier workforce with a higher output level. 

• Development of team building and teamwork 

Smart Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the workplace can help strengthen collaboration and facilitate teamwork. By using remote collaboration tools, teams are able to communicate with each other regardless of location and have a productive collaboration. This in turn leads to improved relations between the workforce. It is also essential for organizations looking to move towards a more flexible way of working.

• Smart office is more secure

A smart notebook can be very secure. Because security devices such as Wi-Fi sensors and security cameras can be used there. The data collected by these devices are easily accessible in real-time for managers of organizations. In addition, Internet of Things (IoT)-based technologies can help increase security and compliance in the workplace because they are managed by specialized companies that invest heavily in security.

• Operating costs are reduced

Smartening the office helps to reduce operating costs in different ways. Business owners who are looking to make their work smarter can manage their real estate remotely with greater accuracy and speed by accessing Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. In addition, smart devices are used to reduce energy consumption. The amount of lighting, heating, and cooling can be adjusted in such a way that if there are no people in the workspace, it is automatically turned off and makes the work environment as efficient as possible in terms of energy.

What are the features of the smart office?

Not all smart offices are the same. Some are better equipped than others and offer more benefits to employees.

• Intelligent lighting, cooling, and heating systems

Intelligent lighting and climate management systems are able to recognize people's usage patterns and preferences. This is done through smart sensors that are strategically placed to detect and record movement and activity data. By installing smart thermostats that can be controlled through mobile phone apps or web browsers, companies can create the possibility of controlling the workspace for employees and help to strengthen the morale, productivity, and retention of employees. By using this technology, it is also possible to turn off the temperature and light regulation systems if the working spaces are not used, thus saving energy and costs.

• Smart meeting room

Smart meeting rooms are another important feature of a smart office. Sensors assigned in the meeting room help to improve and simplify the meeting setting process in an organization. In addition, they can supervise the use of common office spaces such as conference rooms and meeting halls. On the other hand, workspace booking platforms allow managers to monitor the location and time of their employees to ensure that everyone has what they need to perform their duties effectively at any time. Also, by analyzing the collected data, they will be able to better evaluate the performance of their employees and support their teams

• Video monitoring of affairs

Video surveillance, which is another essential component in a smart office, which not only increases security in the work environment but is also able to optimize the use of office spaces by analyzing the collected data. Smart video surveillance systems allow companies to automate the process of entering and exiting people; Monitor the number of visitors and their purpose for visiting the company and provide instructions to support them in order to find the place or people they want.

• Simplifying the error reporting process

A common problem in companies is equipment failure, which can make a productive meeting ineffective in just a minute. Internet of Things (IoT) technology in a smart office typically offers simple solutions for error reporting and support request logging. Employees can log the error report directly on their smartphones and attach an image with a description. The error report is sent directly to the intelligent central management system and makes the maintenance process easy.

How to have a smart office?

Smartening the office with the help of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies requires not only software but also a wide range of hardware products such as smart sensors, availability indicator lights, and indoor positioning sensors. These devices can collect valuable data at different times and communicate with other platforms and devices to analyze what is happening in the workplace.

Smartening the office with the IoTSmile platform

IoTSmile integrated operation platform is the best option for making an office smarter by providing smart solutions. Among the most important achievements of using this platform are:

• Intelligent security and safety system

• Intelligent control of the ventilation system

• Smart lighting control

• Intelligent parking control

• Intelligent error reporting system and reducing maintenance costs

• Intelligent system for controlling the entry and exit of people with face recognition

To receive advice and prepare the IoTSmile platform, you can contact us by calling the numbers announced on the site, sending an email or registering a ticket. Our colleagues are ready to answer and guide you.

References:

1. Flowscapesolutions: What is a Smart Office?-JAN 25, 2022
2. Cloudbooking: What Is a Smart Office? Key Benefits and How It Works
3. Blog. vantagecircle: 7 Features Of A Smart Office That You Can’t Overlook-25 July 2022
4. IEEE Xplore: A Smart Office Automation System Using Raspberry Pi (Model-B)-November 2018
5. Elsevier: Smart Manufacturing-August 4, 2020