From controlling lights to managing the heating and even putting the kettle on, smart technology is making its way into every home and business – and for a good reason. Smart technology enables us to be as efficient as possible, saving us time and money and making life easier in the smallest ways.
So it’s no wonder why smart technology is being used to help make businesses run smoother.
What is a smart office?
A smart office is a workplace that uses technology and analytics to help staff work more efficiently and productively. Analytic data is used to help identify where processes and environments can be improved to help best serve the people using them. Connected technology is used to boost connectivity and collaboration between teams and individuals. All with the aim to improve productivity and maximise efficiency.
You’ll often find that smart offices use a variety of different technologies to help support more productive, seamless, and automated working processes. Tools can range from video conferencing software or desk reservation software for offices who hot-desk, to communications services to support hybrid working or smart storage solutions for parcels or personal belongings.
Top smart office solutions & technology
There is a huge range of different smart office tools and solutions available to help you transform your office into a more efficient hybrid workplace, from climate control to remote booking and beyond.
Smart climate control
The temperature in an office is usually a hotly debated topic. Thankfully, smart climate control can help you preset the best temperature to keep all of your colleagues happy. Some smart thermostats can be pre-programmed for office hours, and others can detect the busiest periods throughout the day and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Meeting room management
There’s a whole range of different solutions that can control your office’s meeting rooms. Booking systems allow any members of staff to easily schedule meetings and see when and where a meeting will take place. Smart speakers, cameras, and casting tools allow those in the room to see, hear, speak to, and present to colleagues who work remotely.
Document control
Smart document management tools like Docuware can be used to keep all of your important documents and files secure while still giving access to staff no matter where they live in the world. With the rise of hybrid working and satellite offices, this is ideal for future-proofing secure document access across all your teams.
Desk management
Many modern businesses are taking up the practice of “hotdesking”. This concept comes hand in hand with having large, open-plan offices. Hot-desking crumples up the assigned seating list and tosses it out the window, encouraging greater cross-team collaboration and a more fluid working environment. Much like meeting room booking, there are smart office solutions to allow colleagues to book out their desks to ensure them a spot in the office, a seat with their team, or to book out an area to collaborate on the project. It also has the added benefit of keeping track of who should be around in case of an emergency.
Smart lockers
Security in an office, especially if you have a lot of people coming and going, is essential. Smart lockers are ideal for open workspaces where employees don’t have an assigned desk to keep their items or store their mail and packages. They can easily book a locker via the app and use it as they need it to store their belongings and valuables while in the office. Alternatively, they can be used for parcel deliveries – notifying the user when a package has been delivered via email.
Communication solutions
If you find yourself or your team spending too much time trying to navigate between different communication systems (which can result in duplicated or missed messages, a slower-running tech and wasted time), then implementing a unified communications service (also known as UCaaS) is the answer. A UCaaS service collates all of your communication apps and channels into one place, meaning less wasted time, less delayed or repeated messages, and better-connected calls.
Our unified communications services combine email, audio calls, video calls, social media, instant messaging, screen sharing, and file sharing in one place. This can include popular applications like WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, Facebook and more.
Benefits of smart offices
Upgrading to smart office tech has loads of great benefits. It can help boost efficiency and productivity by making tasks or processes easier through automation, allowing teams to work on higher-value tasks and projects rather than focusing on menial ones. This allows people to achieve their professional goals much faster and focus on skill development – which is ideal for all involved.
Another benefit is the extra security that comes with smart solutions. WiFi sensors and security cameras are easily accessed in real-time if needed, and cloud-based solutions can help boost security and compliance within the workplace, protecting classified documents and files.
Smart offices make working itself much more convenient. The space becomes more customisable and comfortable for colleagues, leading to better productivity and a nicer place to work. Tech such as smart temperature control keeps everyone cool, while advanced workspace booking ensures that spaces are kept at a comfortable capacity.
Finally, smart office solutions can create a much better environment for hybrid working, keeping coworkers connected no matter where they are and keeping customers, clients, and stakeholders happy with results delivered on time.