Technology is developing at lightning speed and so are modern office applications.
We regularly speak to entrepreneurs who embrace this with love and who like to lead the way in making the organization even more flexible, efficient, comfortable and trendy.
But just as often we see the opposite: you have such an avalanche of possibilities that you adjust or adjust your choices.
That is a missed opportunity. Because your employees have grown with technology and have their houses full of gadgets. The hospitality adage applies to modern companies: It Must Be Better Than Home.
This also applies to safety. And because of Covid-19, that motif is now bold in capital letters.
In The New Normal do you want employees to be able to move not only freely, but also safely through their working environment.
The good news is that with the right technology you can kill several birds with one stone: you increase the safety, experience and well-being of your employees and visitors.
Below you can read 10 technology trends for a modern office in the new normal in 2020.
1. Measure space usage
In a Covid-19-proof work environment, it is crucial that you know how many people are on site. With that knowledge you can comply with maximum occupancy rules, plan your workflows and productivity, and increase your insight into the use of the spaces.
With an access control system and a space planning or time registration tool, it is easy to measure and find out who is present, where and for how long. This measurable information is relevant for safety in the 1.5-meter office and for planning and improving your flexible working environment.
2. Open and close doors without contact
Doorstops are potential sources of infection that you would rather avoid during a virus outbreak.
Employees are cautiously returning to the workplace and are more aware of their safety than ever. With hygiene as their top priority, they prefer not to touch door handles and other access points.
The automatic opening of doors via sensors is of course nothing new, but it is more topical than ever.
The other way around is new: - where possible - the doors are left open as standard and only close automatically in the event of a calamity such as a fire.
Intelligent links between fire alarm systems and access control systems already make this technically possible. Of course, keep an eye on the fire safety requirements and get good advice.
In addition to security, contactless access also improves the experience and comfort of your employees and visitors.
3. Smart access control
Your access control must also be able to cope with the new dynamics of a flexible and Corona-resistant office. Employees must be able to move through the building as freely as possible and at the same time you want to screen off certain areas such as IT, warehouse, R&D and HR.
Flexible workers and freelancers are also a standard part of a flexible organization. You must therefore be able to adjust authorizations quickly and easily.
In the Covid-19 era, you can also use access control together with your building management system, space planning tool or time registration system to regulate and monitor the number of employees and visitors in your building or rooms.
With the right technology, you can adjust authorizations for digital keys remotely and in real-time and quickly lock rooms or buildings.
4. Biometric solutions for access control
The technology and demand for thermal cameras and facial recognition is growing at lightning speed. So far, our privacy has been the biggest barrier to widespread adoption, but now we do no different on our smartphones with fingerprint and facial recognition, and Covid-19 is accelerating this trend.
Now an employee asks at the door if your temperature can be measured, but soon we may see the signs that warn you that the automatic door will only open when your temperature is OK, which is measured by a heat-sensitive camera.
That technology is already there and our acceptance is rapidly moving in that direction. Not only are we stretching our privacy limits, but technology is also increasingly taking this into account. For example, the new generation of facial recognition cameras no longer stores images, but the images are immediately converted into data strings and then destroyed.
5. Mobile visitor registration
A personalized invitation with the option to register yourself as a visitor directly via your own smartphone prevents unnecessary physical contact with the reception, paper visitor lists or a check-in tablet.
6. Storage of company and personal property
Perhaps not very hi-tech, but it is part of your access control system: a growing need for storage of personal goods within the flexible and 'New Normal' work environment.
The varying presence of employees, freelancers and teams, working in shifts in the office and sharing workplaces requires storage options independent of the workplace. Locker systems come in all shapes and sizes, but make sure that the lock and key are an integral part of your digital locking and access control system.
7. Voice-controlled office technology
We ask Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant questions, give our navigation commands and jump through voice-controlled selection menus. Half of the worldwide search assignments are already voice-controlled.
That technology print and our quick acclimatization to it have a direct impact on our working environment. The Corona pandemic puts the turbo on this again. Voice-controlled office technology can simplify our daily tasks, save time and improve hygiene: booking a meeting room, the print job, turning on the air conditioning and lighting or ordering a cup of coffee are all possible without touching a button.
8. Motion sensors and climate control
Sensors offer you great opportunities to dynamically adapt your office to your employees. You can integrate sensors with your building management system to communicate with climate control and create an optimal working environment throughout the day.
Your climate control can also automatically adjust to the number of people present in a room, so that you increase the focus and prevent distractions during your meeting. Employees demonstrably present better in well-ventilated offices with low air pollution and CO2 levels.
Covid-19 puts air treatment even more in the spotlight. The responsibility of employers for the health of their employees is growing, the supply of new technology will increase rapidly and employees need good information about the measures and solutions that you as an employer take. Let yourself be supported by a good advisor.
9. Adjustable lighting
An entire industry has emerged around light science and technology. Light influences the health, well-being and performance of your employees. Light dictates our rest and active hours, affects our mood and regulates our energy levels. With the right lighting you balance the biological clock of your employees. You can adjust brightness and color levels during the day and even correct negative seasonality. This keeps your employees more energetic.
The spread of employees due to limited maximum numbers in the Covid-19-proof work environment will also mean a greater spread of their presence throughout the day. Employees start earlier or continue working later. Lighting thus takes on an even greater role in helping to compensate for that change in rhythm, especially in the early and late hours.
10. Security of homes
Organizations are increasingly working from the cloud and employees expect - certainly now that everyone is working from home - that the facilities in the home match the level of the work environment in the office.
This also applies to the digital and physical security of information and hardware. The application of technology for a flexible and Covid-19-resistant working environment is therefore not limited to the office, but extends to the homes of management and employees.
We are happy to exchange ideas with you about how technology can improve your working environment in 'The New Normal'.
