Page 48 - DIY Investor Magazine - Issue 28

MAKING THE RETURN TO THE WORKPLACE A SMART EXPERIENCE Boosting productivity and employee engagement to improve retention has been a key objective even before the pandemic hit. The need for increased interconnectedness, both digitally and physically, flexibility and wellbeing has become an ever-increasing priority for companies looking to bring their employees back to a safe office. The answer to this challenge relies on a smart approach. Through the Smart Spaces building operating system and tenant experience app, businesses can create engaging, productive and healthy workplaces their employees want to be a part of in order to feel inspired, socialise and find the best work-life balance. Following last month, when the Government shared the roadmap which sets out the dates for store re-openings and a gradual return to a normalcy, workers will soon be expected to return to their offices too. With different new working models cropping up, from the hybrid fifty-home-fifty-office model to the hub & spoke, decentralised one, organisations are challenged like never before to provide a safe, inspiring and agile workplace the workforce wants to return to. The Smart Spaces app bridges the gap between the business’ needs to provide employees with the required control, flexibility, wellbeing and social engagement and the landlords goal to offer a safe and frictionless return to work, whilst also optimising their own assets space, energy management and maintenance. From secure, contactless entry, to control of lighting and temperature of the office space, smart building technology is transforming the role of the traditional workplace to one that is adaptable and ready for the future to come. In a single dashboard, Smart Spaces connects existing building hardware and sensor technology to meet the landlord and occupier demand for agile buildings fit for the modern workforce. The smart app empowers global occupier brands thanks to smart workplaces controls, community engagement features, data analytics and monitoring capabilities, facility booking including meeting rooms and desk booking, workplace productivity analysis and a digital twin solution. Smart Spaces is a custom tailored and quick to implement software that integrates in one platform both smart workplace and building operating systems capabilities. GIVING CONTROL BACK TO THE TENANT AND PROMOTING HEALTHIER WORKPLACES With smart technology, tenants can benefit from a holistic experience that starts from the first steps they take in the building. Touch-free access control of doors, turnstiles, and lifts makes entrance a seamless and safer process since there is no need to make contact with any surface throughout the building. Use of wireless technology and personal smartphone devices means plastic cards and key fobs have become obsolete too, hitting on the ever-increasing need for more sustainable practices in the workplace. Lighting and climate control features help boost productivity and improve tenant’s wellbeing, too, giving unique personalisation and insight into the workspace usage. Promoting healthier workplaces has been, and will continue to be, the centre of the return-to-the-office strategy, post- pandemic. Together with touchless controls, smart sensors help capture the information around indoor air quality (IAQ), measuring elements such as CO2 and VOCs, found to be extremely harmful to the human body when above certain levels. DIY Investor Magazine | Apr 2021 48