Workplace Innovation: What Are Smart Offices and Its Advantages?

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Sustainability (137-slide PowerPoint presentation). Sustainability has become an increasingly critical topic as the world recognizes the need to protect our planet and its resources for future generations. Sustainability means meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It involves long-term [read more]

* * * *

The workplace is evolving at a rapid pace. Gone are the days of traditional offices with desks and cubicles, replaced by more progressive designs that encourage collaboration, creativity, and productivity.

Smart technologies are being used in every area of our lives to improve our quality of life. The Internet of Things (IoT)is changing the way people live and work. Smart offices incorporate intelligent devices and connectivity solutions to increase productivity, collaboration, space management, and efficiency.

What Are Smart Offices?

Smart offices are smart buildings that allow users to automate common office tasks. The smart office concept incorporates smart technologies to help facilitate the needs of workers in smart buildings.

These technologies can include:

1. Smart lighting

Smart lighting systems allow users to control light settings remotely by smartphone or computer. Smart buildings can adjust the lights throughout the building smart sensors to adjust light brightness and color depending on the time of day, natural sunlight, or other factors. This can help reduce electricity usage for lighting up to 40%. Lighting is just a way smart office technologies meet environmental sustainability standards.

2. Smart sensors

Smart sensors allow users to control heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems remotely by smartphone or computer. This can help reduce energy usage for building cooling up to 25%. Building owners often receive rebates for using smart office technologies that incorporate smart HVAC systems.

3. Smart building management

Smart building management systems allow users to control smart office equipment such as smart thermostats, smart plugs, smart locks, and smart blinds. This can be controlled through smartphones or computers. Smart office technologies give employees the ability to control lighting and heating/cooling settings for different parts of the building from any location.

4. Smart windows

Smart windows automatically shade or tint windows to control light and heat coming into the building, saving money on cooling costs. This is often used in smart buildings that have a lot of glass windows.

5. Smart outlets

Smart outlets allow users to monitor and control electricity usage by room, device, or appliance. Users can adjust power consumption settings for different devices through smart plugs or smart outlets. In smart buildings that use smart sensors, smart outlets can automatically power off devices when rooms are not in use.

6. Smart locks

Smart locks allow users to monitor and control lock settings remotely by smartphone or computer. Smart building managers can assign different access levels for employees, visitors, contractors, etc., with smart key cards or smart locks.

7. Smart storage

Smart storage systems are being incorporated into smart offices to help manage space in smart buildings. Spaces can be shared, reserved, or assigned by smartphones, computers, or other smart devices.

How Do Smart Offices Help Employees?

The fast-paced technology has made our lives more convenient yet complicated at the same time. Modern smart offices utilize smart technologies to make the work environment more efficient, productive, and collaborative for employees.

Efficiency

Smart office technology allows users to multitask on multiple devices from anywhere in the building. Employees do not have to be restricted by a space or location as smart office technology gives them access to information, communication tools, and smart devices. Smart office employees can save time by using smart solutions to automate common tasks such as managing smart lights, smart plugs, smart blinds, thermostats, etc.

Productivity

Smart buildings that utilize smart solutions give employees the ability to focus on their work without technological distractions that could interfere with productivity. This also gives employers the ability to monitor smart office technologies in real-time to ensure everything is running smoothly.

Collaboration

Smart office environments foster creativity and productivity by allowing employees the ability to work on their own or with others in different parts of smart buildings. Employees are also able to share, upload, and store documents via smart online storage systems in smart buildings.

The Bottomline

Smart office technology is rapidly growing within the smart building community. It’s estimated that smart office technologies are installed in less than 1% of existing commercial buildings, but at least 50 to 60 percent of smart building owners plan to increase smart office technology investments over the next three years. This will allow smart office managers to have more control over smart office systems and smart building management.

There are many smart office technologies available on the market today. Some of these smart products include smart speakers, smart thermostats, smart lights, smart plugs, smart locks, smart blinds, etc. However not all smart office products are compatible with other smart products for different types of buildings. Therefore, it’s important to have a smart office system that can be easily integrated into existing smart building systems.

Smart offices are the future of smart buildings. As smart technologies continue to advance, smart office systems will become more advanced and widely utilized in various smart building types such as commercial and educational facilities. Smart office technology is a great way for smart building managers to deliver high-quality smart solutions that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also provide tangible business value to smart building tenants.

Do You Want to Implement Business Best Practices?

You can download in-depth presentations on Sustainability and 100s of management topics from the FlevyPro Library. FlevyPro is trusted and utilized by 1000s of management consultants and corporate executives.

For even more best practices available on Flevy, have a look at our top 100 lists:

• Top 100 in Strategy & Transformation
• Top 100 in Digital Transformation
• Top 100 in Operational Excellence
• Top 100 in Organization & Change
• Top 100 Management Consulting Frameworks

These best practices are of the same as those leveraged by top-tier management consulting firms, like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and Accenture. Improve the growth and efficiency of your organization by utilizing these best practice frameworks, templates, and tools. Most were developed by seasoned executives and consultants with over 20+ years of experience.