Commercial Integrator June 2022 - 33

C llab rati n
TODAY and TOMORROW
apps, automated space scheduling software, scheduling panels
that display meeting room availability and room health metrics,
in-room digital meeting controllers for fast one-click-to-join
meetings, and room sensors that not only ensure optimal occupancy
but also release the space if the meeting ends early or if
the participants don't show up.
Equally important is a growing need to create inclusive video
The success of hybrid work hinges on creating the best
employee experiences - a cross-functional initiative that
spans top management, HR, facilities and IT.
most important, however, is a full, empathetic understanding
of individual choices and preferences.
Reenergize and Reinvent the Office
If managers want employees to come back to the office, they
must make the office experience better than being at home.
Work has changed drastically over the last two years. Most
offices haven't. Forward-thinking businesses are now setting
their sights on redesigning their offices to create vibrant,
engaging and more technology-infused spaces.
The office of the future must be centered on a design that
fits the new purpose and activities of the hybrid worker. It is
a myth that people will only want to be back at the office because
of their desire to see each other. Many employees want
to be at the office because they want a " heads-down " space -
a distraction-free environment and a professional place where
they can get their best work done. The newer types of spaces,
therefore, include a variety of options that allow for socialization,
collaboration, learning, focus and relaxation. These include
hot desks, open collaboration spaces, focus rooms, jump spaces,
meeting pods, flex work areas, huddle rooms, think spaces,
work cafes, open-air spaces and communal information areas.
As teams get increasingly dispersed, there is also the need
for more meeting rooms. Meeting room buildouts must be
thoughtful keeping in mind the new workstyles and a greater
need for making the most of employees' time at the office.
There is a growing focus to turn meeting rooms into high-impact
spaces that offer all the modern technologies required
for employees to be at their productive best. This includes
intelligent audio and videoconferencing, high-quality displays
and digital whiteboarding for rich collaboration - all
paired with AI and analytics for better insights into usage,
performance and engagement.
Businesses are also investing in technologies that ensure
maximum space and technology utilization such as wayfinding
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meetings for all - remote as well as in-room participants.
There are several enablers here. For example, there is paying
attention to the correct furniture and camera placement.
Another consideration is investing in modern cloud-meeting
platforms that use AI-powered technologies to individually
re-frame meeting participants who are spread across the room.
These technologies then display them individually to remote
attendees in the online meeting view, delivering an optimized
collaboration experience for all participants. In addition,
multi-camera support and camera switching are now allowing
better views of all participants in a large room.
All workspaces in the future will be built with one common
theme: They must invigorate employees and foster a spirit of
creativity, collaboration and inclusivity. Most of all, it must be
worth the time employees spend commuting to the office.
Hybrid Work is Worth the Time and Effort
The success of hybrid work hinges on creating the best employee
experiences - a cross-functional initiative that spans
top management, HR, facilities and IT. For managers, it means
driving a cultural change that prepares them to lead with empathy.
For HR, it means training, evaluating, and empowering
employees with a whole new lens centered on a human-centric
approach. For facilities, it means building optimized spaces
that are agile and nimble to accommodate the peaks and
troughs of employees who will access the office in a fluid manner.
Lastly, for IT, it means offering anytime, anywhere access
to next-generation digital technologies while enhancing the
ease of use, security and manageability.
The building blocks of hybrid work are taking shape today,
but they will coalesce over the next several years to create an
entirely new model of work, the workplace and employee experiences.
While there will be no uniformity in the implementation
of hybrid work, one can clearly see the old and the new worlds
blending. Every organization will need to find its unique place
on the hybrid-work spectrum based on its employee and its
business needs; then, it must optimize its workplace and office
experience accordingly.
Most savvy businesses realize that by merging the best of
remote and in-office worlds, they have a unique opportunity to
reinvent the way they do business and tap into cost savings,
grow employee retention and raise productivity.
Roopam Jain is vice president of research, information and
communications technologies with Frost & Sullivan.
JUNE 2022 Commercial Integrator 33
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Commercial Integrator June 2022

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