For years we have been told to work harder and grind harder if we must achieve better results. Breaking news: putting intense amounts of work does not cut it anymore. Not in this decade.
The ‘amount of work done’ does not determine productivity or success in business, what matters is how smartly the work is done. Work smart rather than work hard. There is a reason why you and many other companies and businesses are flocking faster towards smart offices by the day, and it is that smart offices offer unique privileges capable of boosting your productivity to unprecedented levels, which are very hard to reach in traditional work settings.
Here, in this article, we will be reviewing why this is so, and the top ten software and hardware you should have to complete your migration to making your dream of a seamless smart office come true.
Why Companies Think it’s Smart to Get Smart Offices
Do smart offices suddenly make all employees using them smarter? Not precisely, but they can help a lot in that direction. It is only smart that you opt for environments that give you optimal results, and smart offices offer you that perfect trade-off you have been looking for.
On the one hand, smart offices and their benefits allows you and your employees to focus on more productive tasks. Rather than focusing on less urgent tasks and activities that clutter the schedules of a regular workday at traditional workspaces.
Smart offices leverage advanced technologies such as cloud integration, cloud business phone services, IoT, Artificial intelligence, and mixed reality to ensure employees can work better and faster.
Thanks to removing obstacles that come with the daily stress of traditional workspaces, employees in a company are more likely to create a positive workspace environment while delivering far superior results at faster times.
Here are the top ten software and hardware you must have to complete your migration to a smart office.
1. Smart Locks
Category: Hardware, Security
Integration of smart locks. Smart locks such as Ultraloq and August Smart Lock help you streamline access to particular rooms without stress, while also providing the ultimate form of security.
By storing allowed employees’ fingerprints, you are assured of convenience just as much as you have top-tier security. Employees don’t have to struggle to remember codes and key combinations. Just place your fingerprint everywhere you go and you are smartly secured!
Smart locks also help you optimize physical space by allowing access only to spaces you authorize.
2. G-Suite and other Office Solutions
Category: Software, Space-optimization.
Software packages like G-suite are great for seamless online scheduling and collaborations. With G-suite, collaboration is done over the cloud and in an instant with apps like Docs, Calendar, Slides, Sheets, and Gmail making it super easier to collaborate with congesting in physical spaces. Talk of optimizing space!
The G-Suite packages offer similar advantages to Office 365’s, while Zendesk even offers something different. ZenDesk allows employees to engage customers in real-time over the cloud, offering not only better use of physical space, but more efficient customer support as well.
3. Mesh Wi-Fi Networks
Category: Hardware, Cloud
Exploitation of the best of cloud services available to you is key to creating the perfect smart office. And what exploitation of the cloud is there if there is no good Wi-fi system?
The Mesh-network, such as the Google WiFi was originally designed for use in homes. It has become popular in offices over the years however, and offers the best WiFi solution to having an efficient smart office with no dead zones or poor connection. To achieve optimal cloud performance like cloud phone services and cloud-based business phone systems which are necessities for smart offices, a good wifi network cannot be overemphasized.
4. Slack and Other Collaboration Tools
Category: Hardware
Software platforms like Slack and ButterflyMX and other video conferencing apps are a must-have for any smart office. Slack makes remote collaboration possible, just as it makes it easy for collaborations between employees in a physical building.
5. IoT-Enabled Devices
Category: Hardware
A smart system controlling IoT-enabled devices like smart lighting systems, connectors, fridges, sensors, air-conditioners, etc. will surely give your office a motivating ambiance, which improves your employees mood. This way you are both fostering their loyalty to your business and boosting their productivity.
Gadgets like IoT printers, phone systems, automated assistants, vacuums and cleaners, climate conditioning technologies, etc. will definitely make an impact in your work environment and culture, making your employees stay happy, satisfied and highly productive.
6.Custom Software Development
Category: Software
You no longer need to get the most expensive Software to get all the features that your business needs. Custom software development is a cost-effective way of developing apps that perfectly fit your expectations and needs.
Whether you want a specific internal communications tool, a project with specific ways of scheduling, a telecommunications system, etc. anything can be developed and ultra-customized to give your business even more uniqueness.
By developing specific software based on what you need you are also adding even more value to the solutions you offer, you are making sure that everything gets done in the most efficient and “noise-free” way possible.
7. Cloud Phone Services
Category: Hardware, Software
If you want to take full advantage of all the benefits that Cloud Computing can bring, then you’ll also need to consider having a phone system based in the cloud. Cloud-based phone systems can unify and improve your communications both internally and with your clients.
Some of the greatest advantages they include are call traffic automation and handling, seamless videoconferencing, no physical storage, scalability, portability and cost reduction. If you are currently looking forward to reducing costs, improving your operations and making your office smarter, then you will be more than satisfied with a cloud phone.
Summary
Turning your traditional office to a smart one has never been easier. We have reviewed 7 necessary tools that would make the perfect kickstart if you’re looking for Smart options. Of course, there are plenty of additional useful tools and we will surely see new alternatives emerging in the next few years.
Migrating to a Smart Office is a smart choice to make, and now you know where to start.