After enduring a year of COVID-19, the way we work, shop and learn has changed significantly, and it’s unlikely that it will ever return to the way it was before. These changes have been on the precipice of reality for years, with the pandemic accelerating the change into action. The way we shop has been teetering on the brink of being led by e-commerce with the decline of the high street and the demand for digital leaders like Amazon, with lockdown finally pushing reluctant consumers online. Similarly with workplaces; research shows that the 9-5 office and gruelling commute has been an unsustainable way of life for a long time and becoming archaic considering the communication technology now available at our fingertips. Here we explore how our workplaces have evolved over the last 12 months and how successful businesses are embracing change to engage and motivate their employees with seamless flexible working solutions.
Cloud platforms
Lockdown and new ‘working from home’ rules meant that centralised working became redundant practically overnight (23rd March 2020) accelerating the need for cloud-based workspaces to enable people to access and collaborate securely from anywhere.
Video conferencing
Phone calls suddenly feel antiquated compared to the endless functionality of collaborative video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom which saw tremendous growth during the pandemic. Microsoft Teams has even opened its meeting platform to third-party apps, such as Polly, Open Agora, Miro, iCIMS, and HireVue, allowing users access to more tools during meetings to help them work seamlessly and efficiently. At Handy AV, we’ve installed Poly’s Studio range products for our clients looking for a consistent, first-class audio and video experience for their meeting spaces. Poly is fully integrated with Office 365, enabling one-dial connectivity for both those working within the workspace and those operating remotely.
BYOD
The pandemic has also seen an increase in employees using their own devices and software solutions to interact with co-workers as they’ve been forced to work from home, sourcing alternatives to office-based hardware. The ‘Bring (or Use) Your Own Device’ (BYOD) culture, has resulted in an increase in efficiency as it creates a more agile workforce where employees can use their own laptops and mobile phones to work collaboratively - wherever they choose to work.
Collaboration software
Employing tools for collaboration are proven to boost creativity, productivity and strategic thinking. Ingredients for all ambitious businesses. At Handy AV, we implemented the visual collaboration platform, Mural within one of our showcase client workspaces in 2021. Mural’s objectives are to: Make everyone’s voice heard, not just the loudest in the room, power up innovation and solve hard problems, speed up decision making, improve collaboration, both in-person and remote and reduce travel costs for in-person meetings. All of which makes mural the ideal solution for remote working teams who don’t let distance diminish their productivity. Their web-based solution also means that everyone can participate, pacifying the Windows vs Mac application fight normally found in commercial offices.
Global workforces
Boundaries no longer exist when effective communication and collaboration are working in harmony. Location, language, currency and timezone are no longer obstacles in the way of achieving great, unified results.
Managing the shift to remote working and employee flexibility can have two outcomes:
Negative: A corporate culture that is resistant to change which results in a demotivated team without the tools to work effectively causing a decrease in productivity.
Positive: A business that embraces new technologies which will enable employees to do their best work and communicate and collaborate with their team and customers wherever they are.
At Handy AV we work with global clients to achieve the latter outcome - sustainable working environments for the agile workforce of tomorrow resulting in increased productivity, innovation, and most importantly - an engaged and motivated team despite global disruption.
Get in touch with Handy AV to discuss your workplace technology challenges and how to create inspiring workplaces where people love to work.
