Guest blog: IoT enabled smart workplace: For higher efficiencies & increased productivity

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted business and life across the world. The path to business recovery though evolving is uncertain. Business continuity remains the top priority, but without compromise on safety, health and hygiene. Companies worldwide have to adopt a need-based presence at the workplace. 

The ‘new normal’ calls for number of roles that require people to return to the physical office space. Research by McKinsey Global Institute[1] has indicated that more than 50% of the workforce needs to be at the workplace. Most global organizations will have a hybrid workforce with a mix of fulltime, need based and from home.  

Even before the crisis, IoT and digitization enabled organizations to make rapid changes in workplace infrastructure and facilities. The significance of these technologies in business success is now manifold. This blog gives an overview on the IoT driven smart enterprise experience and its impact on the future of workplaces.

IoT enabled smart workplaces

IoT sensors and other technologies are helping companies save energy and costs. IoT driven connectivity enables seamless data transfer, integration of remote electronic smart devices over the web, wireless sensors and M2M communications, thus creating the perfect ‘Goldilocks’ digital workplace of the future.

Business benefits of IoT enabled smart workplaces

The integration of business analytics, big data, IoT, and digitization of the workplace provides an array of tools, connecting remote systems, for a 360-degree perspective of facilities, operations and people to build their strategy, and develop their business roadmap for the future.

Here are 4 salient benefits of leveraging IoT enabled smart office solutions:

• Energy management: According to Global Workplace Analytics (globalworkplaceanalytics.com), employers can save over $11,000 per half-time telecommuter per year. Smart enterprises make available infrastructure usage patterns, workspace monitoring data and actionable insights, which can be used to boost infrastructure usage, connectivity between team members and productivity. Reports suggest that organizations with IoT-enabled sensors and smart devices have seen energy savings of up to 70 percent in three years[2].
• Workplace space optimization: Companies globally find scheduling of workspaces and meeting rooms a challenge. IoT enabled smart enterprises automates time-consuming routine business operations. Remote booking, tracking and management of desk spaces and meeting rooms ensure optimal employee productivity while providing data and insights on desks and space utilization.
• Hygiene maintenance – Health and hygiene has become paramount and areas such as lifts, toilets, showers, and common gathering areas will need to be sanitized based on usage rather than a time based schedule. Centralized management using a single pane of glass can improve uptimes and reduce H&F costs incurred for resolution.
• Personnel screening - IoT enabled contactless thermal temperature screening and facial recognition enables access to workplaces. Video analytics using technologies like computer vision help in tracking people movement and avoiding crowding in a single place.

The smart enterprise of the future will experience a seamless integration of work and technology thereby unleashing new opportunities for both the employer and the employee. Integrated, IoT enabled smart offices are the future of work and organizations like Wipro are at the forefront of reinventing the concept of frictionless offices.

For more information on IoT enabled workplaces please click here.