Our work and our workplace continue to change constantly. New technologies allow tasks to be performed more efficiently and easily. Work is no longer done only in the office, but also at home or on the go. Simple tasks are taken over by smart computers, but employees continue to perform tasks that require specific knowledge or creativity. Despite the rapid developments in the workplace, collaboration remains important.
According to Xavier Biermez, Managing Director of Konica Minolta Business Solutions Netherlands and Belgium, these are the three most important factors for a future-proof office.
1. Create some space
People nowadays want to be able to work anywhere. There are, of course, good online tools available to collaborate on documents and maintain contact. This means that employees visit office buildings less frequently. This is a positive development for many employers, as office space is very expensive – especially in large cities. If employees work more flexibly, fewer large office buildings are needed, thus saving costs.
Research firm Gartner states that the average employee is active in five informal teams, along with loose individual interactions. Collaboration is still important, and face-to-face contact helps achieve the best possible end result. For this, large open spaces where they can work together on projects are important; preferably with a flexible layout. Desks are often fixed in place now, but by being flexible with this, the workplace can be adjusted to the composition of the teams. Closed meeting rooms are also important for brainstorming sessions and appointments with clients.
2. Collaborate with devices
Employees no longer only collaborate with other employees, but also with devices through Artificial Intelligence (AI). Most AI systems currently available can be divided into two categories: 'one-on-one' and 'platforms'. One-on-one focuses on individuals, these are AI systems like chatbots and personal assistants. These one-on-one systems solve small daily problems or help with simple tasks to save time. They do this by managing your calendar or searching for favorable travel times and prices when you need to travel for work. In addition, custom high-quality AI platforms have been developed for entire companies. These are designed to work with large datasets and make information insightful. These larger platforms can perform more complex tasks such as automating customer service.
3. Network smarter
Not only collaborating with your own colleagues and systems within the organization is important, but also collaborating with other companies. We live in a globalized world. If companies, especially startups, do not collaborate well with others, it is very difficult to achieve success. Moreover, partnerships must be mutual and not one-sided. Both parties must contribute and respect each other's culture. The opportunities to build relationships and network have never been more exciting. The latest business apps go far beyond building and maintaining business networks online, as LinkedIn has been doing for years. There are now apps that can help with more fundamental matters. For example, apps tell you what the most efficient place is to meet, what the key events are for networking, and apps even remember the names of the people you met at a networking event. Smartphones are thus becoming an even better business partner.
The line between the physical and digital world is blurring. The workplace of the future is a network of people, sensors, and devices working together.
