Smart Office Technology and Automation Tools: Designing the Modern Workplace

Designing a smart office isn’t a far-fetched idea, especially now with the rapid advancement of technology. By embracing smart office technology and tools that automate tasks, you can create a more comfortable and productive workplace for your employees. Keep on reading to see smart office design ideas if you’re ready to modernize your work space.

The Benefits of a Modern Office

To complete tasks in the most efficient way possible, employees need a workplace that’s designed to meet their comfort and needs. A smart office incorporates technology that allows employees to work better and faster. Smart technology and tools free up your employees’ time spent on menial tasks, so they can focus on more pressing projects.

The overall comfort and experience of your employees improves when the workplace is designed with their well-being in mind. For example, smart blinds or automated window shades would be a great option to control the amount of sunlight coming through the office. These options also help regulate the room’s temperature so that it never becomes too hot in the workplace.

Smart technology and tools also promote better collaboration and communication for your team. Especially now that more employees are working remotely, your team can still connect with each other or with clients through several video conference and messaging platforms.

Enhance the Well-Being of Your Employees

A study by Future Workplace found that the number one benefit employees craved was access to natural light and views of the outdoors. The survey revealed that 70% of employees said that having access to natural light makes them more productive. By incorporating commercial motorized shades into your office, you provide more choice and control for employees on when and how much natural light they want throughout the day.

Having the right temperature set in the office is another important consideration. A workplace that’s too hot or cold is bound to cause discomfort and distraction for your employees. Smart thermostats allow employees to control the office temperature from a mobile phone.

Sitting all day at a desk has been proven to negatively impact our health. Standing and taking short breaks can provide an extra boost of energy and much needed physical movement. With a smart desk, employees can transform their desks from regular to standing desks through a push of a button. There are even smart desks that have built-in displays to notify you on when you need to stand.

Improve Workplace Environment

These days, maintaining high morale in the work space is more important than ever. This includes everything from good communication for staying on the same page, right down to capturing optimal lighting in your meeting rooms.

Capturing the right amount of lighting is important during meetings, especially when presentations are taking place. With motorized smart shades, you can adjust the shades in a room or even an entire floor with a touch of a button. Motorized shades can often be controlled from your desktop, a handheld remote control or a wall control.

When it comes to blinds, density is referred to as the ‘Openness Coefficient’. This is the ratio of holes found in a fabric that could potentially let light in. This will play some part in your light control, though it is not necessarily the defining factor to consider when shopping for blinds.

Another thing to consider when it comes to achieving optimal lighting is the Visual Light Transmittance (TVIS) rating of your blinds. This refers to the amount of light that passes through a specific material. It takes into account a number of different factors regarding how efficiently different materials will handle the job. Some of these key factors include the colour of the material, the thickness, the weave density and any finishing coatings that have been applied. For example, a highly exposed office space with large windows might require blinds with a 5% TVIS rating or more.

Smarter Than the Average Office

Implementing a smart office design improves the overall well-being of your employees. When employees are provided with a well-planned, modern workplace that minimizes distractions, they can remain focused and complete their tasks.

With so many great new office technologies available, creating and maintaining a smart office can be accomplished more easily than ever. And though it may not seem like the most obvious office upgrade, adding the right automated shades to your workplace can significantly improve employee wellbeing, productivity and workplace morale.

Get in touch with us to find out more about what your options are for smart shades or smart blinds.

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