4 Flexible Office Technologies That Are Here to Stay After COVID-19

The pandemic has undoubtedly altered not only the way that we live and work, but has also significantly accelerated the rate at which companies are adopting cutting-edge technologies. When the lockdowns forced millions of workers to efficiently function from home, businesses had to hustle and invest heavily in adapting their strategies to fit with new working conditions.

As the world returns to a new normal, many of the technologies that carried enterprises through the pandemic conditions are evidently here to stay. Sustainability and co-working trends continue to lead the charge in revolutionizing the working sector. The only way businesses can adapt successfully is to adopt and maintain new approaches and the flexible office technologies that allow for such epic changes.

Here are four such technologies that will stick around long after the pandemic is over.

1. The mass shift towards intelligent commercial buildings

Smart home technologies were already all the rage before COVID-19, and many smart technologies were already seeping into the commercial sector, too. With such increased focus on workplace health and safety, however, transforming offices into smart spaces is helping to ensure that business environments cater to a shift in the needs and expectations of the workforce.

Smart offices operate automated processes to optimize building performance, employee experience, health and safety and productivity. Shifting towards smart technologies can drastically improve everything from ventilation, heating and air conditioning to lighting and security. So, it's a no-brainer that these technologies will far outlive the pandemic.

Transforming office spaces into tech-enabled, fully integrated networks also allows for invaluable data analysis. For example, implementing sensor technologies that collate and analyze occupancy and space usage enables managers to assist workers in managing office volumes, avoiding peak traffic times and finding the best spots to work quietly or collaborate undisturbed.

2. Cloud-based access control systems

In addition, installing cloud-based access control systems allows for remote management, enhanced security, and up-to-the-minute management of office occupancy in real-time. The shift towards hybrid and flexible workspaces relies on such technologies to successfully manage multiple workers and varying schedules while still adhering to social distancing guidelines and regulations.

Smart office technologies is a booming industry that is on a path of continued growth. These technologies allow for commercial spaces to support a business's health, safety, and wellness objectives, its environmental and sustainability goals, and the smooth running of flexible workspace management complexities.

3. Contactless technologies

The majority of office-based touchless technologies pre-COVID only reached as far as contactless automatic doors and hands-free sink and soap dispensers.

Now, as businesses are forced to meet unprecedented expectations regarding health and hygiene standards, many new technologies are being introduced to office spaces to assist in dramatically reducing the risk of disease transmission.

With such a steep rise in the preference towards flexible workspaces, offices are managing a greater flow of workers and visitors coming and going, making touchless technologies even more vital. By replacing high contact points such as light switches, lift buttons and access control panels with touchless options, staff and visitors are more protected from picking up viral transmissions. It also reduces the necessary focus on cleaning and sanitizing these touchpoints.

Cloud-based access control systems that incorporate touchless tech will also continue to be adopted post-COVID, as the benefits far outweigh the temporary battle against pandemic conditions. Such security technologies not only vastly improve the efficiency and sophistication of commercial building protections, but they also significantly improve employee experience, enhance health and safety and assist in the smooth running of complex flexible workspace management. These systems allow for mobile application access and real-time, remote management of entry permissions - seamless, touchless entry for workers and superior control for landlords and business managers.

4. Workplace applications

Many apps were already being used to support the day-to-day running of office spaces before the pandemic. However, now, not only are they proving more invaluable than ever in the efficient management of flexible workspaces, but they are being adapted to incorporate additional demands for heightened health and safety focus, too.

For example, an app called SafeDistance, developed by Wrld3D and Smart Citti, creates a 3D map of office spaces and advises users of the real-time position of staff to assist in deciding what areas to use based on social-distancing guidelines. While the intense focus around social distancing may wane as time goes on, these technological advancements offer valuable applications for improved office management beyond the current COVID-related concerns. Again, the complexities of managing flexible spaces with multiple occupants coming and going in shared spaces are addressed with sophisticated technologies that assist in optimally managing occupancy and space-use analysis.

Final thoughts

Office spaces are catching up to the trends of smart home transformations quickly. With the shift towards flexible office spaces gaining ever-more momentum, these technologies are vital to the smooth running of a new era in business operations. As people become increasingly accustomed to new technologies and heightened operational conveniences, the workplace sector has little choice but to keep up to attract and maintain valuable workers.