The Trend of Digital Workplace
With the quick-paced and always changing market climate of today, agility is becoming increasingly crucial for companies. Companies of all shapes and sizes are now finding ways to adapt the usage of the Internet of Things (IoT) to create a smart working environment that would allow streamlined hybrid working experience and increase workplace effectiveness, productivity, agility and collaboration. In this blog, we will take a closer look at how smart office automation and digital workplace solutions can boost productivity or even accelerate business growth, and how company can also take advantage of the new technology to create an automated, future-proof digital workplace for employees.
What is a Digital Workplace?
The term "digital workplace", which was first used in 2009 by Paul Miller, broadly describes a setting in which companies embrace the use of modern technologies to foster collaboration and boost productivity. A digital workplace, as opposed to a traditional workplace, which requires a specific space for people to work, enables employees to work without difficulty from any location, using any device, at any time.
In a post-pandemic era, remote and hybrid working model will most likely be the “new normal”. Technology has created a revolution in workplace communication which allows employees from around the world to work more fluidly and collaboratively. Recent studies show that almost 70% of Hong Kong organizations have accelerated their pace of digitalization after the pandemic. For businesses on the other hand, 40% report that adopting a digital model has helped them to improve operational efficiency and bring in more revenue, as well as:
- Refine and streamline business operations;
- Boost employee engagement;
- Improve new product quality;
- Improve communication and collaboration;
- Increase agility and flexibility;
Evidently, digital technology has become an integral part of every business. More organizations now view digital transformation as a necessary step in keeping their businesses to thrive and outperform competitors in the current marketplace. Read on to find out how organizations can create an integrated digital workplace to unleash their productivity.
Smart Office Automation in Hong Kong – Making Traditional Offices Better
By creating smart office automation in business buildings, businesses can enjoy a myriad of benefits. A high-tech digital workplace with IoT can improve employee productivity and reduce expenses, while enabling efficient management of daily routines with intelligent devices and connectivity solutions.
Employees can also personalize their working environment with smart office automation, including temperature control and ergonomic seating. This can give employees more control over and ownership over their surroundings, resulting in a more enjoyable working atmosphere and higher levels of performance.
To build a smart ecosystem where in-office and remote employees can collaborate effectively together, organizations must first ensure that their internet infrastructure is up to scratch before installing smart tools and IoT technologies. A dependable 5G internet connectivity is essential to facilitate working practices and ensure that all heavy workloads can run smoothly at the same time. In Hong Kong, many leading organizations have already embraced 5G technology to transform their digital workplace, including PCCW, Nutanix, Fubon Bank, and Fortinet.
Top 5 Use Cases: Building an Integrated Digital Workplace in Different Industries
In order to make digital workplace possible and successful, companies must adopt an effective strategy that allows their employees to take full advantage of modern technology while having access to all the necessary tools. To put things into perspective, here are 5 top use cases where different industries can create an integrated digital workplace for increased productivity.
1. Knowledge Workers
Knowledge workers can broadly refer to the individuals whose occupations involve handling and using information, examples of these professionals include designers, architects, researchers, and other office-based executives. Since they might be required to handle sensitive information using endpoints located outside of the office, a digital workplace will therefore allow them to encrypt classified information, while being able to work securely from any other location.
2. Retail and Wholesale
Service-based industries can also go digital and use IoT technology to improve client shopping experience while streamlining their own workflows. For instance, they may set up self-checkout stations with cameras, sensors, magnetic stripe reader (MSR) and contactless payment choices. Furthermore, the marketing team and sales team can also keep monitoring and analysing customer data and top-selling items in order to have a better insight into the customer purchasing behaviours and preferences.
3. Office and Smart Workspaces
IoT offers a wide range of applications for physical offices, including height-adjustable work tablets, document scanners, cloud storage and meeting and humanoid co-workers, encouraging employees' productivity, creativity, and satisfaction. For a smart meeting room, employees can make online room bookings, read real-time information on room availability and check equipment status. As the future generation becomes more tech-savvy, companies will need to integrate smart IoT devices into their physical workplace.
4. Hospitals and Healthcare
The medical and healthcare sector will likely shift toward the use of telehealth and other virtual technologies as a result of the shortage of medical staff working in hospitals. Integrated IoT devices and sensors into hospitals and other healthcare facilities can reduce human errors, shorten staff response times, monitor patients' vital signs and minimize patient wait times. Examples include surgical robots, self-service kiosks, mobile printers, smart eyewear, and EMR systems.
5. Property Management
The property management team may quickly gain insight into the functioning of the building and manage their portfolios more effectively with the use of IoT and data analytics tools. With IoT sensors and an analytical dashboard, it is simpler for them to see anomalies and anticipate failure, increasing the possibility of averting catastrophic failures and avoiding pricey emergency repairs, all while ensuring the safety, comfort, and convenience of the building's occupants.
Microsoft 5G IoT Makerspace: How could IoT Technology Transform Digital Workplace
In a recent collaboration between Microsoft Hong Kong, Cyberport and HKT, the Microsoft 5G IoT Makerspace showcased how IoT devices, using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and HKT’s 5G network, can be utilized to enhance the customer experience, as well as how start-up companies can leverage data and analytical insights to strengthen their market growth.
There’s virtually no limit to the application of IoT services. From property management, food and beverage, construction management, smart glasses, health and fitness, to field services — companies across all sectors could make use of IoT solutions and built-in sensors to gather and visualize real-time data from a large number of connected devices in dispersed locations, driven by advancements in 5G technology.
The makerspace reflected that businesses could have a better grasp of the performance parameters of their products, machinery, assets, and workflow with the use of IoT technology. By transforming into a digital workplace, the company will be able to automate and optimize the execution of work orders to raise the calibre of their services and satisfy client needs.
The Future of Digital Workplace: What can We Expect?
The IoT service technology is rapidly expanding with a vast array of applications for businesses. With IoT devices, people can now build personalised experiences virtually anywhere, including their homes, hospitals, schools, day care centres, industries, and of course, their workplace. The internet is not just about computers and laptops anymore, but a bridge between the physical and digital world where all the devices are connected to collect and share insightful data that help companies to streamline their workflow.
There are some exciting IoT products and applications that can be instilled in our workplace in the coming future. For instance, a smart mirror that displays temperature and news on the screen, a smart door that can automatically control the entry and exit, an air monitoring system that detects harmful chemicals in the air, a smart camera that uses visual inspection technology to identify defective products, etc.
In any case, the use of IoT will continue to be the backbone of many technologies that drive the digital workplace. Combined with the usage of artificial intelligence, machine learning, 5G network, cloud storage, cybersecurity, advanced robotics, and blockchain technology, all these digital enablers will come together to optimise company processes, while focusing on improving the quality and volume of employee output.
Build Up Smart Workplace with HKT’s Digital Workplace Solutions
In this day and age, companies have been dedicated to innovating and digitalising at an unprecedented pace. HKT’s Digital Workplace Solutions provide an all-in-one solution tailored specifically for businesses’ digital transformation needs. With secure remote access, virtual private networks, managed file transfer capabilities, unified communication system and more – businesses can create their smart office and integrated workplace to stay ahead of the competition while ensuring maximum productivity with minimal risk of data loss or disruption. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you design smart office automation for maximum output and employee satisfaction!