13 best smart office technologies to create a supportive workspace

Have you locked the door before leaving your apartment this morning? Is the battery of your fire alarm still charged? Is your house at the right temperature so it’s nice and warm when you come home in winter? Smart devices give you all of this information. Many of us employ these smart tools daily, even without thinking about it.

They greatly support us in our personal lives, so why not use smart office technology to improve and optimize the workplace? Building an intelligent ecosystem helps you enhance employee experience, foster efficiency, boost productivity, lower costs, and reduce carbon impact. It can integrate various resources such as sensors, automated processes, IoT devices, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) solutions.

Using technology in the workplace is inevitable. But how do you make the most of it? What are the latest trends and tools to implement in your work environment? 

This article poses 13 intelligent workplace solutions that make a real difference in managing the workspace, making people thrive, promoting efficiency, and minimizing office expenses. 

Workplace-specific smart office technology

1. Hybrid workplace technology: run and optimize your office space efficiently

Introducing flexible work arrangements requires businesses to adjust their physical work environments. It includes reviewing space optimization and changing office layouts to create a workspace matching the needs of a hybrid workforce. 

Hybrid workplace technology, like deskbird, plays a major role in helping employees thrive in this new flexible work configuration. For example, it enables them to:

• book a specific desk or meeting room;
• assign spaces;
• reserve a parking lot in advance;
• plan their hybrid week schedule;
• find colleagues through an interactive floor plan;
• collect data and monitor office analytics;
• etc.

2. AI tools: stop wasting your time on repetitive and low-value tasks

Artificial Intelligence is essential to make your office smarter and support team members in every aspect of their job. AI-based office sensors, for example, can help you track who enters and exits the office building. 

Not only does it give a clear idea of your occupancy rate to optimize your workspace, but it also allows you to increase your building security strategy. All of the information collected by these intelligent tools can then support CRE professionals, facility managers, HR leaders, and any person in the workplace in making data-driven decisions.

3. Smart screens: upgrade the videoconferencing experience

Now that most of us are working hybrid, collaboration must be approached differently. Smart office technologies like smart screens facilitate meetings and collective tasks when employees work from different locations.

These modern video conferencing tools support seamless collaboration and communication among remote teams, saving time and reducing travel costs. They often incorporate AI features such as background noise suppression, automatic framing, and real-time language translation, improving the overall meeting experience. 

For example, AI-powered video conferencing platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams can automatically adjust audio levels, remove background distractions, and provide live captions. These key features enhance clarity and engagement during virtual meetings.

‍

Are you wondering how artificial intelligence is shaping the world of work? 🤖 Discover more about the role of AI in the workplace!

‍

4. Smart furniture: enhance your employee experience and well-being

Smart furniture offers several benefits in a smart office environment. It combines traditional furniture with embedded technology to foster productivity, comfort, and convenience. For instance, smart desks can adjust height based on employee preferences, enhancing ergonomic well-being. They can also integrate wireless charging capabilities for devices, reducing cable clutter. 

Do you often remain in the same position for hours and end the day with back pain? Smart chairs use IoT sensors to monitor posture and provide real-time feedback to promote healthy sitting habits. If you stay seated for too long, a message pops up on your screen reminding you to stand, walk and stretch a bit! 🤸

Intelligent workplace solutions to optimize your infrastructure

5. Occupancy sensors: make data-based decisions

Occupancy sensors are key to optimizing space utilization, energy efficiency, and employee comfort. These sensors automatically adjust lighting, heating, and ventilation systems by detecting real-time occupancy levels. Therefore, they also enable you to reduce energy waste. 

These digital tools also provide valuable data on space usage patterns. You can therefore make informed decisions regarding workspace design and allocation. For example, by analyzing occupancy rates, you can identify underutilized areas. You can later repurpose them for more productive activities, review seating arrangements, or downsize your office space. These data-driven decisions help optimize resources and create a more efficient and effective workplace.

6. Video monitoring devices: keep the workplace safe and secure

Smart video monitoring devices enhance security, provide real-time tracking, and offer valuable insights for workplace optimization. These intelligent tools prevent unauthorized access, oversee sensitive zones, and detect suspicious activities. Moreover, they enable remote monitoring, allowing managers to supervise the office premises from anywhere. 

Businesses can also use this smart technology to analyze foot traffic patterns. Collecting data on employee movement can maximize space utilization, streamline workflows, and ensure that common areas are efficiently designed to promote collaboration and productivity.

‍

🚨 Do you want to protect and secure your hybrid work environment? Learn more about cyber risk management!

‍

7. Smart IoT security devices: create a safe and secure work environment

Workplace security is a core aspect of all organizations. Smart IoT security devices offer an additional barrier to keep your physical and digital work environment safe and secure. These resources include smart locks, entry control systems, and network monitoring tools. They guarantee secure access to the workplace.

In the virtual world, they can detect and alert IT on cybersecurity threats, such as unauthorized network access or suspicious activities. They can also enhance data privacy, encrypt data, track data flow, and provide secure communication channels. Ultimately, they safeguard confidential information from potential breaches and ensure compliance with data protection regulations, becoming some of the best allies for IT teams.

8. Proactive maintenance systems: opt for the “better safe than sorry” approach

Facility managers have a lot of tasks to handle simultaneously. Using smart technology provides them with the support tools to guarantee a safe, operational, and efficient work environment at all times. Proactive maintenance systems help prevent hardware failures, reduce downtime, and optimize maintenance schedules. 

Installing sensors and analyzing data allows facility management teams to detect early signs of equipment malfunctions, conduct timely repairs, and plan replacements before a breakdown occurs. 

For example, HVAC systems and sensors can monitor temperature, humidity, and performance parameters. It also gives them predictive analytics that can identify potential issues. Overall, this minimizes productivity disruptions and lowers maintenance costs.

Smart technology for private and professional usage

9. Smart temperature tools: save money while making your office greener

Why not use smart temperature systems in the office, like at home? Thanks to sensors, automation, and interconnection, intelligent HVAC solutions can monitor the air quality and temperature of the workplace. Not only does it create a work environment that improves the well-being and comfort of your staff, but it also helps reduce your office’s carbon footprint. 

You can either let this smart tool regulate the temperature by itself or set it up according to your rules and wishes. For example, you can require that the temperature stays above 21 °C in winter and below 23 °C in summer. Sensors can then detect and analyze the room’s current temperature and adapt the HVAC system accordingly.

‍

🌿 Looking for ideas to make your work environment greener? Check our guide about sustainability in the office!

‍

10. Smart lighting solutions: make your electricity bill lighter

Lighting is a critical aspect of the physical workplace. Not all the areas of your office require the same light intensity. First, sun exposure might not be equal in every room. Second, some parts of your workspace are not used as often as others. Therefore, they don’t have to be lit all the time. Third, lighting is also very personal, and considering employees’ preferences is important. 

Again, light sensors are great for managing this and adapting to the team’s real needs. Alexa for Business also supports you in controlling these aspects of your office. It improves the whole experience on-site and enables you to reduce your energy costs and carbon impact. 🌍

11. Intelligent coffee machine: use smart tech to keep your staff happy

Some smart gadgets from our daily lives can also be used in the professional environment to improve the employee experience. Introducing intelligent brewing machines is a perfect example of this. ☕

These machines have connectivity features and AI capabilities to enhance the coffee brewing experience. Team members can use mobile apps or voice commands to remotely control and customize their coffee preferences, such as the strength, temperature, and serving size. 

Intelligent coffee machines can also analyze usage patterns and automatically order coffee stocks when running low, ensuring a seamless supply of coffee for the office. This automation saves time and effort while providing employees personalized coffee options that suit their tastes.

12. Virtual reality devices: step up the online meeting game

Using virtual reality (VR) devices makes a lot of sense for companies that want to collaborate with technology to improve their work environment. For example, workers can put on VR headsets to participate in virtual meetings, allowing for immersive and vivid remote communication. 

VR can also be a great resource for training. It enables employees to simulate real-life scenarios and gain hands-on experience in a safe and controlled ecosystem. Another advantage of this smart technology is its ability to boost creativity and innovation by providing a digital space for brainstorming and visualization. 

While we adopt more flexible work practices, VR tools improve communication, enhance training effectiveness, increase productivity, and foster a more engaging and immersive work experience.

‍

💡 Check out our customers’ reviews to discover what our users think about the deskbird app!

‍

13. Automated and interconnected technology: control your workspace smartly

At home, we can ask Alexa to turn off the light or decrease the temperature before going to sleep.

At work, smart office technology enables you to do the same. Of course, there is Alexa for Business, but there are plenty of other tools to control your workplace smartly. People can send a message from Slack to the intelligent brewing machine to prepare a coffee for them in 20 minutes, as they know they will take a break then. 

‍

Technology development is on the rise. Possibilities seem endless, and embracing these intelligent workplace solutions is a must for businesses to stay competitive. These connected resources support employees in many aspects of their job and enable organizations to create a better work environment and reduce costs. 

From workplace IoT to sensors and automated robots, the future of work is based on the interactions between humans and these digital devices. These tools take up more room every day in our personal lives. Not having them at work would feel like stepping back and raise frustration among your staff. We hope this article gives you an idea of how smart office technology can be implemented and how it benefits your business, the infrastructure, and team members.

Looking for a smart desk booking platform? Request a free demo of the deskbird app and discover how we help you manage and optimize your hybrid workspace efficiently!