Workspaces are fast evolving. Gone are the days when going to work simply meant showing up at the office, completing the designated work hours at your desk, and returning home. Today, there’s a greater emphasis on creating welcoming, interactive, and tech-friendly spaces that support employee wellness and productivity.

Organizations are rapidly moving away from “traditional” office designs and environments, taking active measures to transform the workspace. This has led to the inception of the office of the future—a workspace that defies current workspace norms by implementing new and innovative practices for improved employee collaboration, engagement, and satisfaction.

The “office of the future” doesn’t necessarily mean you need to make changes to your building’s architecture. While newly developed buildings opt for a futuristic design to accommodate an employee-friendly workplace, employers can also transform their existing workplaces to emulate the “office of the future”. Here’s how.

Fluid Business Model

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught business owners, it’s that they need to adapt to changing circumstances and make things more flexible for their employees. Even before the pandemic compelled non-essential workers to work from home (at least initially), many companies had given hybrid workplaces a shot. Post-lockdown, encouraging hybrid workplaces has become common practice. The hybrid model allows employees greater flexibility, granting them the convenience of working remotely on certain days. It’s also a more sustainable approach to conducting business, saving commute time and costs as well as office energy resources.

The “office of the future” is all about fluidity and sustainability. Employers can use a hybrid model for their business, saving overhead costs in the process. This flexibility is also something that attracts prospective employees and can be used as a recruiting strategy.

Collaborative Spaces

Companies have also started reimagining their existing workspaces. More and more businesses opt for modern office designs that include collaborative spaces. In fact, collaborative workstations have replaced the traditional cubicles that were once a sign of a professional environment. Instead of assigning specific desks or spots to their employees, employers encourage their staff to work at collaborative workstations alongside their colleagues. Collaborative workstations also work with assigned seating, allowing specific employees to share desks and workspaces. This allows for easy and more frequent interaction.

Another way business owners encourage collaboration is by using coworking spaces. This trend allows staff members to work at a shared coworking office that also has employees from other businesses or companies working there. It’s another great way to offer a collaborative environment for employees and encourage public interaction.

Many companies have also introduced “soft spaces” for their staff. These are areas where employees can meet and interact with each other while working. For instance, breakout rooms, employee lounges, entertainment rooms, and on-site coffee shops are areas that employees may visit to have conversations with their peers. These spaces can be used for relaxation and de-stressing, providing employees with an interactive environment. Additionally, employees may also choose to work in these spaces because of the casual and welcoming environment they offer. Collaborative spaces have become an integral part of offices and can be expected to be included in future office designs.

Evolved Conference Rooms

Futuristic office designs also include modern conference rooms. With the evolution of technology, video conferencing has become an integral part of business communications. The pandemic has made video conferencing a norm, allowing virtual meetings and discussions to be a normal part of business operations.

The growing need to conduct and streamline virtual meetings and conferences requires media room upgrades. It doesn’t matter if only a few employees are physically present in your conference room. You still need to have the latest tools and equipment to facilitate smooth collaboration between all participants.

A tech-friendly media room with the latest upgrades can help you achieve this. It provides members physically present with a comfortable environment, ensuring video conferencing can be conducted easily. Using upgraded cameras, screens, monitors, and other video conferencing tools can streamline the experience for everyone involved. Features like intelligent speakers and immersive audio also make communication easier for participants attending the meeting virtually, ensuring everybody is on the same page even if they’re not in the same room.

Integrated Access Control Systems

Finally, the “office of the future” pays close attention to staff security. It implements advanced security solutions by integrating access control systems with video surveillance tools. This lets business owners view multiple sites and incidents simultaneously, watching things unfold in real-time. In doing so, they can centralize operations and gather visual data more effectively.

Access control systems have long been used by businesses to monitor on-site activity. High-tech access control systems allow employers to control and record who enters or exits their premises. This helps them ensure no unauthorized individuals are trespassing.

Integrating access control systems with video surveillance technology provides an added layer of security to the company premises. It allows business owners to monitor things remotely and implement improved safety measures at the workplace to mitigate threats and risks. Moreover, video surveillance cameras also are extremely useful in analyzing critical situations and responding to emergencies.

Security and Surveillance Solutions for Your Office

If you’re planning to revamp your office space and give it a futuristic look, make sure you get in touch with our team at Max Video & Security. We provide a range of commercial video surveillance tools, helping businesses with their access control system, business alarm systems, and security camera installation needs. In addition to this, we also assist with media room setups and provide them with office stereo systems to help create a pleasant working environment.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about our business IT services.