Statistics show there are more than 400 million entrepreneurs globally. During the lockdown, most businesses have sought to find solutions to keep their operations going. In this article, we explore the impact of the pandemic on the design and function of workspaces.
Rethinking the Office Space
What is the role of the office? For some organizations, it is a place for strengthening social bonds. Socializing may be influenced by the company’s culture of collaboration. Other companies may need office suites for branding and a place to meet clients.
When choosing an office space, companies will have to start by establishing its purpose. Existing workspaces will be subject to redesign to meet the new objectives. The office will be a place for training, sharpening skills, collaboration, rather than a space for sharing resources.
Integrating Digital Solutions
Since more people have to work from home, organizations are convinced that remote working is possible. That has accelerated the shift to digital platforms.
Office suites have to include high-speed Internet connections that can support seamless video conferencing. Remote working has also increased the demand for applications to manage resources. A lot of transactions are now virtual, and it is crucial to have robust and secure systems.
Digital Technology to Facilitate Collaboration
There is a wide range of digital applications that can facilitate collaboration in workspaces. Coworking spaces may include VR and augmented reality to connect to colleagues in remote locations. The layout of the office must also reflect a collaborative environment.
Additionally, enterprises have to think of the equipment and office furniture to optimize the use of space. Lightweight virtual desktops may replace laptops to make it easier to move around with the workstation. The office suites have to be spacious to enhance indoor air quality.
Adoption of Remote Working
By 2018, 5 million people were working from home. That accounts for about 3.6% of the American workforce. One advantage of a remote workforce is that it is cheaper than maintaining a conventional workspace.
For that reason, the number of people working from home is going to increase exponentially in the next decade. Organizations will have to develop new systems for tracking, monitoring, and rewarding their workforce.
The pandemic has had a huge impact on virtually all aspects of the workplace. It has pushed more companies into embracing remote working and digital solutions. Organizations can save on space and overheads by using virtual office spaces and adopting better strategies for working.
