OccupierEdge_Ed.4_US 5_17

SENSORS TO THE RESCUE

Working too long and losing focus? Don’t worry, you will be sent a notification to have a break. Relax, take a walk, stretch. Based on a study by Draugiem Group, it is recommended that optimal work/ break ratio would be 52 minutes of work and a 17-minute break. Cannot find a large-sized conference room for your weekly team meetings because someone is having a two-person meeting in that room? Don't worry, sensors such as access control along with mobile Wi-Fi triangulation will be able to detect if the person who booked the room is in the building or not, thus releasing the space if required. Imagine instant room booking by simply just walking in. Through data we can also learn the habits of team meeting attendance, and recommend alternative spaces in order to use the space efficiently. Germ sensors on alert? Something in the air? Don't worry, thermal imaging cameras will detect and inform people if they have a fever and advise them to go to a doctor or work from home. It reduces chances of infecting other colleagues and prevents people underestimating their symptoms.

Where has the printer moved to? Where is a stapler? Don't worry, by using Bluetooth stickers on equipment and worksettings in parallel with beacons, you can track it all on a phone app or kiosk. It will be easy to do a live inventory of assets and furniture; a simple scan of what’s in the office and you will get a report with the list of computers, monitors, furniture and other equipment owned by the company. Where is my colleague? How are the teams collaborating? Don't worry, sociometric sensors are wearables that understand posture and movement, conversation flow, speaking time, voice tone, speed of speech, cortisol level based on tone of voice, speech volume and etc. Each badge contains a microphone, infrared, accelerometer, and a Bluetooth connection. This opt-in system allows you to understand the physical interactions of workers. By recommending a few changes in how the social network of the company worked, Sociometric was able to increase sales by 11% in a business that had flat growth. Understanding individual and group performance can lead to significant returns.

User Experience Live workplace data can be displayed on kiosks or mobile apps to show the availability of work settings throughout the workplace. Often the greatest detractor from people’s productivity can be the cost of search, or in other words, the time spent locating or confirming the availability of an appropriate work setting. Data can be used to challenge and question perceptions, understand why certain trends are appearing, while reducing the friction and adding value to the experience. Sensors and a workplace app can also be integrated with cafeteria payment system, access control and environmental settings (temperature, light, music) to create a truly unique user- experience. 4

MACIEJ MARKOWSKI Partner, Head of Workplace Strategy CEE Global Occupier Services maciej.markowski@cushwake.com

ALEKSANDER SZYBILSKI Consultant, Workplace Strategy Global Occupier Services aleksander.szybilski@cushwake.com

KAWSAR MIAH Consultant

Strategic Consulting, EMEA kawsar.miah@cushwake.com

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