Bringing the meeting space together

Technology continues to evolve to meet the requirements of the modern workplace - it can be used to inspire staff interactions and connections at work and foster team building and collaboration. This is becoming increasingly important in the workspace and for Facilities Managers, as attested to by the rise in the interest in making buildings smart and agile. 

An example of this can be found within CAFM technologies where analysis of room booking space can quickly tell you which rooms are under-utilised, or not used at all. Systems such as OneSpace Link and EVOKO Liso can work in unison with each other to bring increased efficiencies in the use of your available resources.

OneSpace Link is a software as a service (SaaS) solution that has been designed to work seamlessly with the EVOKO Liso panel. This allows the end user to book multiple spaces across multiple locations with a simple click, all without having to leave their Outlook calendar, kitting out rooms with all of the services and supplies (such as catering, AV equipment…) needed to make meetings run smoothly, every time.

   

The real advancement the software delivers is through the deployment of the very latest in analytic reporting, unearthing detailed insights into an organisation’s meeting patterns and behaviours, enabling the optimisation of resources and the improvement of general meeting room culture. The software also lays out floor plans within the Outlook screen in intricate detail, highlighting both availability and unavailability (depicted in green and red) in real time, allowing the end user to identify rooms that meet their specific requirements at a glance. All actions made in Outlook are mirrored instantly to the corresponding panel outside the room and vice versa.

Investment into technologies for the meeting room or conference space itself can also be advantageous when streamlining resources. If, for example, you work for a nationwide or global organisation with numerous offices, a dynamic conference telephone system is key. It’s always worth considering a product that can be easily moved across spaces and offers good sound quality. The EVOKO Minto offers this and has many other attractive features over its cumbersome rivals, such as the ability to operate smoothly with mobile phone, tablet or laptop, connect through Bluetooth. 

Driving motivation for staff within workspaces is also a talking point and huddle spaces are officially ‘in’. This motivation can indeed be sparked by the technology that contributes to collaboration, such as the aptly named i3HUDDLE display board and the i3SYNC, which is a compact and lightweight presenting tool for sharing your screen wirelessly. i3SYNC is also OS independent meaning you can share from multiple devices such as Windows, OSX or android. These technologies encourage diverse workstyles – those that work from home or from another country are able to join in with meetings in real time and their appearance is seamless and as if they are sitting in the meeting alongside you.

Wayfinding technology will allow you to essentially map out buildings and introduce carefully selected information to current and potential end users within your organisation, as well as reducing the need for other methods of signposting.  There are a myriad of options now available, from the detail tailored option PADS4 to the simple templates of PLAYipp, which can also be updated on the move with Mobile View. Digital Signage can also benefit an organisation’s intellectual capital by harnessing the data and representing it in a way to engage and empower staff with the right information, at the right time. From weather, to live travel updates, to staff availability or sales forecasts, the list of possibilities of what you can display really is endless.

Workplace technology is inevitably an investment but with the right tools in place, you and your team will stay ahead.

Contact the A+K team on 01638 510900 or email sales@anders-kern.co.uk to find out how we can help your business.