Smart cities are urban areas that make use of data and IoT technology to improve their day-to-day operations and manage their assets more effectively. As our world becomes increasingly dependent on technology for efficiency and success, what smart workplace trends are emerging from these innovation hubs?
The World’s Smartest Cities
Singapore:
ABI’s Smart Cities Competitive Assessment report has named Singapore as the world’s leading smart city. The innovative city is pioneering several projects to address high-density urban living and is also home to futuristic driverless taxis and shuttles.
Dubai:
The ultra-modern city of Dubai was ranked second, noted for its adoption of disruptive next-gen technologies. Dubai is leading the way when it comes to crypto technology, with all government transactions set to be processed via blockchain by 2030.
London:
The English capital has been placed third, thanks to its advanced open data policies and thriving start-up ecosystem.
Top Smart Office Trends for 2019
Smart cities are shaping the future of work. Here are the leading workplace trends for 2019 and beyond:
BYOD:
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) means employees are using their own personal tablets, smartphones, laptops and wearable tech to complete their tasks and send work-related communications. Many employees work faster when using a personal device they are already familiar and comfortable with.
BYOD means workers can take their favourite at-home tech and integrate it into daily work life, allowing them to work remotely in more efficient ways. There are potential downsides to this trend though; taking your work everywhere you go is a sure-fire way to lead to burnout, and of course, smart offices need to be much more aware of security threats when allowing BYOD.
Did You Know? 67% of employees say they now use personal devices at work, and 87% of businesses rely on their workers’ access to mobile business apps.
Focus on Wellness:
Workplace wellness is a growing trend. Employers are recognising the dangers of overworking, presenteeism, work addiction and burnout. More companies are looking to make positive changes that improve the wellbeing of their employees, and tech is making this easier.
For example, wearable devices like Fitbit and Jawbone allow employees to monitor their stats, from steps taken to calorie consumption to heart rate. This can empower them to take control of their health and practice better wellness habits daily. Smart offices can also make use of collected data from wearable devices by analysing it to identify potential health risks in their workplace.
Meditation and mindfulness apps are another popular way to help employees de-stress. Some large corporates are even subsidising subscriptions to these apps to make sure they’re accessible to everyone.
Did You Know? 70-80% of companies in the US believe that wellness programmes reduce absenteeism and boost productivity.
Cybersecurity:
As the wireless technology and BYOD trends continue to rise, the need for advanced security tech rises with them. More data is being stored on the cloud, and if that data isn’t secured correctly, companies risk losing or leaking a lot of sensitive information.
Individual privacy and security is an increasing issue as well. Even the most stylish and user-friendly open-plan offices require private spaces where team members can share and discuss confidential information.
Flexible offices with excellent network security, a choice of shared and private workspaces, and round-the-clock, on-premises, security offerings are helping companies to operate in a safer and more secure environment.
Did You Know? A recent US review found that nearly half of organisations surveyed (46%) are now using biometric authentication tech to protect data on smartphones.
Smart Cities & Automation
The National League of Cities (NLC) has analysed how technological advances in smart cities could potentially impact jobs and skills. A big concern, of course, is the issue of automation in the workplace. As technology becomes smarter, the automation trend is on the rise.
Assessing the Future of Our Work: Automation and the Role of Cities analysed jobs that are set to grow between now and 2026, to identify which are most likely to be automated. The research found that management and supervisory roles are the most secure, being less than 30% automatable, while low-paying positions involving manual labour are the ones most at risk, being more than 70% automatable.
To prepare their workforce for the future of work, city leaders recommend the following:
- Focus on income mobility and economic stability instead of job placement.
- Look for ways to match the demands of key local industries with the population’s skillsets.
- Adjust education and workforce training programmes to match industry needs with skillsets.
- Put policies in place that help to build links between tertiary education institutions and business communities.
- Implement more innovative business development programmes and pilots.
Sectors Benefiting from Smart Office Space
Smart workplace solutions improve productivity and make it easier for teams to complete their daily tasks, using state-of-the-art tech to make the process smoother.
IT companies, design studios and web development businesses can all benefit from a fully serviced and connected setup. Beyond office life, those working in labs and research facilities can operate safely with excellent security and data protection. Even warehousing and manufacturing are transforming as companies like Amazon and Boeing harness the power of IoT technology.
Whatever your requirements as a business owner might be, you can find the perfect flexible workspace solution to drive your business forward into the future of work.
Looking for Office Space?
We Operate in Some of the World’s Top Cities:
London, New York, San Francisco, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong,
Search more locations