Increased Productivity of The Workforce – A Major Benefit of Smart Buildings
Smart buildings may be made of stone but not so the hearts of the people who frequent them. There’s little point having smart buildings if no one enjoys being in them. Paying attention to the comfort of one’s staff – a building’s most frequent user – can mean the difference both in their productivity and staying power.
This was the chief benefit of smart buildings in the first place so let’s not forget that in the greater scheme of things.
Smart buildings rest on one key pillar – that of excellent connectivity. Let’s explore further how your business’ connectivity and the incredible tech involved in smart buildings work hand-in-hand for the benefit of our staff.
For those who lean toward facts and figures, a report from Loftness et al and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab drive home the benefits of smart buildings for the workforce with just three simple aspects:
- Better ventilation – reduced absenteeism by 55%
- Suitable temperatures – increased activity by 19%
- Air pollution filtering – 3% productivity boost.
A Major Smart Building Benefit – Minimizing Staff Stress
Stress is no respecter of persons and 99% of our workforce are bearing up under some form of ongoing stress or another. Imagine if our staff found coming to the office actually lowered their stress levels? What a stunning win.
No one should underestimate the effect of office comfort on staff members. They say we are all more concerned with the mosquito bite on the back of our hand than the 20 million starving in the 21st Century. When people have their basic needs seen to, they are free to focus on matters outside of themselves.
The benefit of smart buildings is that those needs are seen to using smart technologies that can be set to respond to the changing needs of conditions inside the offices.
Today’s Workforce Love Smart Buildings
A Dell and Intel Future Workforce Study showed that buildings with technology features command a staggering 82% of job-seeker preference among millennials, who are the future of our workforce. MIT Sloan Management Review and Deloitte conducted a global study showing that “significant numbers of employees and executives are ready to leave companies that aren‘t keeping pace with digital change.” Besides that, 60% of people of all ages hope to work in a smart building one day.
Who would have thought the benefits of smart buildings had such a deep reach onto the potential workforce?
Even if you have an older building, implementing smart technology will attract today’s job seekers. The Internet of things (IoT) covers everything in offices from ventilation, heating, lighting, water points and access consumption and the greatest benefit for smart buildings, therefore, gets to include massive cost savings that run into the millions.
If your office building lacks the bells and whistles that modern buildings boast, it’s not a problem. The Internet is everywhere, and even old, listed buildings in remote locations can employ connectivity in the form of satellite or microwave connectivity.
Team Spirit Upheld – Smart Building’s Invisible Benefit
Any staff manager knows that doing whatever is possible to benefit staff members carries a corresponding – though likely invisible benefit, that of team building? How? Happy staff facilitate better levels of co-operation among workers.
It’s really an investment into the emotional bank account of today’s workforce. Management who make ‘deposits’ by way of ensuring comfort for their staff are making a subliminal investment with an equally subliminal ROI (Return of Investment). Staff more readily become supportive of their management because there is transparency regarding the matter of excellence and benefits regarding office conditions in smart buildings. Because the staff all benefit, they become supportive of one another as part of a great working family with management backing and upholding smart building features and benefits.
Benefits Of Smart Building Technology No Longer Sci-Fi
The thing is that whether it be collaborative workspace or individual booths, smart buildings have state of the art technology to call upon. From AmI’s (Ambient Intelligence) to AI’s (Artificial Intelligence), there is no excuse for lagging behind and losing out on the benefits of smart buildings as far as the workforce is concerned.
It may sound like a science fiction movie to have such controls in place but it isn’t. It’s right here. Baby steps are better than no steps, so whatever your current situation in your office block, smart building or not, break it down into progressive steps toward the goal of being 100% smart building compliant.
An always-up, stable and super-fast connectivity solution is the logical place to start. Let’s connect!
