Effective office technologies that will help your business return to the office

Using tech to control occupancy levels

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest challenges many businesses face when returning to work after coronavirus is preventing overcrowding in their office. This means having a system in place that ensures your office is never at full capacity, which can be done by setting up a rota that shows when each employee needs to be in the office, or by simply communicating with your team daily to see who should be in the office, and who can easily work from home. However, the larger your team is, the more difficult this becomes – which is why tech that will help you manage occupancy is vital when returning to the workplace after lockdown. 

In the office, you could implement occupancy sensors that track where people work and gather frequently, as well as identify “dense spots” where there is a particularly high risk of contamination. However, this will likely require investment, and be something you consider in the long term, rather than the immediate future.

A quicker, short term solution is to implement tech that can ensure your occupancy levels are safe before entering the office, and monitor and track capacity. 

Dale Office Interiors has partnered with Iotspot to bring you an app that enables you to do this.

With this app, employees can book desk space if they need to before they actually come into the office. The app live updates as desks are booked, and once every desk is booked, any additional bookings will be blocked – helping you better manage office capacity by ensuring that your office never becomes overcrowded, and employees are aware when they should and shouldn’t be coming into the building.

See how our social distancing in the workplace app can help you effectively manage office capacity, and prepare you for the return to the office quickly and safely.

Using technology for better safe and hygienic working practices

The contagious nature of this particular virus has led to a national emphasis on personal and public hygiene, and when businesses return to the workplace after lockdown, this is likely to continue. Hygiene policies are set to change drastically, and tech can be used to enforce stricter measures that help keep employees safe.

As viruses spread through the air and by touch, tech that reduces the need for physical and direct contact is essential. For example, gesture technology (or movement sensors) remove this requirement for touch, and can be implemented in regularly used, high risk areas such as doorways, lifts and in bathrooms. Additionally, voice activated technology can be used in a similar way, such as opening and closing doors, and turning on lights. By using tech in this way, there is less risk of contamination or the spreading of illnesses, particularly in areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. 

There is also risk associated with office furniture, and the germs that can collect and be transmitted, however even furniture can be made more hygienic. Some businesses may opt to replace current office furniture with desks, chairs and other pieces made using antimicrobial materials, which ensures the majority of germs are not transmitted. While this is perhaps unrealistic in the short term, it is something that many businesses may have to contemplate in the future.