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Intelligent Buildings

SMART DIGITAL WORKPLACES:

MOVING BEYOND SMART BUILDINGS

The latest facilities trend combines smart systems, connected spaces and
great design to create user-centric workplaces

ALAN NI traditional sitting desks, sitting-to-standing desks, concen-
Director of Vertical Marketing tration rooms for heads-down work, phone closets for
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company conference calls, huddle spaces for small group collabo-
ration and various-sized meeting rooms with presentation
As if the advent of the IoT didn’t usher in enough amenities. Of course, these workplaces also include an
disruption in commercial real estate, another paradigm assortment of informal indoor and outdoor open spaces
shift is already underway. The latest evolution pairs the and amenities – like coffee shops, specialty restaurants,
smart buildings approach with the digital workplace balconies and patios – with comfortable seating for small
models to form smarter digital workplaces. group collaboration or fire-side reading.

Essentially, the smart digital workplace concept adds a new In other words, commercial and corporate real estate
component to traditional real estate considerations. Rather teams are taking cues from space-as-a-service
than continuing to measure commercial space success by co-working businesses by building facilities with similar
combining enough space with efficient space, the industry attributes, but owned and operated like traditional
is adding a third dimension: creating the right space. commercial real estate.

Driven by the fierce competition to attract the best digital Although specific environments vary according to
native Millennials and Gen Z workers, while simulta- occupant needs, the basics include full mobility,
neously retaining experienced older employees, the initial free-address seating, human-centric connected furniture,
moves toward smart digital workplaces are already personalized environmental controls, a variety of work
underway. Further, early adopters know that the transition neighborhoods and state-of-the-art AV systems within
is a differentiator, especially in geographic areas where smart conference rooms.
commercial market pressures are particularly intense.
KEY STEPS TO TAKE
WHAT MAKES SPACES RIGHT?
Following are the key steps commercial and corporate
To understand what constitutes the ‘right space’, consider real estate and IT teams should follow to create their own
the characteristics of today’s varied workforce. Employee experience-driven smart digital workplace:
preferences range from those relying on quiet spaces for
individualized activities to workers who thrive on collab- Get the right infrastructure
orating with others, across multiple untethered settings, No single building system, mobility solution or office
throughout any given work day. furnishing creates a modern user-centric work site.
Instead, expect to invest in the following combination of
In response, companies are replacing cubical farms with solutions as the foundation:
elegantly appointed indoor neighborhoods that support
activity-based work. By definition, smart digital workplaces • IoT-enabled building systems. These start with
put user experiences at the center of their design and lighting and temperature sensors along with sophis-
offer an array of accommodations. Typically, this means ticated underlying HVAC systems that can fine-tune

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