The Internet of things is developing rapidly. As early as 2008, the number of networking equipment exceeded that of human beings. It is estimated that by 2022, the number of networking equipment will reach 50 billion.
Now, refrigerators, cars and even fish tanks are connected. Where is the workplace? Especially in an area that has already had an impact - workplace collaboration.
Harvard Business Review found that 58% of Internet of things adopters said that Internet of things promotes greater collaboration in the workplace.
In this article, we will explore the impact of the Internet of things on collaboration and how emerging technologies may enhance workplace collaboration in the future.
1. More remote jobs
Telecommuting is becoming more and more popular because it brings many benefits. Improving the remote work experience will become critical when ensuring better collaboration between employees in different cities or countries.
The use of networking equipment has had a huge impact on our way of work and workplace. As long as employees can use the right equipment, they no longer need a physical office.
When you combine software hosted in the cloud, video conferencing enhanced with the latest generation of interactive displays, and smart devices from smartphones to smart watches, the opportunity for remote collaboration increases dramatically.
For example, meeting owl in owl lab provides an attractive solution to help remote workers feel more involved in video conference. The owl shaped device, located in the center of the conference room table, allows remote workers to view the room 360 degrees.
With the development of robotics, which is still in its infancy, things have become more exciting. AVA robotics is a company that produces telepresence robots designed to provide telepresence services in the work area. Remote robots can move around in remote places, enabling managers to sit in offices at the other end of the world and interact with employees elsewhere.
2. Improve the meeting environment
One of the areas where the Internet of things has had a significant impact is meetings. Collaboration is critical to the success of any meeting, and the Internet of things is improving the room to provide more opportunities for collaboration.
For example, the latest generation of interactive displays simplifies meeting space by providing an integrated solution. They are often equipped with high-performance cameras and far-field microphone arrays to improve video conferencing.
But they are more than that.
The IOT sensor built into the display provides managers with a new opportunity to collect feedback from the conference room. These sensors can be used to collect environmental data, such as room temperature, and feed these data directly to managers.
They can then use this data for real-time improvements to ensure that the conference room environment is as comfortable as possible.
The increase in the number of smartphones and other smart wearables has also had an impact on meetings. Participants can now share information directly from their devices through a central display, enabling more efficient collaboration.
Smartphones and tablets can be connected to monitors, providing a seamless way to share feedback and ideas to enhance collaboration.
3. Smarter workplace
One of the most significant benefits of the Internet of things is the improvement of the physical workplace. Smart office is about to become a reality. Therefore, the way we interact with the office environment will change.
From intelligent heating and ventilation systems based on employees' personal preferences to printers that automatically order new ink cartridges, the Internet of things will have a huge impact.
But how will this improve workplace collaboration?
IOT sensors will be able to collect a large amount of data from all aspects of the office environment. Collecting this data from daily operations can be used for many improvements.
For example, smart sensors can be used to provide data about when a particular room is most used and where employees work most of their time. This data can be used in many ways, such as improving meeting schedules.
4. Improvement of automation
Another area where the Internet of things has a huge impact is automation. As more and more devices begin to communicate with each other, it will inevitably eliminate the need for staff to devote themselves to repetitive and time-consuming tasks, thus reducing workload.
This will allow employees to focus on more complex tasks, thereby improving work efficiency. With more time to talk, discuss and share ideas, it will inevitably lead to more opportunities for cooperation.