INTRODUCTION
As the COVID-19 pandemic unraveled in early 2020 , the majority of businesses around the globe were forced to radically adjust their operations to minimize person-to-person interactions . Companies whose business were deemed non-essential were mandated to halt in-person gatherings , sometimes for extended periods of time , resulting in severe socio-economic hardships .
Meanwhile , competing forces had been reshaping work environments well before the pandemic hit , and the recent health crisis only accelerates a trend that ’ s been long in the making . As the pace of change continues to accelerate , disruption often meets opportunity for technological innovation . In 2020 , the need for a more connected workforce has gone from a ‘ nice-to-have ’ to an absolute necessity .
Employers are also grappling with the need to maintain operational efficiency while supporting remote work , not only from a health and safety standpoint , but also because their employees are now expecting such flexibility . The combination of both enhanced connectivity and flexible work expectations is leading to the emergence of new technology tools that complement existing ones and that enable a more seamless and physically remote interaction with the physical world .
Some of these tools can be described as wearable IoT edge devices with capabilities for sustained bandwidth and seamless connectivity . While essential in 2020 for business continuity , we propose that these tools are merely just a starting point that will deeply affect how business is conducted for years to come and that will contribute to a re-imagined “ future of work .”
In this discussion , we first provide additional context and set the stage for our “ call to action .” We then dive into a technology overview and review the state of available tools . Subsequently , we highlight and review three business use cases to bring the concept to life , before concluding with a post-2020 , future-state outlook .
BACKGROUND
Historically , there have been many vectors influencing the transformation of the workforce and disrupting the way we work , such as organizational behaviors , business objectives , geopolitical environments , customer preferences , diversity and inclusion , process digitizations and automations , and so on . However , as technology has become an increasingly important part of our day-to-day lives over the last twenty years , business leaders are wrestling with workforce disruptions that are now accelerating . In 2020 , as a result of the COVID-19 health crisis , we are living through yet another fundamental transformation in the way we work . In that context , the future of work asks us to consider what may be the biggest question of our age : what influence
IIC Journal of Innovation - 52 -