Intelligent SME.tech Issue 09 | Page 25

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// PREDICTIVE INTELLIGENCE //

Reimagining the physical office

AND ITS CONNECTIVITY NEEDS

Employees have become accustomed to working from home and although some will want to return to the office , others will be content to remain working remotely . The answer lies in hybrid working and Jon Howell , Smart Spaces and IoT Lead EMEA at Aruba , a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company , explains how organisations can reimagine the physical office of the future .
IKE MANY OTHERS , I am

L ready to return to the office . Or at least , to have the option of returning to the office as we all move to the new hybrid working model that will see employees shifting between their homes and the office .

It ’ s interesting to consider what the physical office will look like under this model – for it surely needs to change . The way that we live , work and communicate , our priorities and expectations – they have all been irreversibly altered by the pandemic . So how can we expect our offices to remain the same and still meet our needs ?
Designing an office that will work for our new reality and the near future will challenge organisations to rethink everything from their network infrastructure to physical architecture . To help inspire and guide your planning , here are the top trends I ’ ve seen over the past few months .
Expect smaller – but better utilised – offices
With office spaces sitting empty for most of 2020 , many organisations have recognised the opportunity to significantly downsize and save on real estate costs . I believe this will be a great thing for employees . Because at the same time , organisations are also transforming the way space is used , bringing it into better alignment with the way people will work post-pandemic .
Instead of rows of desks and cubicles , walls are being torn down to create open , shortterm collaboration spaces and meeting areas . While working from home has proven its value , employees will be craving places to meet and work face to face after over a year of being apart – and organisations must be ready to meet this demand .
It ’ s not just about socialising either . Organisations need to acknowledge that

WITH OFFICE SPACES SITTING EMPTY FOR MOST OF 2020 , MANY ORGANISATIONS HAVE RECOGNISED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGNIFICANTLY DOWNSIZE AND SAVE ON REAL ESTATE COSTS .
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