The impact of COVID-19 on businesses, of all shapes and sizes, around the world has caused a seismic shift in how we conduct our work. As we fight to contain the pandemic, we’ve hit the fast forward button on many technologies that were already in place – from remote working to virtual meetings. While the daily office grind will eventually resume, the widespread consensus is that it won’t be a return to business as usual as we know it – or rather, knew it. The workplace industry is undergoing a complete transformation with new approaches, evolved strategies and leaner budgets. Given this, the third edition of the webinar delved into understanding how companies are adjusting and adapting to this shift.
The panel discussion was moderated by Deben Moza, Executive Director – Project Management Services, Knight Frank, and he initiated the discussion with questions on “How organisations are building resilience in preparation for the next normal? How are companies with large portfolio strategising re-entry and how are they planning to manage the large scale impacts of the pandemic?”
To which, Rajat Malhotra, COO – IFM, JLL India, insightfully replied that there are three key elements that an organisation needs to consider to successfully adapt through this transition – its people, the workplace itself, and third, is operations. He explains that “The foremost step for any organisation should be to bring about and drive behavioral changes amongst its employee. As the country is already in a re-entry phase, this change in behavior is going to be the most important aspect for us to sustain in this new normal. These changes could be essentials like following protocols and adhering to the mandates of social distancing, masking up, adjusting to virtual compliances, etc. The second aspect is the immediate surrounding and the working environment that our employees inhabit – how to make it more resilient for the new normal? This would involve some re-planning to incorporate the tenets of social distancing – be it in meeting rooms, cafeterias, washrooms, etc. The third element, which is operations, requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders – management, architects, administration heads, HR, etc. This is the stage in which technology can be deployed to its best – for analysing occupancy patterns, maintaining ventilation and operating air conditioning systems, handling waste, setting up decontamination stations, etc.”
Continuing on the same thread, Praveen Vasudeva, Director, Workplace Resources, Cisco, provided an insight into how Cisco as a company is planning its approach in this situation. “In addition to the three key aspects of people, workplace and operations, we at Cisco, took a step back and reflected upon how work and work processes, in itself, are changing. Even before the pre-COVID era, we were witnessing some unprecedented developments in the workplace, but the pandemic brought upon a colossal leap in this shift. Organisations were already practicing flexible work policies, but now they are pushing boundaries to strategise for de-densification. They are literally breaking down work processes bit by bit to decide the number of employees that can continue working from home and how the resident population can be accommodated within the framework of necessary protocols. The fundamental core is to understand how we can digitise this transformation. This can be achieved by utilising secured intelligent platforms, establishing digital business architecture, deploying cloud applications, reinventing networks to unlock data while being secured. So these are the measure that Cisco is working on at the moment in its efforts to adapt to the new normal.”
Shedding further light on how technology can aid accelerating the process of transition for organisations, Sander Schutte, CEO, Mapiq, states, “Technology plays a critical role in making workplaces efficient. Companies that previously thought, “We really need an office,” are now thinking – after the new norm of WFM – “What is the new role of an office?” Managers are grappling with questions such as how can a fixed floorplate be optimised to accommodate the required number of employees, while simultaneously ensuring their safety. And I think, this is where technology can play a key role.”
Due to the new norm of social distancing, in most offices, desks and workspace availability will decrease by an average of 43%. This means only half the employees can be in office. Organisations need to align schedules and working patterns of employees and their teams. Besides the social distancing norm, going back to office raises concerns about safety and productivity amongst employees – can they work safely and which spaces in the office can they access, how will they conduct their meetings. Hence, keeping employees informed real-time and ensuring they are evenly spread in the office is essential. This is where softwares like Office Shifts can help out. It is designed to enable flexibility and maximise the utilisation of office space for employees in a post-COVID-19 world. The software can be scaled and upgraded depending on the policy changes organisations need to make due to local government directives.
Elaborating on how workplace design has changed due to the COVID-impact, Bimal Desai, principal architect & founding partner, DSP Design, too, emphasises on the role technology can play. “The pandemic has definitely hastened the process of digital transformation across the real estate spectrum – from master planning to corporate interiors. In addition to pre-existing parameters like energy optimisation, well-being, better workplace experience, operational adeptness, etc, organisations are now prioritising public health and safety. With the ever-evolving demands of a workplace, it is now time for us to view all our strategies through the lens of technology. ‘Technology-integrated design strategy for work environments’ – that is the approach we need to migrate to.”