As the coronavirus pandemic began, many offices, schools and colleges responded by switching to the virtual mode of operation. This presented several challenges for employees, students and teachers alike. Offices are hybrid today with no fixed time of coming in and moving out as long as the quality and nature of the work remain intact.
With work from home taking over as the standard medium of work during the pandemic, we have seen the increased use of technology in everyday life. Virtual meetings, apps to mark your attendance and order your regular coffee, one thing that will be seen across the world in the post-pandemic work environment is the adaptation of technology. Technology has shown us that it is possible to work from any corner of the world as long as you remain connected. This realisation has even led few organisations to go for flexible working arrangements even after the pandemic.
Offices In The Post-Pandemic Scenario
Smart offices will significantly increase in the post-pandemic period. Future buildings will be smaller spaces that will focus on energy efficiency and the use of technology to maintain hygiene standards. Building systems that provide real-time information about the building environment like air quality, humidity, ventilation, etc., will be used increasingly. Workforce safety standards will see a major enhancement, and smart offices will rely on advanced sanitation solutions like UV disinfecting tools.
Work from home has brought in several benefits. It helps in reducing the energy consumption of commercial buildings by a significant amount. This means that offices can now enjoy reducing their utility bills and adding to their savings. Work from home will also help future buildings become smaller in size. This will help cut down carbon footprint by a massive volume globally. These smart offices will rely on technology to make the space-efficient. Some of the new additions that the post-covid smart offices will have would be:
Automated Door Locking System
Automated doors will help with energy efficiency when operating with a small team. They will also identify unauthorised entries to prevent theft and other security issues. You never know that we may also see automated doors with temperature sensors pretty soon in the market. These sensors will notify when a person with high body temperature enters. This way, the office space will be able to curb commonly spread infections to a great extent.
IoT Sensors
IoT sensors will have a large role to play in smart offices and future buildings. Like the example mentioned in the above point, we will see several new automation devices that will offer a wide range of services using IoT sensors. Energy efficiency is one of the most common and widely recognised aims of IoT sensors. They will help identify real-time occupancy in office rooms and buildings and switch to power-saving mode as soon as someone leaves.
Smart offices can be put on “Sleep Mode” using IoT, which will allow certain custom features to be activated. Similarly, as soon as the building is set to “Wake Up Mode”, it will automatically start the lights, ventilation, and other similar activities.
Customisable Software And IoT Protocols
The post-pandemic scenario is going to be highly tech-savvy. People will turn to technology for a lot of things. And the essential requirement for that would be software and IoT protocols that users can easily customise. Solutions for occupancy detection for different days, desk scheduling, etc., will require custom changes according to the situation. Hence, easily changeable options will be crucial.
Schneider Electric India offers technology solutions for future buildings and smart offices. Their products aim at increasing convenience, energy efficiency and reduced costs. To find out more, visit their website today.
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