The Internet of Things has grown to become essential for workplaces of all kinds in the past several years. Our article on ‘How IoT and BPM Integration Transforms Your Business’ explained the importance of the IoT and BPM integration as well as the data generation potential of IoT-fueled workplaces. Basically, integrating IoT can yield an unprecedented amount of connectivity between employees and devices alike. Moreover, it can give the business expansive insight into its own digital operations. Those insights in turn can drive strategies that allow for a company’s digital expansion. Essentially, by gathering and analyzing data collected through the IoT, a company can develop an all-new approach to growth.
In 2020, we can recognise IoT as a necessity for workplace safety. As businesses of all kinds and sizes continue to deal with the complications brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, employee safety has become an even more important consideration. And there are certain ways in which the IoT can help bring it about while optimizing business digital transformation. Let’s dive into the 4 major applications of IoT that can transform the future workspace.
1.Keeping Remote Workers Connected
There is a lot of talk about how businesses can keep their employees connected from a standpoint of socialization and continuity. CNBC offers a summary of the sorts of connectivity-related suggestions that seem to be everywhere these days. For instance, setting up video coffee breaks, hosting team happy hours, emphasizing group wellness, and so on. These are all great ideas, and they can certainly help employees to stay mentally engaged.
When it comes to actual work, an IoT-integrated business is better equipped to help workers to stay remote in order to optimise safety. IoT-connected phones, tablets, and laptops can seamlessly communicate with work systems. This way, employees gather automatically any new information they need in order to do their job. Indeed, today this can be achieved in conjunction with a BPM software, that manages the employees’ activity and business processes.
2.Changing Workplace Designs
The IoT may also help to change the workplace designs in order to make them safer for employees. It was actually a few years ago that a Medium post addressed workplace design with respect to the IoT. The main takeaway, however, was that by minimising wired hardware connections, office spaces can enable maximum flexibility.
Wireless IoT connections between devices and office networks can allow for quick adaptation and customised workspace designs. This, in the current climate, means that offices can easily prioritise distance and privacy. Businesses can redesign their environments with concern for allowing employees to have adequate space and proper distance from one another.
3.Monitoring Workers’ Wellbeing
Just as the IoT can help to change the workplace in a manner that will keep people safe, it can also be applied directly to employees in a way that monitors their health and wellbeing. This is particularly relevant to factories or worksites involving a degree of manual labor. There, IoT-connected sensors, worn by employees, can monitor in real-time their vital signs, temperature, and other essentials.
These sensors, alert automatically if workers showed signs of exhaustion or other symptoms. Through this sort of arrangement, a company can proactively address worker health and safety.
4.Making Labor-Oriented Workspaces Safer
Last but not least, we should also keep in mind that not all workplaces are traditional office environments. And in the past, there used to be a discussion that the IoT can make labor-oriented worksites (such as construction sites or manufacturing plants) safer. On this topic, Readwrite pointed to information sharing as a key element in worker safety. It was describing a network of connected sensors and wearable devices that can monitor equipment and environments, and alert workers to any potential hazards.
This is important in modern working environments regardless of pandemic-related concerns. Now, we can also look at these particular IoT applications as providers of a level of automated oversight. Thus, we can keep these working environments safe with minimal human presence.
Conclusion
In all of these applications, the IoT appears to be more and more necessary, not just for the sake of efficiency, but also for keeping workplaces safe. Furthermore, connecting the IoT and all of the benefits of it we’ve discussed here to a Digital Automation Platform will yield operations excellence and business improvement.
As for how to bring about this kind of workplace, Comidor’s digital transformation tips for modern businesses can help you on your way.
Author bio:
Pearl Shaw is an analyst with a fascination for all things automation and digital transformation. She spends her spare time reading non-fiction books, listening to tech podcasts, and trying new recipes.
