How Would You Describe an Intelligent Workplace? [See Here]

Have you ever wondered how would you describe an intelligent workplace to anyone asking?

The modern workplace is changing. With the rise of remote and hybrid work arrangements and advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), technology plays an increasingly important role in our daily lives.

Employees today can use digital tools and technology to automate many of their most repetitive tasks. They have tools to limit distractions, work more efficiently, and have more time to devote to their job’s core responsibilities.

In this article, we’ll go over what an intelligent workplace is and what you can do to create one for your team.

Quick Summary

• An intelligent workplace improves business performance by using digital technology to streamline workflows and boost productivity.
• Key features of an intelligent workplace include automation, virtual training, employee tracking, and asynchronous communication.
• The benefits of building an intelligent workplace include better work flexibility, improved communication, and improved business performance.

What Is an Intelligent Workplace?

An intelligent workplace is a work environment that uses digital tools and technology to maximize employee productivity and streamline operations.

An intelligent workplace aims to create an environment where employees can work more efficiently and effectively.

It involves streamlining workflows and ensuring employees can access the information and digital tools they need.

“As more companies shift to a smart hybrid working model, the demand for a smart workplace keeps growing,” says Jeremy Nunn, founder of Workmetrics, in a Forbes article.

After all, digital dexterity is at the heart of the workplace of tomorrow, where seamless integration of work through physical and virtual space, people, and technology yields better and faster output.

Intelligent Workplace vs Hybrid Workplace: What’s the Difference?

A hybrid work environment is a workplace that uses a combination of remote work and traditional in-office work.

These digital workplaces utilize cloud-based apps and asynchronous communication tools to keep team members connected, even in different time zones. They also have a strategic digital transformation roadmap.

Hybrid workplaces often use::

• remote collaboration tools
• instant messaging and chat tools
• virtual meetings
• mobile apps
• web-based knowledge management

Intelligent workplaces take things a few steps further. Intelligent workplaces create an ideal setting where employees can do their best work by using the latest advanced technology to compile and analyze company data and employee preferences.

Intelligent workplaces often use:

• virtual assistants
• digital signage
• AI-driven search
• advanced data analytics tools
• smart spaces

The Evolution of Intelligent Workplaces

The modern workplace has come a long way to become what it is today. Here’s what it has looked like — and how it’s evolved — over the years:

Company Intranets

Companies began using their internal networks to communicate internally and store digital files and data.

Companies then moved on to social intranets, which enhanced the technology by incorporating features such as search functionality to make it easier for employees to find the information they were looking for.

Virtual Tools

In the 2000s, we started to see different types of virtual tools that allowed and encouraged asynchronous communication and eliminated the requirement for people to be in the office to be productive.

These include workplace communication tools like video conferencing, project management platforms, and HR software.

Intelligent Workplaces

By leveraging tools like machine learning, AI, and other digital tech, companies are transforming the modern workplace and how employees work.

An intelligent workplace is the result of a successful digital transformation strategy.

The Benefits of Building an Intelligent Workplace

Here’s how having an intelligent workplace pays for not just you but also your employees:

Higher Productivity

By using digital tools to automate repetitive, time-consuming aspects of work, employees in an intelligent workplace can get more done in less time.

Automating repetitive, manual tasks more prone to human error can also improve data accuracy.

More Flexibility

Modern employees expect more flexibility in the workplace. When US employees have the opportunity to work more flexibly, 87% of them take it. Over 58% of US employees work remotely at least part of the time.

Intelligent workplace technology gives employees more flexibility over how and when they want to work.

They can become digital nomads who leverage technology to travel all around the world and work simultaneously.

Improved Communication

Intelligent workplace technology allows you to keep all your essential information in one place for employees to access anytime.

It also makes asynchronous communication possible, removing the pressure on hybrid employees to respond immediately and improving communication across time zones.

Key Features of an Intelligent Workplace

The digital tools used in intelligent workplaces can boost employee productivity and improve your overall business performance.

When it comes to the tools and technology you can use to make your workplace smarter, there’s a lot. We’ll discuss some of the more common examples.

Automation and AI-Powered Tools

An intelligent workplace uses AI-powered software to automate manual processes and time-consuming, repetitive tasks to save employees time.

For example, in some intelligent workplaces, employees have AI-powered digital assistants that function as their private secretaries. These digital assistants can perform basic tasks like formatting large data files, sending meeting reminders, booking travel arrangements, and alerting you of overdue tasks.

Wayfinding Tools

If you’re managing a large or spread-out operation, it can sometimes be difficult for new hires and visitors to find their way around your facilities.

Wayfinding technology helps employees and visitors alike find their way through the facility. Typically, this technology comes with mobile integration and navigation and orientation features that make it easy to find the correct destination.

Smart Searches

Another common ingredient in many intelligent workplaces is smart search technology. This tool helps customize search results for employees so they can quickly find what they’re looking for.

Smart search tech might consider things like whether the user works in engineering or the HR department to predict user intent and provide the most relevant search results.

Internet of Things Sensors With Predictive Maintenance

Power outages, network crashes, and other tech problems are unavoidable facts of life. Not only do they tend to happen when you least expect it, but they can bring work to a standstill.

Internet of Things (IoT) sensors can immediately help spot potential system issues and overdue maintenance and bring them to the attention of your IT department.

These tools allow companies to be more proactive and resolve issues before they become a problem.

Virtual Training

It’s important to continually invest in your employees so they can advance in their careers. An intelligent workplace constantly encourages employees to learn new skills and improve existing ones through virtual training.

Virtual training platforms you can use to help your employees grow include the following:

• Udemy: Udemy is a virtual learning platform with more than 200,000 courses to choose from across different subjects, including sales, marketing, and project management.
• Coursera: Coursera is an online learning platform that offers professional certificates to its learners. Some of its courses come from highly reputable institutions and companies, including Stanford, Google, and IBM.
• LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn comes with lessons to help employees learn new skills. It comes with a free-first-month plan for companies that want to get started.

Employee Tracking

Many organizations have employees scattered across different locations. That can make it difficult for supervisors to monitor the work they’re putting in and the progress of tasks they’re completing.

Fortunately, using hybrid work tools can help companies track each individual employee’s performance.

Companies can then use that data to analyze and gain insight into how much time employees spend on different aspects of their work and identify who is falling behind.

How to Make Your Hybrid Workplace More Intelligent

“Traditional models for the delivery of corporate resources to employees create friction, impede productivity, degrade experience, and do not adequately support hybrid ways of working,” says Holly Muscolino, Research Vice President at IDC, in a ClearPeople article.

The intelligent digital workspace is a fundamental change in the way that we deliver those resources to workers, which puts workers at its core.

If you want to create a more intelligent workplace for your team, you must have the right tools.

Many different types of digital tools can help hybrid teams improve their processes and build a more intelligent workplace.

Desk Booking Software

If you’re managing a hybrid office team, there will be times when they’ll need to work at the office. But there’s not always a desk for everyone, and employees need a way to know they’ll have a spot.

With the right desk-booking software, when hybrid employees decide to come to the office for work, they can determine which desks are available and book one ahead of time. That way, employees won’t have to scramble to find a spot.

Virtual Conference Software

Virtual conference software, which includes Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, allows employees to set up online meetings at times that fit their respective time zones.

All they have to do is check their coworkers’ calendars to view their availability and send invites.

Project Management Software

It’s important to keep track of your team’s progress. Project management software makes it much easier to stay on top of which tasks you’re delegating, who’s completing what, and where everything is in the pipeline.

Knowledge Base

A knowledge base or wiki is a place where you store all critical information about your company’s processes.

This information is essential to onboarding new employees who aren’t familiar with how you do things in your company.

Help Your Hybrid Team Work Smarter (Not Harder)

The world of work is changing, and companies need the right skills and tools to thrive.

An intelligent workplace can improve a company’s performance by identifying the needs of its employees and providing them with the information and tools they need to succeed.

With the right digital tools and technology, hybrid teams can easily access the information they need, coordinate their schedules, and collaborate.

Are you looking to help your team work smarter? Get started for free with OfficeRnD Hybrid today.

FAQ

How Would You Describe an Intelligent Workplace?

An intelligent workplace leverages advanced technologies, data analytics, and automation to optimize operations and enhance employee experiences. It fosters a culture of continuous learning and adapts to changing business needs. This environment prioritizes collaboration, innovation, and efficiency, ensuring both employees and the organization thrive.

Also, an intelligent workplace is a sustainable workplace.

What Are the Benefits of Building an Intelligent Workplace?

Building an intelligent workplace improves employee communication, allows for more work flexibility, and improves company performance.

What Are the Key Features of an Intelligent Workplace?

The key features of an intelligent workplace include automation, smart search, virtual training, and wayfinding tools. That could also include physical office traits such as feng shui office design.

What Are the Tools You Need to Build an Intelligent Workplace?

Essential tools for building an intelligent workplace include hybrid work management software, virtual conference platforms, and knowledge bases.