With all of the changing technology, it can be hard to stay ahead of the curve on the business front. There is always more and more work, and businesses using more and more technology to try and catch up. While we can’t add more hours to the day, we can make changes to surroundings to make our jobs easier. We’ve put together a list of four ways to make your office smarter—and maybe even more productive.
Sync with Smartphone
Take Advantage of ‘SmartTech’
With all of the technology out there, it’s easy to keep every aspect of your office under control with one simple device. We have a whole suite of items that connect to the internet that we never thought would become a reality.
Now, just like in the Jetsons, we can control our thermostats, security, speakers, cameras, lights, refrigerators, and more from the palm of our hands. Make your office smarter by connecting all of these devices to make a cohesive and viable working environment! Bump up the heat a notch and dim the lights to make those computer programmers more comfortable. You can also drop the temperature a couple of degrees and raise the lights to get to work. This can work best on your next brainstorming session in the conference room.
Machines Can Learn Too
Have you ever noticed that your email can predict which emails are SPAM? If you pay attention, it can even predict the emails that you consistently delete and throw them in your junk box, too! More and more technology is following suit and learning your preferences, sometimes without you knowing it.
Smartphones, in particular, learn more about your habits than you can want to know. For example, I have an iPhone 6s Plus that I have synced via Bluetooth to my car. When I turn my car on and it connects with the Bluetooth, a little screen pops up to tell me that it will take me 19 minutes to get home. If I have an appointment when I get in the car, and I have it recorded in my calendar, it will tell me how long it will take me to get to my client’s office.
But, wait! It gets better!
Through predictive programming, lawyers can now predict the outcomes of their cases. This is done by using data, outcomes, and research, which previously took a massive amount of leg work.
Other professions, like architects and mechanical engineers, use machine learning programs, too!
They can predict how natural disasters will hit based off of previous weather patterns. This will determine the best angle for a wall to save the most amount of people. It can even predict exactly how many tons that bridge will have to support based off of traffic patterns. Predictive programming will lead to more time to do the things that really matter for your office. If you’re a little weary, start by getting Alexa or Siri to make your appointments, then move on to bigger, badder AI technology.
Don’t Get Rid of the Old…Reinvent
One of the major problems with the smart office trend is that many products out there are taking an easy processes and making it harder, like note taking. For some people, taking notes during a meeting on a computer or tablet is not in their wheelhouse. They don’t normally teach typing in schools these days. Personally, I prefer pen and paper over typing my notes any day. Beyond the nostalgia, I think it keeps me more engaged (ahem…less distracted). The rest of my office prefers everything to be digital. I’m a firm believer in the age-old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Sometimes, we need to compromise!
To bridge the gap between my physical notes and the digital notes that my co-workers desperately need, we purchased a Rocketbook. The Rocketbook is an eco-friendly, erasable notebook with an accompanying app that recognizes its pages and sends it off to a set of predetermined locations.
Now, when I take notes, there is no waiting for me to transcribe what I wrote down. I simply mark where I want my notes to go—to a Google Drive folder, our Trello Board, or to my email—scan the page with the app, and then my whole team has access to the notes I just took. They may have reinvented the ‘wheel,’ but it’s a great new take on an old concept, and saves us a ton of time!
Invest in Office Technology and They Will Come
Finally, businesses need to invest in the future in two different ways: technology and people. These go hand-in-hand, and it’s important to realize that sometimes the best impressions are left by the surroundings. Picture this: you’re 18 again, and you’re shopping for a college. Are you going to pick the college that has all of the up-to-date equipment or the one that doesn’t have enough funding for an office plant? The same concept applies to both potential clients and employees. The better the tech, the better the work.
At Valley Office Solutions, we have the latest technology to make the biggest impressions. Sharp’s new AQUOS Boards are 80-inches of interactive smart technology. With its ability to communicate with multiple devices, you’ll be able to give a superior presentation and sign that new client in no time. If you’re looking to make a statement, check out our selection of video wall displays.
After all, the best way to sell a product is to make sure your potential customer is thinking about it well after they leave. A 25-monitor display will surely make sure your product stays on the top of their mind. Office technology has progressed to the point that people crave the biggest and the best. If you invest in the right office technology, you’ll impress potential clients and the top-of-the-class employee prospects, as well as making your current employees’ jobs easier.
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