Each month we publish articles discussing topics relevant to commercial interiors and workplace technology, each designed to support you in your decision-making, and to inform you of what businesses in Ireland are doing, why they are doing it, and to what effect.  It is important for us to share our industry knowledge and day-to-day insights for your benefit. 

Attention-seeking hybrid – a simple roadmap  

In the past 18 months, hybrid workforces, hybrid businesses, and hybrid jobs became common facts of life as far as business is concerned and in the last 12 months, it became very clear that this was not just for a pandemic, but this is how businesses of the future want to operate.  

Some of our most-read articles centered around the topic of a hybrid business. It was clear to us that you wanted to absorb all the information you could, arm yourself with knowledge, and empower yourself to take the best course of action in terms of adapting to this new workplace development. 

Understanding that the success of a hybrid workplace relies upon the careful combination of workplace technology with commercial interiors. This ultimately involved the delivery of a bespoke solution to each company’s individual requirements; however, we noted some key commonalities across the board. In this article, we created what would for many become a roadmap for your transition, raising a number of very basic, yet pertinent questions that you should ask yourself such as;  

• Making it as easy as possible for employees to work seamlessly no matter the location 
• Uniting your team regardless of their location 
• Space planning and re-configuration to facilitate the paradigm shift in working practices 

 Workplace Privacy  

Privacy in the workplace has been playing a pivotal role in recent times.  With the change in how the office layout was being used and the increased number of virtual meetings being hosted, there was stronger demand for a different type of privacy. Meeting booths became an incredible asset in the ever-popular open-plan office setup. Acoustic pods or privacy booths as they are also known offered a cost-effective solution to combat the increasing need for a quiet space. If you read any of our articles about privacy booths, it won’t take you long to understand why they are so popular (Our Maggie Q by Framery on display in our office is in constant use). The prominence of acoustic pods and privacy booths at the recent Orgatec event at the latter end of last year was a real indicator that these booths were only getting bigger, in popularity, not size! 

Workplace Technology  

The world has been waking up to the enormous value and indeed importance of workplace technology and understanding that this doesn’t mean the device you work on or operating software you use daily. Workplace technology will bridge your gaps and unite your workforce, what’s more without the proper use of technology for a flexible approach to work, you risk upping the levels of frustration and stress, and losing good people as a result.   

To achieve the best success in terms of a hybrid office, there is no doubt that workplace technology needs to be front and centre.  

Apart from the more common tools in the suite of workplace technology like business process automation and collaboration solutions, software offered by specialists such as Flowscape is designed to help businesses manage occupancy given the constant flow of staff, desk allocation, car parking spaces and so much more.  

Supplies 

Supplies is one of those very broad terms that fairly much covers all of your office sundries from the day-to-day stationery requirements to more specific items such as keyboards and other computer peripherals, including docking stations, laptop risers, and webcams (huge in 2022), but it also encompasses daily sanitation requirements and cleaning products to support the functionality of a workplace, and indeed the fuel that keeps the team going… tea and biscuits. We are seeing many clients making a shift from a range of different suppliers which are generally managed by a range of different people within the company to a single source provider like ourselves, making this element of procurement more efficient, time and cost-saving especially in a time when teams are dispersed, giving your business more control and visibility over another important aspect of your operations.  

Case Studies  

Our case studies reflect the true essence of what we do. They are only a snapshot of the typical types of projects we work on given it is difficult to find the perfect moment to take professional photographs of a re-designed or new workspace, however, we strive to share as many projects as possible to demonstrate the capabilities of our team and the solutions we provide. Each project differs from the next and 2022 was no different. Projects of note include:  

• Office transformation. Bright, inviting, and effective workspaces.  
• Creating an exciting new office layout for The Brennan and Co. Group 
• A new premises, a hybrid workforce and zones that create a collaborative community for Wolters Kluwer 
• Gamestop, Reinvigorating their headquarters through a stylish retrofit. 

 What is next?  

At the end of 2022, we shared an overview of what we believe 2023 has in store and it will be just as exciting as 2022. Watch this space and keep in touch to keep on top of what your business needs to consider when it comes to all things workplace-related.