How Coworking Spaces Use Technology to Improve Productivity
“How Coworking Spaces Use Technology to Improve Productivity” by Wendy Shepherd
Coworking spaces in London are becoming more popular each year, growing at a rate of around 20% a year—and for good reason! According to global real estate research firm Knight Frank, London is one of the most expensive places in the world to rent office space.
If you help manage a coworking space, you may have wondered about new methods to improve member productivity. In this endeavor, modern technology can be your best friend! Here are some tools that can help you reach your goal.
Wi-Fi and Power Upgrades
Today, Wi-Fi is fundamental to workplace productivity. That’s why it’s important to provide the fastest, most stable, and most secure connection possible. In terms of security, one good rule of thumb is to never share passwords in an office, so install a service that allows you to provide unique Wi-Fi passwords for each member. It would also be good to consider getting a signal booster to ensure that the router’s coverage reaches all corners of the workspace and update the firmware in your wireless router for optimal performance.
Environment Control Software
A conducive environment is a key to productivity. That’s the main drive behind the so-called Coffee Shop Effect: The ambience motivates people to work more. You can easily replicate this in your workspace with a couple of smart devices.
Consider investing in sensors that help you track temperature, humidity, lighting, air quality, and noise levels, among other things, so you can adjust ambient factors as necessary. This way, you’ll end up with comfortable workers and save on energy in the long run!
Automated Management Tools
Maybe you’ve previously had difficulty balancing various memberships and their billing statements, sending out newsletters, and keeping the booking schedules for your conferences organised. Fortunately, there’s a way to take this load off your shoulders with the use of some handy coworking software. This is where automation comes in. Verizon Connect’s Simon Austin-Beckett highlights how automation can boost efficiency and productivity in the workplace while saving you money and resources in the long run. By taking your employees’ minds off administrative tasks, such as organizing bookings and records within the company, they can accomplish jobs requiring more critical thinking.
Additionally, automated management tools can derive key insights from member behaviour to help you improve your services over time. They also generate key summaries that help you see the bigger picture of workplace operations, allowing for a more organised workplace.
Project Management Tools
Similarly, the software you use can help members in your workspace manage their internal tasks or projects. Proofhub, for example, allows users to collaborate on various documents, track their work times, and organise all project-related files in one convenient, centralised location.
Programs like Meshwork and Coworkify, on the other hand, specialise in fostering interactions between team and workspace members, both online and in person. By establishing a sense of community within the workspace, members are happier and more productive.
Office Security Tools
Finally, provide a trustworthy workspace for your members. Aside from procuring the necessary number of security cameras, this includes establishing exclusive, keyless access to the workspace, with the use of smart cards or even smartphone apps.
Security also extends to payment methods. Digital payment systems are more secure than traditional ones, thanks to transactions being made through gateways that are hard to tamper with. By giving your workers peace of mind, they can focus more on the things that matter.
Whether you’re looking for a coworking space to work or planning to start your own, you should consider how you can improve the productivity of yourself, your employees, or your customers.
