IoT can make workplace smarter, happier: Sodexo report

By making devices and objects at workplace more intelligent and able to communicate, Internet of Things (IoT) is set to turn workers happier and more effective. It will also make it easy to measure productivity by using real-time data.

According to a Sodexo report, IoT could make staff more efficient, too, by using the Artificial Intelligence embedded in the devices.

Sylvia Metayer, CEO, Sodexo Corporate Services Worldwide, said that though most companies recognise that their success depends not only on attracting the ‘best and the brightest’ talent, but also on retaining, motivating and engaging employees through a workplace experience and culture that allows them to thrive, most times this does not always happen.

Workplace trends report

In its seventh edition of Global Workplace Trends, Sodexo noticed one of the biggest trends shaping the future workplace — IoT. The company covered several topics and realised that many of the trends were deeply interconnected and had a clear unifying theme: The need for collective intelligence across domains.

The improvements to comfort in physical spaces, the increased flexibility, the efficiency that is added to the workflow, and the precision brought into processes often fraught with human error ultimately add up to a greatly improved quality of life for everyone in IoT-supported workplace environments, says the report.

For industrial occupations, IoT can make work safer by using proactive analysis. The report notes wearable sensors are already being used in labour-intensive industries to flag employee fatigue and prevent a variety of injuries. Sensors can even be used to check that protective equipment is being worn at all times.

Getting ready for Generation Z in the workforce is another priority at companies. Given their expectations around technology and their clear preference for a work–life balance, organisations have realised IoT can bridge any differences.

Noting that IoT is not just about the numbers, nor a short-term buzz of new technology, Sodexo says behind the potential increase in productivity is something much more beneficial to businesses and employees — an opportunity to operate and engage in a more effective manner.

Tremendous scope

Concurring with the view, Rimjhim Ray, Co-Founder of Spotle.ai, an Artificial Intelligence powered talent network, said, “IoT has tremendous scope in offices. What interests me the most is how it can make workspaces more humane and play a role in enhancing employee’s physical and mental health. Just imagine, your chair could sense your stress level, and send an alert to your mobile asking you to slow down. Or, the access control system could send a signal to your home via your mobile, to keep the warm water running when you sign out for the day.”

Growing concerns

As with any new technology, the world of IoT raises a number of concerns for employers and employees alike, from privacy issues to security threats. “Even though the line between the workplace and employees’ private lives is blurring, workers are justifiably concerned about how the data their companies gather on them will be used,” says the Sodexo report.

To ensure that employees and employers are on the same page, it is imperative to build an intelligent workplace. If smartphones, smartwatches, smart glasses are here, why not smart offices? Some businesses are adopting IoT at work, to ease employees’ workloads, save money on overheads, reduce fraud, and to gather valuable data which can be used to optimise operations.

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