How you can use smart home technology to improve your workspace
posted Tuesday Aug 22, 2023 by Noel Arcallana
Smart home technology products, whether from Apple, Google, or even Amazon, are usually geared toward consumers and their homes. However, there are many ways by which business owners can also benefit from technology used in homes.
While something like a Ring doorbell won't be super beneficial, there are other aspects of smart home technology that could make a massive difference in workspaces. Beyond its applications in residential settings, smart home technology offers a plethora of opportunities for businesses to streamline operations, improve customer experiences, and foster innovation.
In general, whether you're a business owner or you're working for an employer, there's no doubt that you should embrace the use of some smart home technology for your workspace (office, home office, etc). So, here's how smart home and smart office technology differ and some ways that you can expect smart home technology to truly help you to improve your workspace and your workflow.
Are Smart Home and Smart Office Technology the Same?
Both smart home and office technology involve the integration of advanced technologies to enhance convenience and efficiency. However, there are distinct differences between the two.
Smart home technology includes connected devices and systems within a residential setting. It allows homeowners to control various aspects of their homes remotely or through voice commands. These smart devices can include thermostats, lighting systems, security cameras, appliances, entertainment systems, and more, all intended to give household members convenience and security.
On the other hand, smart office technology is more focused on increasing productivity in offices and workspaces. It focuses on streamlining operations within a professional workspace. It is about creating, collaborating, and facilitating engagement.
More Energy Efficiency
One of the best features of smart home technology is its ability to automate energy conservation. Thermostats can automatically turn on and off depending on the desired room temperature. Devices can automatically shut off something that's plugged in at different times of the day. Lights can be programmed to adjust to whatever brightness level you want it to be.
Using these devices in the office can be extremely beneficial. Business owners can significantly reduce unnecessary energy usage, and therefore lower operational costs and demonstrate more commitment to sustainability.
More Security
This is a dead giveaway but is something that certainly needs to be highlighted. One of the biggest reasons why smart home technology is so popular is that it provides for more security by featuring more sophisticated ways of surveillance. You have doorbells with cameras that record people; there are cameras where you can see what's going on from your phone no matter how far away you are; and there are even systems that are able to detect when doors and windows are open or broken. Certainly, home security systems have gotten more advanced.
Businesses can take advantage of this technology in lieu of professionally-managed office security systems that are often very expensive. With most offices housing valuable furniture and equipment, adding more layers of security provided by smart home technology goes a long way.
Protection from the Elements
While it's not too often advertised, one of the best features of smart home technology is its ability to detect leaks, floods, and fires. Sometimes, it can even pick up faulty electrical wirings. A lot of contractors will use systems like BuildOps fire safety software in their businesses as this helps them keep an eye out to prevent fires or potential dangers before they could even happen. Most homes and offices have smoke detectors, but these go off when the fire has already started, they do not alarm you of the potential risk of fires in your HVAC.
More Collaboration
Modern businesses rely heavily on effective communication and collaboration. Smart technology can transform meeting rooms and conference spaces into highly efficient hubs. Voice-activated assistants and smart displays facilitate seamless video conferencing, document sharing, and interactive presentations.
Automated scheduling systems ensure that meetings start on time and are equipped with the necessary resources. Obviously, if your workspace is just your home office, then most of this isn't really going to be needed, but this idea for large offices is pretty cool.
More Data-Driven Decision Making
Whether you're a business owner or an employer, you are probably aware of the challenges that come with making decisions for work. One bad decision could mean huge losses and missed opportunities. But nowadays, you'll be able to leverage information in making sound business decisions. For example, if you work or run a retail shop or cafe, there are smart sensors that count foot traffic. Even something as simple as a doorbell camera can count foot traffic, too. Having this information can help you make more data-driven decisions, refine the strategies for your work, and even tailor offerings.
Remote Monitoring
While some work environments frown upon remote monitoring due to privacy issues, some consider this a necessity. Some workspaces utilize indoor cameras to monitor and manage the operations remotely when needed. Overall, when used with transparency in terms of why and how it is being implemented, these remote monitoring can be very useful.
Could Smart Home Tech Help Your Workspace?
The integration of smart home technology into businesses goes beyond mere automation - it offers a transformative shift in the way organizations operate and innovate. It can be a way to help take your workspace and the work you do to a whole new level when it's done effectively.
