Thursday, 16th December 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT) has taken the world by storm. With the IoT industry expecting a trillion-dollar valuation in coming years, it’s safe to say that smart technology will soon touch every corner of our working lives.

IoT in the office is one of the areas where growth is expected to be strongest.

Our workplaces have already undergone profound changes—with work-from-home mandates and new digital workplaces having a big impact. But smart technology is bringing even more improvements.

Firstly, IoT is helping to drive a safe return to the workplace after the COVID-10 pandemic. But smart technologies are also boosting productivity, facilitating better collaboration, and making buildings healthier, happier, and more efficient.

Here, we’re exploring some of the most exciting applications of IoT in the office—from intelligent lighting to smart coffee machines. And we’ll tell you how Infogrid is helping facilities managers (FMs) with our intelligent building management technologies.

First, What is IoT in the Office Exactly?

IoT refers to a network of objects, machines, spaces, or things that are connected by communication technologies. Usually sensors.

Already, office employees are surrounded by devices—from smartphones and computers to wearable devices that track their biometrics as they work, sleep, or exercise. But IoT takes the technologies that drive these devices and connects them to conventionally inert objects—such as lights, doors, pipe systems, or fridges.

As a result, smart technology promises to turn our office environments into connected spaces, where FMs can control heating, access, and ventilation all remotely, while office employees can work with greater productivity and comfort.

It’s thought that there will be eight billion IoT devices installed by 2030. And here, we want to talk you through some of the most compelling applications.

How is IoT Used in Offices?

So, what can we expect from IoT in office buildings? Let’s start with four ways that IoT can help you create healthier, smarter buildings:

1. IoT climate control.

Not so long ago, climate control happened through manual adjustment—i.e. by opening windows or turning up the heating. Thanks to smart building tech, climate control is smarter, more efficient, and largely automated.

Take Infogrid’s system of smart heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) sensors. Installed across your building portfolio, these can feed real-time data on indoor climate to a central artificial intelligence (AI) dashboard, where facilities managers can manage optimal conditions from one place.

This allows organisations to become more energy-efficient while ensuring that employees have the best conditions in which to work. For example, our technology enabled a supermarket chain to save $1.6 million a year on HVAC alone.

2. Live occupancy data.

Living with the COVID-19 pandemic has meant becoming more conscious of the safety of our workplace environments. One important thing to monitor is office occupancy which, across the largest conference rooms to the smallest workplaces, has a big impact on viral risk.

Thanks to IoT, you can get live insight into the numbers of employees using different parts of the office. At Infogrid, we can deliver this information with discreet door sensors that monitor footfall and room use.

This allows you to make smarter decisions to ensure social distancing and employee wellbeing, as well as controlling things like HVAC and window blinds to optimise air quality in common areas.

3. Optimised cleaning.

Cleaning costs make up a large part of any facilities manager’s outgoings. With no data on building use in the past, cleaners would always clean the whole site on pre-arranged schedules, even in areas that haven’t been used.

Smart technology changes that. For example, smart buildings equipped with IoT door monitoring can reveal to FMs which areas have been used and which haven’t. And that means saving significant costs on cleaning, because you can prioritise jobs.

4. Remote maintenance alerts (and automated scheduling).

Across building portfolios large and small, regular maintenance demands time and substantial labour costs. But imagine a world in which maintenance issues could be revealed automatically and remotely. Smart technology achieves exactly that.

At Infogrid, we can install smart sensors onto/into pipes, to monitor the risk of pathogens such as legionella. Or we can equip your office building with smart leak detection equipment, so that you don’t need to do this manually.

Supported by our smart technology, you don’t need to worry that you’re not compliant with regulations. And we can save you money on monitoring costs. For example, we saved one facility management company 81% of labour time on compliance.

Applying IoT in office buildings will help you make your facility smarter, to boost efficiency, create a healthier working environment, and save on maintenance costs. You automate your most time-intensive building management tasks, and stay on top of everything effortlessly.

Get in touch with Infogrid to find out how we can help.

The Smart Office: 5 More IoT Use Cases

Alongside technologies that optimise your office buildings, there are other IoT applications that promise to transform the workplace.

5. Smart access controls. IoT can revolutionise office access, by enabling employee access through a smartphone or app. “Keyless” access means greater convenience for employees and site managers, while connected devices offer opportunities for occupancy data collection and tailored access rights to different parts of the office. These smart solutions boost security too, as door sensors can monitor tailgating and unauthorised access.

6. Intelligent lighting. Smart lighting systems are one of the most established IoT applications in the office space. They save energy, provide optimal working conditions for employees, and deliver a rich source of data for facilities managers.

7. Smart coffee and vending machines. Probably one of the most famous IoT use cases in the office is the smart coffee machine, or the smart fridge. These food and drink solutions, connected to an IoT network, will provide real-time data on cleaning needs, stock and refills, and usage preferences.

8. Digital assistants. Smart digital assistants have long been hailed as the big next step in office productivity. With the voice command technologies booming, there’s good reason to expect a similar trend in the office. Cortana, for example, is an office-first technology, while G-Suite is also incorporating voice tech into its offering.

9. Staff wearables. Headsets and smartwatches are fixtures of the office these days, allowing hands-free communication and greater convenience. But smart glasses, waistbands, and even IoT gloves can boost employee productivity while providing insights into movement patterns and health.

How Can IoT Benefit the Office Workplace?

IoT in the office promises a lot. But can it deliver concrete benefits to site managers and business teams? The answer is yes. Here’s how it can help:

Reduce maintenance costs. Smart IoT solutions can save you money on site maintenance, cleaning, and labour. For example, we helped one housing trust save 69% on maintenance and legal fees.
Ensure staff safety. According to Infogrid research, 65% of employees are more concerned about workplace safety after COVID-19. By using IoT technology in the office to track viral risk, you can provide the concrete HVAC data to reassure them.
Boost employee productivity. A comfortable employee is a productive employee. Smart building solutions have been shown to increase output among office staff.
Understand buildings better. Until now, buildings have been a data black hole. Infogrid’s platform makes sure you get concrete insights into everything that’s happening in your building, ensuring 100% compliance and reassuring staff.
Save on labour costs. Manual building monitoring costs money. For example, we helped one London theatre save over 2,000 labour hours on compliance in a year.
Drive sustainability. Finally, IoT can help make your office greener. With our smart building solutions, we helped a retail company save 800 tonnes of carbon a year. We can help you achieve the same.

Infogrid and Smart Office Building Technologies

At Infogrid, we combine the world’s smartest IoT sensors with AI data analysis—to help FMs create healthier, happier, and more productive workplaces.

Find out how we can help you deploy IoT in the office. Get in touch for a demo.

IoT in the Office: 9 Exciting Applications