Late in December we were invited to meet with a new client at their brand new office in the heart of the city. Now I can’t name names, but you could say they are a major player in the body care industry. They are a large corporation and have the money to spend on tools, room scheduling software, and devices that smaller companies, like where I work, would not be able to afford or make use of. Upon visiting their office, I noticed a few things that I thought were innovative and useful to have at the office.
Here is a list of the tools, devices, and software I spotted that would make a great addition to any office:
Easy room scheduling software
When we were greeted by our new client they led us into a room that had an iPad outside of it. On the iPad you could read that the room was booked for a meeting and under whom it was booked for. You could also see how long the meeting was supposed to last. I thought this was a great use of technology because it allowed others to be productive and made effective use of common spaces. It prevented double bookings and seems really helpful in scheduling meetings!
ATM machine
I kid you not, this office had an ATM machine! Of course it was only under their preferred bank, but not having to leave the building and skip the long bank lines is a great way to save time!
iPads at the reception desk
The iPads placed at the reception desks were used to alert employees that their guests were in the building and it helped with safety issues as unwanted guests were screened. Incoming guests were asked to register and type in who they were meeting. An alert is then sent to the host that their guests have arrived.
Biometrics
It was interesting to see biometrics being used in an office. This also prevented guests from wandering around unnecessarily because you they would be able to access any of the floors or rooms without an authorised thumbprint.
Free WIFI for guests
For those waiting in the lobby, free WIFI was offered. This was extremely helpful as one can sometimes lose signal in an office building.
Coffee dispensers
This is not quite an innovation but having free flowing coffee is one of the best ways to prevent wastage. There have been many times where I found a half full pot of cold coffee on the office pantry counter.
Sleep pods
Okay, I may be biased because I am an avid nap lover but seeing nap pods in this client’s office may have been the highlight of this visit. I would say this topped the free coffee machine.
