Post-pandemic social distancing protocols kicked off the use of touchless technology across every industry. Of these, commercial real estate (CRE) arguably went through the largest transformation. And contactless solutions are here to stay: MarketsandMarkets projects that the touchless sensing market will reach $15.3 billion in 2025, a staggering increase from $6.8 billion in 2020.
Modern office tenants now prefer flexible workspaces, making the industry’s pursuit of touchless solutions mission-critical. Touchless solutions can enable flexible workplaces through their ability to automate and streamline essential office functions such as building entry, resource booking, and visitor management. Because of this, 62% of consumers anticipated they’d increase their use of contactless technologies in May 2020.
Enabling Flexible Workplace Experiences
Employees everywhere are no longer bound to just one location to do their jobs. This massive change in where and how employees work heightens the need for more flexible office experiences.
Touchless technologies play a key role in accommodating more diverse workplace arrangements for a few reasons. The inherent nature of contactless solutions removes the physicality that has traditionally characterized key office features. Access key cards, for instance, are no longer necessary. Over six billion people use smartphones worldwide: why would they continue touching objects like door handles and elevator buttons when there’s a safer alternative?
What’s more, the psychology of simplicity does not lie: employees are more likely to recommend a brand when they’ve had a simple user experience. The simplicity of technology at work will go a long way in creating brand loyalty and differentiating modern offices from competitors.
Touchless Tech Solutions for the Office
Touchless tech can be defined as any device that you can use or operate without physical contact. As HqO partner Proxyclick puts it, this technology enables computer systems to receive instructions through voice recognition, user behavior, gesture recognition, or physical movement. The systems process and interpret this touchless interaction and take the desired action for the user.
Touchless solutions fulfill a variety of necessary office functions. For example, today’s visitor management solutions can securely check visitors in and out of office buildings without needing to physically touch a pen or paper. Visitor management systems improve office safety in various ways. From sending SMS notifications when visitors arrive to maintaining a cloud-based visitor log, these systems prioritize the health and safety of faculty and tenants. By increasing the efficiency and accuracy of the check-in experience, this tech helps bolster physical office security for all.
Similarly, touchless access control allows employees to use their personal devices and smartphone apps when entering a building lobby or secure office space. Commercial access control systems only allow authorized personnel into a physical space. A door or lock opens when users present an approved credential, allowing the system to enhance office security without physical touch.
Additionally, the need for bookable in-office conference rooms and event space has never been greater. Touchless resource management technology can help safely maintain shared amenity spaces, private suites and other flexible workplace solutions. Resource management solutions allow building administrators and property teams to approve, reject, and filter reservation requests without physical contact. These capabilities go a long way towards increasing efficiency and safety measures in building-wide operations.
Finding the Right Touchless Solutions for You
The right touchless solutions can help office owners enhance their physical workplace. Through providing tenant companies and employees with greater choice, safety, and simplicity, diverse workplaces improve tenant satisfaction and generate additional revenue.
To create the best workplace experience for your tenants, you will need to leverage a technology provider that can be as diverse and flexible as your building community. With our enhanced solutions, you and your tenants can book rooms, manage office visitors, and more with mere hand gestures.
Learn how you can reduce tenant pain points, and use touchless technology as a true differentiator for your office portfolio by downloading our Flex Forward eBook.
