Business Reporter: Employee-centric workspaces after the pandemic

Making office spaces safer, more comfortable, more profitable and more sustainable.

LONDON, Dec. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a video hosted on Business Reporter, Mike Hughes, UK and Ireland Zone President at Schneider Electric, describes how office buildings are increasing part of an organisation's brand, especially around employee propositions. Employees want to work in sustainable environments and for employers who take sustainability seriously.

Poor maintenance is one critical issue. As Mike Hughes puts it: "Buildings are some of the biggest energy consumers in the world, and some of the most inefficient. A lot of that inefficiency comes from the way they are maintained. If you can maintain the building in a smarter way, if you can make sure your equipment is always running at peak performance, if you can anticipate when equipment is going to break so you can maintain it, you can run a building much for efficiently."

Energy use sensors and the IoT can help the users of buildings, even old buildings, visualise where energy use is inefficient. Schneider drives building sustainability through digital technology. Some of their buildings are even energy positive with solar panels on buildings feeding excess energy back into the grid.

Given that it looks very likely that people will return to working from offices – almost three quarters of us are struggling to adapt to remote working  - employees who want to maintain a positive brand with employees will address sustainability and at the same time as comfort and safety in the office. Data and the latest technology hold the key. Workplaces need smart, digitised systems where staff seating arrangements are based on capacity and occupancy levels, and where smart heating, ventilation and lighting provide health benefits and comfort, while reducing the energy bill and helping protect the environment.

As we return to normality after the pandemic, the workplaces that attract employees, and allows organisations to retain talent, will be those that have been transformed through technology. Smarter buildings are key to creating healthier, more productive workplaces, improving profitability and protecting the planet.

Learn more about sustainability in smart buildings here.

This press release has been provided by Business Reporter.

Business Reporter is an award-winning supplement published in the Sunday and Daily Telegraph, City AM and online, delivering news and analysis on issues affecting businesses to a global audience. It also hosts conferences, debates, breakfast meetings and exclusive summits.

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