Essential tools for the hybrid workplace

On By Rajesh Patwardhan3 Min Read
Cisco Room Navigator Feature

With the move towards hybrid work, equipping shared collaboration spaces such as meeting rooms, jump rooms and ideation spaces with video technology is essential. Workers splitting between working remotely and working from the office brings a new meaning to shared workspaces and their requirement for productivity and safety. As this study indicates, there is a direct relationship between technological tools in the workplace and employee satisfaction. These tools need to address multiple needs, not only from employees as end users but also from various stakeholders such as workplace resource departments, building management, and even HR.

Space reservation

Finding and reserving the right collaboration space is essential in defining the workplace experience – there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to find an available room to work in. The Cisco Room Navigator is a device that can help streamline this. With the booking panels conveniently located outside the rooms, users can quickly check the availability of a room, reserve the room, or make changes to a reservation. With the booking panels clearly indicating availability through red/green LED lights, employees no longer waste time searching for rooms.

Typically, room booking panels are paired with the video device inside as a peripheral device. However, a lot of organizations have collaboration spaces that have “no tech rooms” to foster face-to-face conversations or brainstorming that is free of distractions. The Cisco Room Navigator recently started supporting a standalone mode. So now you can use the same panel without having to pair it with a device, providing users with a consistent experience regardless of whether there is a device in the room. Further, by integrating a solution like Cisco Spaces, employees could quickly get an overview of available spaces and could find the right room with the right capacity, and even get help finding their way to the room.

Safety and well-being

Our perspective on safety and well-being has changed, and HR stakeholders are stressing its importance in a workplace solution. With the sensors built-in to the Cisco Room navigator, it is easy to gather information about environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, or air quality. This way, employees can make more informed decisions regarding the health of a room, and alert workplace resources of any issues they see in the room with the touch of a button.

Workplace Analytics

Workplace design is moving from traditional desks and rooms to activity-based collaboration spaces. However, to effectively design those spaces, architects, workplace resources, and HR stakeholders need data on current space usage so that they can decide on the right balance of quiet rooms, jump rooms and larger meeting rooms or the right balance between communal areas and flexible seating desks. Webex Control Hub provides both real-time and historical data on usage trends based on the data gathered through the Cisco Room Navigator and other Cisco devices.

Shared workspaces in the office are where employees build relationships and form work culture. It is not an easy task to build a workspace that is inviting and appealing without the proper technology. Cisco has a unique benefit as a vendor that can offer every aspect of a workspace solution, whether it is the video devices for meetings, a complete workspace booking solution or analytics needed for space optimization and design.

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About The Author

Rajesh Patwardhan
Rajesh Patwardhan Product Manager Cisco
Rajesh is a product manager leading workplace experience and network areas for Webex devices.
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