3 Ways IoT is Shaping The Workplace & Work Culture

 1.  Remote work will be a norm not an exception  

The most tangible change brought about by IoT will be the decreasing need for physical office space. IoT devices have allowed employees to access all types of data – from vehicle routes to warehouse goods. With the inclusion of cloud computing, employees can even access the data from different mobile devices – reducing the need for them to be on-location to carry out business operations effectively. For example, a fleet management system enabled by IoT allows fleet managers to access real-time information of their vehicles from wherever they are and on a variety of mobile devices. This helps them ensure safe deliveries and monitor vehicle health even when they are not on site.

While the pandemic has forced many organisations to work remotely, the success of it has largely been thanks to the proliferation of technology. As more businesses adopt IoT solutions that enable employees to work from virtually anywhere while ensuring similar or better levels of efficiency, remote work will slowly be the norm rather than the exception.

 2. Emphasis on understanding data analytics

As the usage of IoT devices increases, so does the amount of data. With data streaming in from different sources, analytical tools have been helpful in presenting such enormous amounts of data in an understandable format. However, there is still a learning curve when it comes to operating such IoT devices and interpreting the data as well. For example, for warehouses that use IoT sensors to monitor the condition and movement of goods, facility managers need to be adept at reading the data transmitted by the sensors to ensure that everything is in working order. Moreover, interpreting trend reports provided by analytical software to anticipate consumer demands and make better business decisions is a skill that is highly sought after these days.

As such, if businesses want to successfully use IoT solutions to improve their operations, they will need to either hire people who understand how to operate such devices and are good at interpreting data or train their current employees to do so. That way, they can take full advantage of the benefits that IoT devices and data analytics have to offer.

 3.  Changing work arrangements  

Not many people know that the 40-hour workweek that most companies follow only came into widespread use in 1940. Before that, it was not uncommon to work 12 or even 16 hour days. As a result of technology automating many processes, it allowed more things to be done at a faster pace. This shortened the workloads of many employees and contributed to the popularity of the current 40-hour workweek. With IoT devices having the capability to further improve business efficiency, it is likely that many businesses might not even need 40 hours to get things done. In fact, a few companies such as Microsoft Japan and Perpetual Guardian have already transitioned to a 4-day workweek with relative success. As such, IoT has enabled companies to consider the possibilities of implementing different work arrangements that best fit the needs of their business.