Just as the industrial revolution forever changed the working world almost two hundred years ago, we are currently witnessing a similar phenomenon: the digital revolution.
In the last few decades we have seen huge steps forward in the way that digital technology is being used. Tech such as the internet, smartphones, web cams and voice recognition technology have all significantly changed the way we live.
This technology has also had a huge impact on the way we work. Today’s office suites look completely different from the offices of ten or fifteen years ago. Computer equipment is smaller, file storage has been digitised and screens are becoming more and more ubiquitous.
Here are some of the other ways that the digital industry is changing the way we work:
The rise of flexible working
One of the biggest ways technology has changed the way we work is that it’s made geographical location less important. As the cloud has made it so easy to work remotely, many companies now offer flexible working benefits that allow their employees to telecommute some, or even all, of the time.
Many employees now use a laptop as their main work computer, which allows them to easily transport their work between home and the office. It’s also become common for companies to use video calling software, giving employees the ability to join meetings even when they’re not physically in the office.
Of course, some smaller companies have taken these flexible working practices as an opportunity to do away with an office altogether. Many sole traders now work from home, using virtual offices and related services to display and maintain a professional presence to their clients.
Changing communication habits
The way we communicate with colleagues and clients has also shifted dramatically thanks to new technologies. It’s becoming less common for people to communicate on the phone. Instead, a lot of us now manage the many of our professional communications either by email or text.
Many companies also now rely on instant messaging clients to facilitate in house conversations. This can boost productivity and make conversations far more efficient, as it’s now possible to get an answer much quicker.
- 5 productivity boosting apps
- Office productivity inspiration from the Fortune 500 companies
- Creativity Vs productivity - can you be both creative and productive?
What about the future?
Over the coming years and decades, we can expect to see technology continue to have an impact on our working practices. It seems likely that automation technology will come to dominate the workplace of the future. This means that many jobs will be replaced by machines designed to do the same job (in a study, the University of Oxford predicted that 47% of the current workforce could be replaced in this way). Although this sounds alarming it’s important to remember that, as some jobs become unnecessary, more are likely to emerge and take their place.
We can also expect to see a growth in the use of augmented reality technology. The practical benefits of this could be huge: professionals could use this virtual tech to create working models, view real-life previews of final designs and undergo hyper-realistic training exercises. In fact, this kind of technology is already being used to train surgeons.
Finally, the office suites of the future are highly likely to contain robots! Though this may all feel a bit too sci-fi for some, it’s important to note that this technology is already very much in use. Amazon is said to have 45,000 robots working in their distribution centres, and this number is only going to continue growing.
With so many opportunities ahead, we believe the way forward is flexible office solutions which provide plenty of space to grow. If you’re looking for an office or co-working space in Leeds, why not discover what we have to offer?
