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The impact of technology on workplace design and supporting a multigenerational workforce
Corporate Real Estate Journal,
8
(2),
107-117
(2018)
Abstract
This paper analyses recent trends in workplace design in support of open plan, densification and enabling user mobility within the workplace to encourage user encounters. Is examines how these trends triggered a corresponding movement towards self-service technologies with a greater ability to locate and communicate with peers through personal and mobile devices. Supporting users with this improved collaboration suite has required that technology teams start understanding the profiles of their users from initial needs assessment through ongoing training and support. The paper investigates how generational factors including speed of adoption and the perception that technology is requiring users to work in new and unfamiliar ways can slow the overall effectiveness of technology deployment and by extension the success of a transformative workplace design effort. By pairing current workplace design trends with the supporting technology capabilities of each trend, the paper identifies a process to determine the needs of specific user types and methods for supporting a multigenerational workforce as new capabilities are rolled out.
Keywords: workplace technology; user experience; generational technology adoption; technology resilience; unified communications; user mobility
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Matthew Ezold is a Principal at Cerami & Associates and heads Cerami’s Philadelphia office. Matthew has over 18 years’ experience as an audiovisual technology consultant. An expert in workplace systems and infrastructure, he has provided design services for millions of square feet of corporate interiors for financial, media and legal clients including the headquarters for Nomura in New York, Northwestern Mutual’s new campus connection project in Milwaukee and the new Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia. Matthew is a recognised thought leader in the areas of unified communications and converged low-voltage AV and IT systems with a focused understanding on how changing business needs are driving firms to leverage technology for competitive advantage. A recent whitepaper ‘How Technology Drives Transformation in the Workplace’ provides best practices for technology design that provide flexible, collaborative environments. Matthew attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama and is a certified technology specialist in Design (CTS-D) through Avixa. With a diverse background in the arts, he is able to combine his artistic eye and unique understanding of production and facilities management to provide creative solutions to digital communications and control systems that provide an enhanced user experience. Matthew has prior experience as a theatre consultant, theatrical sound designer, production manager and facilities manager. His design experience includes sound reinforcement and recording systems, paging and communication systems, show control systems, encoding/ streaming platforms, theatrical lighting systems and theatrical rigging/staging systems.
