Signify’s Interact Office Informs Safer Workspace Operations

By

RANDY REID

Signify’s Director of Data-enabled Services and IoT Solutions Vasilis Paschos hosted a webinar on the importance of smart office software amidst the coronavirus pandemic, highlighting the different functions of Signify’s Interact Office. Interact Office utilizes three units that operate together in a connected lighting system: LED luminaires, the sensors embedded in the luminaires, and a software service to view data collected by the sensors.

Sensors collect data on occupancy, humidity, daylight, noise levels and more to inform better office operations. As the coronavirus pandemic persists, this information is becoming more and more important. Effective strategies for navigating the pandemic look past the immediate crisis and consider long-term practices. In fact, Paschos argues that organizations can build resiliency through three phases of office re-population and adaptation. The first phase focuses on the short-term, with a goal of getting employees back into the office as quickly as possible. In order to do so, companies must reform their administrative measures and policies. This involves determining who can come in and when and adapting the physical office space, as well as communication plans, to ensure the safety of employees.

The second phase calls for an update of data and digital tools. Organizations must install sophisticated building systems and IOT sensors, such as those used in Interact Office, to collect data and perform analytics. Lighting is a favorable tool for data collection, because “it is everywhere and can provide accurate information across the whole building” said Paschos. Additionally, organizations should aim to go touchless.

Finally, the third phase looks to longterm AI-drive solutions. According to Paschos, “In this phase, we transition from humans informing machines to machines informing humans.” Using the data from their newly installed building systems, facility managers and real estate operators can work towards building performance and process optimization.

The software services offered by Interact Office help organizations transition seamlessly through these three phases. Its smart lighting features provide traditional lighting-related functions, such as energy optimization and lighting management. Interact Office also

allows facility managers and their employees to access more niche services through an app. Among these services are space management, environmental monitoring, and indoor navigation.

Signify designed Interact Office with three main uses in mind for facility managers, one of them being space optimization. Rather than making decisions based on assumptions, managers can use actual occupancy data to inform space allocation. Furthermore, they can monitor their employees in real time to view people density and ensure that quota limits for office spaces are being followed. Finally, Interact Office informs cleaning protocols by determining which areas of the office are used the most and by using real-time data to dispatch cleaning services to recently occupied rooms.

Employees also benefit from Interactive Office. “The demand for light switches is decreasing,” said Paschos, “employees don’t want to come into contact with high-touch areas, so what if you have an app for personal control of your lighting?”

Additionally, Interact Office help employees select where to work. “Employees can see in real time organizations should aim to go which spaces are being utilized, with the understanding that the floor with the lowest utilization will be the safest,” said Paschos. Employees can also reserve desks, a feature highly demanded by customers.

Finally, Interact Office also aides in office navigation, including where to find masks and gloves or where to wash hands. “We provide positioning services so that users can see where they are and where the most utilization happens in the office,” said Paschos, “This will inform employees of the heavily crowded spaces to avoid.”

While Interact Office is geared towards offices, manufacturing warehouses also benefit from its services, using its insights to understand how warehouse space is being used.

As men and women slowly re-enter the office, Interact Office technology can help organizations to keep their employees safe and healthy. 

ABOUT SIGNIFY:

Signify is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Our energy efficient lighting products, systems and services enable our customers to enjoy a superior quality of light, and make people’s lives safer and more comfortable, and businesses more productive and cities more livable.