TRAIN TO GAIN

Post-pandemic, training is back on the agenda for many companies. Like many aspects of business, training has changed – and this presents opportunities for dealers

W

ith the economy moving to a post-pandemic phase, many businesses are now focusing on growth again and, with this, comes a renewed focus on workforce development and training. However, as with office life in general, this has changed following the pandemic and employees have new expectations of their training and the facilities it is conducted in – and this presents opportunities for dealers to work with businesses to provide new and better solutions for them.

“By now, most office workers have mastered the art of navigating connection issues, team mates on mute, and communicating through device screens – there is a real hunger for teams to get back to connecting face-to-face,” says Elisabete Wells, regional marketing director, ACCO UK & Ireland. “As hybrid working becomes the norm, employers and managers are having to decide how to best utilise the office to ensure maximum productivity and effectiveness on the days that won’t be spent working at home. The ‘sweet spot’ for many businesses seems to be focusing on independent work during remote days and saving office days for training, meetings, brainstorming, and other collaborative activities.”

The workspace is evolving to support this, Elisabete explains. “Gone are the days of stuffy meetings or training sitting around a table in a sterile-looking room. Two years of wearing loungewear and managing Zoom interruptions taught us that we do not always have to be so formal with our teams, and that’s a lesson staff will take back with them to the office. As a result, we’re seeing a trend towards open, non-cluttered, multi-purpose spaces - with or without tables or desks - that allow ideas to flow.”

FLEXIBILITY IS KEY

Elisabete says that mobile multi-use tools which can be easily moved between spaces are in increasing demand. “Tools like the Nobo Move & Meet range can be incredibly valuable. The collaboration systems in the range are equipped with lockable castors for easy movement between locations, allowing teams to meet wherever they fancy. The mobile base holds up to four removable, double-sided, whiteboards or notice boards, providing eight times the surface area for writing and collaboration.

“For the times when separation is desired in these open layouts, the Move & Meet boards can be used to create specific zones within the space. Dealers should be introducing their customers to solutions that can serve multiple purposes and that champion the flexibility teams have come to value.”

Rosie Brown, trade marketing executive at Durable UK, agrees that flexibility is key, with solutions such as hybrid conferencing proving invaluable when co-ordinating teams where members are in different places, time zones or who have different working schedules and, therefore, find inperson meetings impossible. “Even before lockdowns and travel restrictions, hybrid meetings have been a low-cost way for team members to establish relationships, communicate and collaborate,” she says.

This is where mobile TV carts, such as the Coworkstation, can enable flexible and location-independent video conferences for a smaller group. “Investing in hybrid conferencing is investing in focus, productivity and collaboration in your workplace and workforce,” Rosie says.

“The mobile TV cart can accommodate a mini-PC with corresponding accessories. Mobile and easy to use, with a comfortable handle and cable holder, cables can be flexibly routed and stowed in the body and rear profile. A monitor or TV with a size of 43”/18 kg can be mounted in the monitor bracket and can be height-adjusted during assembly to meet your needs.

“It’s a new work solution for a new way of working; a flexible media trolley for video conferences and presentations to help transform any workplace environment, and facilitate the digital presence of colleagues and co-workers wherever they are working.”

VIDEO CONFERENCING

Jeff May, UK sales director at collaboration end-point specialist Konftel, notes that video conferencing is at the heart of a major

shift to remote working where training is crucial too. “Technology enables the sharing There are many of information and ideas in a seamless way ways to capture wherever people are based. It’s becoming the and share norm,” he says. “This means that auto-framing information and camera presets are crucial. Cameras can focus on the trainer, and follow the person, while presets - such as for whiteboards - provide instant image-switching.” Jeff adds that, while demand for digital solutions is continuing to accelerate, there is still a place for traditional products too. “There’s no doubt that the latest technologies - such as video conferencing and presentation software - are changing the face of modern training rooms,” he says. “But people still like to get up and scribble notes and ideas on flip charts, as well as interactive white boards. There are many ways to capture and share information.”

DEALER OPPORTUNITIES

This presents opportunities for dealers which will continue to grow, according to Jeff. “But first they need to get familiar with the technology and understand their customers’ requirements,” he says. “We make it easy to match different solutions to different rooms. Our interactive room type guide, for example, is a very popular tool. “For me, a lot of resellers are not always familiar and confident selling video conferencing but when they see how easy it is, and that all the support and tools they need are available, they become excited; they just need to go through an initial education process first to understand it. “In the future, more video meetings will take place across more locations including training facilities.”