Sony’s smart office technology helps your business transition successfully to new, more flexible ways of working and makes every visit to the office worthwhile.
After the great ‘working from home’ experiment, attitudes towards the office have changed. We now know that, given the option, employees prefer to perform tasks that require prolonged periods of concentration from home. However, when it comes to creative, collaborative tasks, they still prefer to meet in person. The hybrid working model has emerged as a logical next step, based on this new understanding. It typically involves two days at home, two days at work and perhaps one day in a café or commercial co-working space. In short, choosing the best location for the task.
The implications of hybrid working
For some companies the hybrid way of working means they can downsize. For others, it is more a question of rebalancing the number of individual workstations in favor of more collaboration areas and meeting rooms.
In the hybrid world, facility managers face several new challenges. They need to keep track of office occupancy levels, to understand how the office space is being used and to follow how that changes over time.
There are challenges for hybrid employees too. On the days they want to go into the office, they need to know in advance that they will have a place to sit, a room or area to meet with colleagues and, of course, that the colleagues they want to meet with will be there on the same day.
Nimway – key features to support end users
Acting as the end user’s personal assistant throughout the day, Nimway facilitates many otherwise time-consuming tasks, like finding the way to a meeting room, locating a colleague or pinpointing a free desk space.
Additional features to support flexible office attendance include:
- Office Access, a ticketing function that lets you book ‘access’ for the days you’re going to be at work
- Parking Reservations, lets you book a space in the carpark via the phone app
- Desk Booking, lets you find and reserve a specific workstation or desk – in advance or on the fly. It also clearly indicates which desks are available, and which are blocked to meet social distancing requirements.
These features all help ensure that a trip to the office is properly planned and never wasted.
Nimway – key features for facility managers
The most important feature of the Nimway system for facility managers is Nimway analytics. Turning data into insights, this set of analytical tools is designed to help facility managers understand, manage and accommodate a dynamic and continuously changing workplace.
With the facts to hand, they can adapt layouts based on actual usage of space. Facility managers can also use Nimway’s Office Access feature to control occupancy levels and keep them within safe limits.
When it comes to the Nimway system design, there are multiple options to choose from. Sony offers everything from a simple installation-free solution centered on the mobile app, to a complete, full-fledged solution with sensors, beacons, room panels and floor plans to help employees navigate the office.
Installation-free Nimway
Here’s what you get with an installation-free Nimway solution:
- Direct the flow of people entering and leaving buildings
- Support for social distancing at workstations and in meeting rooms
- Booking and management of rooms and desks
- Better space utilization, within social distancing regulations
Full installation of Nimway
A physical installation enables additional features such as:
- Improved wayfinding – and find your colleagues. Send smart invitations.
- Real time availability of rooms and desk for your employees
- Analytics on room/desk occupancy for better resource planning
- Optimized cleaning procedures based on real-time data
- Digital floorplans with touch-free guidance to rooms/desks
Find out more about specific features here.
What were the driving forces behind Nimway?
Nimway was developed as an internal tool to help Sony’s own employees find their way around the 13 different buildings on the campus in Lund, Sweden.
Lars Gunnar Lundgren, who heads up the Nimway team explains, “We were having a hard time locating meeting rooms and colleagues, and we soon realized we weren’t the only ones. Lots of other companies had similar problems, so we decided to turn Nimway into a commercial solution.”
What do you think users will love about your platform?
“People tend to get excited about the cool features of Nimway! For example, the Nimbubbles which appear on the digital floor plan when users approach it with their phone,” says Lars Gunnar. “But generally speaking, clients love the fact that Nimway has a comprehensive set of features, while still being so easy to use.”
Where can our readers find out additional information?
We are happy to provide a demo upon request. For further information please contact [email protected].
