It’s Time for Companies to Monitor Workplace Air Quality
It’s Time for Companies to Monitor Workplace Air Quality This article was written by: Joseph G. Allen Original article – https://hbr.org/2023/11/its-time-for-companies-to-monitor-workplace-air-quality When the Canadian wildfire smoke hit New York City in June, I got a call from a senior executive with a pressing question: was the air inside their company’s building safe for employees to breathe? I could confidently answer yes thanks to the indoor air quality sensor system I’d helped them deploy several months before. According to the real-time data, particle levels were below the health-based limits even as outdoor levels surged to more than 400 ug/m3 — levels that we know is associated with not only headaches and eye irritation but also heart attacks and hospitalizations. A similar thing happened just the other week when a fellow professor at the Harvard School of Public Health pinged me with concerns about air flow and Covid-19 risk in their classroom. Because we’d installed similar air quality sensors, I was able to quickly see and share that the space exceeded the ventilation targets we had set for Covid. We’ve now rolled out similar sensor networks at Harvard Business School and in the Harvard University Health Clinics. The movement toward real-time air quality monitoring is growing. Both Denver’s and Boston’s public school systems have put these types of sensors in classrooms and make the data publicly available, so parents and caregivers can, for the first time ever, evaluate the air their kids are breathing. New York City is considering a similar plan for schools and government buildings. Amazon just rolled out a real-time air quality monitoring network across its entire global commercial office portfolio (Disclosure: I advised on this project, too, and my company performs ongoing analytics.) Organizations that aren’t yet thinking about how to implement real-time “health” monitoring in their buildings should do so soon for a variety of reasons. First, because the proliferation of lower-cost sensors represents both a paradigm and a power shift. The days of a company hiring someone like me, a certified industrial hygienist, to test a building with a $5,000 scientific instrument over the course of a day and then write up a report are waning. Now any employee or customer can collect rudimentary air quality data in real time with a portable, hand-held sensor that costs about $150. People are taking these sensors into their offices, favorite coffee shops, airplanes, and everywhere else and often sharing the results on social media, sometimes publicly shaming owners of venues where the readings are bad. This is a transformational change. Beyond not getting caught off guard, companies that deploy their own air sensor networks will find that they offer timely actionable information in moments of crisis (as in the wildfire and Covid-19 uptick examples). They can also help identify areas of the building where air quality isn’t dangerous but is still below the level at which research confirms there are productivity benefits. And sensors are a way to ensure buildings can be both energy-efficient and protective of employee health. Outlining the benefits Worker health, safety, and presence. Better air in buildings is associated with less sickness and fewer missed workdays. We know that viruses like SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV are transmitted through the air, and “superspreading” events tend to occur indoors where there is poor ventilation and filtration. Some workers cite this as a reason for not wanting to return to the office. But when you monitor air quality, you have objective data confirming that the building is performing the way it should to remain healthy and safe. In the past, humans were the sensor, and companies would only know there was a problem when there were complaints, or, worse, people got sick. Now you can find issues before they become big issues and take corrective action. Worker productivity. I’ve written in HBR several times about the scientifically proven link between better indoor air quality and higher-order cognitive function across domains such as strategic decision-making, how people seek out and utilize information, and how they respond to crises in a work environment. In short, the air your employees breathe impacts how they perform, and the only way to know if you’re in the optimal range is to measure it. Optimizing health and climate goals. Air quality sensors can also be a secret sustainability tool. Buildings account for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions; in some cities it’s 70%. As wrote in HBR in January, you could save a lot of energy by closing the dampers and limiting how much outdoor air comes in, but that makes for stale, germ-laced indoor air. On the other hand, many buildings are over ventilating certain areas — dumping cooled air into empty conference rooms all day, for example. If you’re already monitoring energy efficiency in your buildings, you should also have sensors monitoring health to find the optimal balance. Understanding the basics Having (hopefully) convinced why air quality monitoring is important, let’s talk about what’s involved. The sensors are small devices that hang on a wall, much like a thermostat, and measure a handful of key indicators of overall air quality in the space. The data feed into the cloud and can be accessed on a dashboard or integrated into existing building management systems. Nearly all the air quality systems on the market, including lower cost ones, measure the same handful of indicators, including: CO2: carbon dioxide is a great proxy for outdoor air ventilation. Humans are the main source of CO2 indoors, so if CO2 is high, it’s a sign that there’s not enough outdoor air coming into the building. The bare-minimum ventilation standard (which doesn’t protect against infectious disease transmission or capture the cognitive function benefits of better air) for an office equates to about 1000 ppm. Experts, including the Centers for Disease Control, recommend setting the CO2 target at 800ppm. PM2.5: One of the main components in outdoor air pollution is is PM2.5, which stands for “particulate matter
Enhancing workplace security and efficiency: The benefits of a digital visitor management system
Enhancing workplace security and efficiency: The benefits of a digital visitor management system In today’s digital age, where an organization’s first impression is of utmost importance, a visitor management system (VMS) plays a crucial role. In this newsletter, we will delve into how a visitor management system (VMS) benefits an organization in digitally orchestrating the visitor entry, exit, meeting location identification, reservation, and coordination with the host and how it, in turn, helps in enhancing workplace security and experience. What is a digital visitor management system? Unlike traditional practices, a digital visitor management system is a digital application to facilitate check-ins & check-outs of workplace visitors, track incoming visitors, streamline visitor registration, and reduce wait time for entry of visitors while connecting them with the host, reserving a meeting room, etc. Types of Digital Visitor Management Systems – which to choose? When choosing between an on-premise and SaaS Visitor Management System, an organization must carefully take into consideration its IT strategy, data security protocols, budget, and long-term goals. However, on-prem VMSs are now getting antiquated due to their limitations in progressive upgrades, high maintenance, and overall cost of ownership, most advanced VMS applications, globally have migrated to cloud-hosted SaaS applications. By having an informed decision on your IT strategy, business, and functional considerations, you can make an effective visitor management product discovery and procurement decision and therefore, choose a product that offers you a 360O benefit in cost, support, process integration, and functionality advantage. On-Premise VMS: Control and Customization The on-premise Visitor Management Solution was the 1st generation VMS and is now largely antiquated. Most organizations have progressively upgraded these applications/systems in recent years. Otherwise, on-premise solutions come with their inherent challenges. They require significant upfront investment in hardware, software, and IT infrastructure. Maintenance and updates also fall on the organization’s IT team, demanding ongoing resources and expertise. Scalability can be limited, making it challenging to adapt to changing business needs and fluctuations in visitor volumes. SaaS VMS: Flexibility and Scalability In contrast, SaaS VMS solutions such as VisitUs from Caleedo offer flexibility, scalability, and seamless & continuous feature upgrades through upgrade release patches. Hosted in the cloud, the system is accessible via web browsers or mobile apps, eliminating the need for on-site hardware and infrastructure. This makes deployment quick and hassle-free, allowing organizations to get up and running with minimal lead time. SaaS VMS providers handle maintenance, updates, and backups, freeing up IT resources and reducing operational overhead. Furthermore, SaaS VMS solutions are inherently scalable, allowing organizations to adjust resources and features according to evolving needs. Whether accommodating seasonal fluctuations in visitor traffic or expanding to multiple locations, SaaS solutions offer the agility and scalability necessary for growth. Benefits of a SaaS-based digital visitor management system Increased operational efficiency and security A SaaS-based visitor management system offers increased operational efficiency and security. It significantly reduces wait times for visitors and saves paper used in logbooks, streamlining the check-in process. A digital Visitor Management System ensures visitor identity validation, and health status checks, maintains digital records for thorough monitoring, and a host of other value-added data analytics which facilitates and supports data-led security strategy evaluation and implementation in workplaces. The ever-evolving needs of employees and visitors have resulted in the visitor management system continuing to innovate by incorporating AI, ML, and facial recognition technologies. Enhancing Visitor and Host Experience The visitor management system enhances visitor and host experience by catering to both spontaneous walk-ins and pre-approved visitors, allowing for custom and tailor-made experiences that match individual needs and preferences. The mobile-first approach of a Visitor Management System and its intuitive interface enhances the visitor experience, streamlining registration and reducing friction throughout the entire check-in process. It also enables the visitor to digitally sign in either by scanning a QR code or by biometrics such as photos or visitor badges. A digital Visitor Management System allows you to seamlessly pre-schedule meetings with your visitors, providing a more organized and personalized experience. By scheduling in advance, hosts can pre-arrange various services such as catering or IT support, ensuring all necessary amenities are in place for a productive and welcoming visit. Integrating with corporate ecosystems Integrating visitor management systems with corporate ecosystems offers numerous benefits, including a seamless experience by integrating with existing workplace IT systems such as MS Outlook calendars, employee databases, and more. By also connecting with digital workspace applications, such as collaboration and productivity tools, the integration enhances productivity and fosters better collaboration among team members, service providers, and workplace administrators. This interconnected approach facilitates seamless operations and creates a super-efficient and real-time connected work environment for employees, administrators, hosts visitors, and service providers alike. Additionally, integrating with enterprise IT systems (for seamless interoperability to scheduling visitor entries/approvals, meeting room reservations, and service request reservations) access controls and CCTV systems, significantly boosts security by ensuring that only authorized individuals can enter the premises. The connection between access control and surveillance systems provides real-time monitoring and verification, safeguarding the workplace and creating a safer environment for both employees and visitors. Data-led business insights Businesses can gain a competitive advantage by leveraging visitor management analytics. These insights enable organizations to continuously improve the visitor experience by providing data-driven feedback on guest interactions and movements within the premises. Moreover, visitor management analytics offer invaluable support to Facilities and Workplace Managers, aiding them in identifying opportunities for improvements in visitor management policies. By analyzing visitor patterns, durations, and preferences, managers can make informed decisions to streamline processes, optimize resource allocation, and enhance overall security measures. This proactive approach not only enhances visitor satisfaction but also fosters a more efficient, organized, and secure workplace environment. In Conclusion To sum it up a digital visitor management system offers various advantages to organizations seeking to improve and enhance their workplace security and service efficiency keeping in mind, streamlining visitor management and associated work processes. By choosing a SaaS-based application such as VisitUs, companies can tailor their visitor management processes to meet specific needs and long-term goals in their workplaces. By embracing the digital transformation of visitor management, organizations
Indoor Air Quality standards – A must for healthy workplaces in india
Indoor Air Quality standards – A must for healthy workplaces in India Introduction There is an increasing focus and much discussion about the importance of indoor air quality in enclosed areas where people gather together whether it be offices, hospitals, schools or public places such as malls airports etc. The issue of indoor air quality and its impact on health and wellbeing is more pronounced in the offices or workplaces where people work together for hours. Most work places are located in the most polluted cities or areas in India which makes a strong case for close focus (monitoring) and implementation of appropriate governance, reporting and remedial measures. As per University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute (EPIC), the region including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan accounts for more than half of the total life years lost globally to pollution. The issue of air quality within major business hubs in India is also varying degrees as indicated in the chart below (Refer – www.aqi.in): CITY Last 24 hrs average AQI Mumbai (Bandra Kurla Complex) 134 Delhi (New Friends Colony) 451 Chennai (Gandhi Nagar) 89 Hyderabad (Central University) 91 Kolkata (Victoria) 302 Table 1: City-wise last 24 hrs average AQI (As on 15th Nov, 2023) What is Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) The air we breath in is the foundation of good health and wellbeing. Healthy air means less intake of airborne contaminants and other harmful gases which positively impacts overall health thereby enhancing cognitive abilities and productivity at an individual level. At the organization level it leads to higher attendance, improved productivity reduced medical insurance expenses and an overall improvement in employee morale and wellbeing. Many countries have defined the minimum standards for IAQ and in a few of them maintain and reporting the prescribed IAQ levels is now made as a mandatory compliance responsibility for the organization. Many more countries are following suit There are key recommendations made by the industry body ASHRAE as well which are available in the public domain. Air quality is listed one among the Nine foundations for healthy buildings, in a study paper by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health (Reference: https://9foundations.forhealth.org/) The workplace environment is designed for people to be together – whether it be at a cluster of work stations, in a meeting room, an assembly line, in the cafeteria or recreation area and so on. These are enclosed areas therefore carry a very high level of health risk if the indoor air quality doesn’t comply with the prescribed standards. However, notwithstanding this, Indoor Air Quality in workplace has significant bearing on Outdoor Indoor Quality., i.e. ambient environment There are however established containment strategies prescribed by American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Airconditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 62.1 and 62.2, Ventilation and acceptable IAQ) and other leading standards organizations, real estate companies have started to adopt in India. The outdoor air quality is a product of various environmental factors which could be beyond the control of the organizations operating workplaces from these areas. However, a comprehensive approach taking into consideration the ambient air quality and its impact on the indoor air is a must in defining the standards for IAQ within the buildings. Also, within the building, a practical approach to providing the best indoor air quality needs to be integrated, considering air quality of each and every area of the workplace and its correlation with the air quality in the other connected areas and design the HVAC systems that can be dynamically managed to provide consistent IAQ across the facility. Primarily, there are 2 causes of Indoor Air Pollution inside a facility: Ambient condition that influences the pollution inside. Particulate matters (PM), CO (Carbon monoxide), and O3 (Ozone) are the primary constituents. Inside pollution that contributes hugely in the overall indoor pollution due to poor ventilation, occupant monitoring, and control. The principal constituents are VOC, CO2 apart from the effect of uncontrolled temperature and humidity inside. While, there are some air pollutant indexations following the outdoor AQI calculation, till now there is hardly any concrete use and evidence of including VOC, CO2 data in Indoor Air quality Index calculation. IAQ Standards – The case for India As per “World Air Quality Report 2022” published by IQAir, India stands at 8th position in global air pollution index. As on 15th Nov 2023, the current PM2.5 concentration in India is 6.1 times above the recommended limit given by the WHO 24 hrs air quality guidelines value. (As on 15th Nov, 2023). Within India the air quality appears to be the worst in the cities where commercial activities are concentrated. Below figure highlights the AQI of major Indian cities: Figure 1: AQI in Major Indian Cities (As on 15th Nov, 2023) There are multiple factors that contribute towards the poor air quality in India. Activities such as burning of fossil fuels, industrial emissions, vehicular emissions, construction and demolition, agricultural activities, open burning of waste and other microbial decaying process add significantly towards the deterioration of air quality. Added to these are inconsistency in public policies on air pollution control measures, inadequacy of enforcing what exists and lack of public awareness and participation towards reduction of emissions and other polluting activities. The persistent poor outdoor air quality brings in focus the need for air quality management. Current studies on indoor air quality are largely West oriented and therefore the standards also are most applicable to those environments Use of toxic products also called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), inadequate ventilation, uneven temperature, and humidity level can cause indoor air pollution, whether you are in an office, school, or at your comfortable home. In India, there are no separate indoor air quality standards or guidelines yet designed. However, some components involved in determining indoor air quality are considered in the National Building Code 2016 (NBC). The Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) has published an Indoor Environmental Quality Standard that identifies thermal comfort, indoor air quality, comfort, and acoustic comfort as four critical elements of IEQ. Each of these elements
Health, Wellness, & Hygiene at workplaces – key pivots to a productive sustainable enterprise and ESG mission
Health, Wellness, & Hygiene at workplaces – key pivots to a productive sustainable enterprise and ESG mission As organizations repurpose their workplace strategies and plans as a part of their return to office (RTW) initiative, hygiene, health, and wellness remain the top priority for workplaces. In fact, in a recent LinkedIn RTW survey, more than 60% of the respondents voted in favour of hygiene, health & wellness as one of most important initiatives that they wish to see their employers focus on, if they were to come back to work. Over the past two years, in the back drop of the pandemic, there has been societal, institutional, and governmental focus manifested thru legislations, grants, fiscal allocations towards public health, hygiene, and wellness This in many ways has turned the spot light on health and wellness at workplaces including standards and benchmarks on sustainable and healthy buildings, as well as environments that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Most organizations are taking action on these priorities by investing in ESG initiatives and goals. ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) is a way by which an organization can focus and measure the sustainability and societal impact of their investments. Instead of measuring an investment based on cost or financial impact alone, with ESG, overall health is measured by the balance of these three categories: How ESG, health wellness and hygiene objectives are inter related Amongst these ESG objectives, from an operational point of view, the Social and Governance aspects need microscopic attention, from a day-to-day operations perspective. Therefore, the need and demand for digital applications are most pronounced in these use cases, currently. Psychologists define thriving as a state of mind where people experience a combined sense of vitality and learning. When one thrives, they are able to grow rather than feel stalled. People who are able to experience a state of thriving are healthier, more resilient, and just better at focusing on their work. Helping people thrive at work is one of the fundamental tenets of ESG and Health and Wellness agenda of an enterprise. Health and Wellness majorly underpins the social aspect of the ESG, influencing responsible investors’ real estate decisions and shaping companies’ ESG strategies. Key SOCIAL enablers of a ESG framework Here are the three key elements of a spatial and work experience model that prioritizes wellness and resilience in the workplace. The model was modified from the Six Dimensions of Wellness developed by Bill Hettler, co-founder of the National Wellness Institute (NWI). Emotional wellness relies on smart zoning of the physical work environment backed up with evolved people practise framework Physical wellness relies on user experience on matters like indoor air quality, hygiene acoustics, lighting, thermal comfort, F&B services Environmental wellness benefits from the design and smart space in workplaces that highlights sustainability, resilience and social engagements at work Therefore, measuring, monitoring, analysing, baselining /reporting and remedying (as required) ‘enabling’ aspects to make employees or building occupants ‘thrive’ is one of the most critical success factors for any workplace administrator or an organization At Caleedo, we are reinventing the workplace hygiene agenda by helping organization digitize health and wellness quotient through real time data and business insights on the Indoor Air Hygiene. Workplaces are no longer just a place of work. The office is the melting pot for collaboration, leaning, innovation, co creation while setting career goals and professional aspirations. An inclusive workplace provides a sense of belonging. And it gives those who inhabit and occupy these spaces an ability to feel connected to a purpose — it’s a place to thrive. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Facebook Twitter Youtube Medium Twitter Instagram Spotify As organizations repurpose their workplace strategies and plans as a part of their return to office (RTW) initiative, hygiene, health, and wellness remain the top priority for workplaces. In fact, in a recent LinkedIn RTW survey, more than 60% of the respondents voted in favour of hygiene, health & wellness as one of most important initiatives that they wish to see their employers focus on, if they were to come back to work. Over the past two years, in the back drop of the pandemic, there has been societal, institutional, and governmental focus manifested thru legislations, grants, fiscal allocations towards public health, hygiene, and wellness This in many ways has turned the spot light on health and wellness at workplaces including standards and benchmarks on sustainable and healthy buildings, as well as environments that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Most organizations are taking action on these priorities by investing in ESG initiatives and goals. ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) is a way by which an organization can focus and measure the sustainability and societal impact of their investments. Instead of measuring an investment based on cost or financial impact alone, with ESG, overall health is measured by the balance of these three categories: How ESG, health wellness and hygiene objectives are inter related Amongst these ESG objectives, from an operational point of view, the Social and Governance aspects need microscopic attention, from a day-to-day operations perspective. Therefore, the need and demand for digital applications are most pronounced in these use cases, currently. Psychologists define thriving as a state of mind where people experience a combined sense of vitality and learning. When one thrives, they are able to grow rather than feel stalled. People who are able to experience a state of thriving are healthier, more resilient, and just better at focusing on their work. Helping people thrive at work is one of the fundamental tenets of ESG and Health and Wellness agenda of an enterprise. Health and Wellness majorly underpins the social aspect of the ESG, influencing responsible investors’ real estate decisions and shaping companies’ ESG strategies. Key SOCIAL enablers of a ESG framework Here are the three key elements of a spatial and work experience model that prioritizes wellness and resilience in the workplace. The model was modified from the Six Dimensions of Wellness developed by
How to achieve sustainable Indoor Air Quality?
How to achieve sustainable Indoor Air Quality? The FM industry is facing the challenge of ensuring better IAQ levels for building occupants while optimizing energy costs and aim to achieve net-zero carbon emission for ensuring environment sustainability (ESG agenda). To address this challenge and to help organizations in achieving the goal of “sustainable IAQ”, enVerid Systems Inc released a white paper suggesting a “Clean First” approach – a 4 step roadmap for achieving sustainable IAQ for buildings. BACKGROUND The white paper has been published in August 2022 by “enVerid Systems Inc” – solutions provider for sustainable IAQ. To download a pdf copy of the white paper, please visit: https://enverid.com/resources/learning/how-to-achieve-sustainable-indoor-air-quality-a-roadmap-to-simultaneously-improving-indoor-air-quality-meeting-building-decarbonization-and-climate-resiliency-goals/ ABSTRACT The FM industry is facing the challenge of ensuring better IAQ levels for building occupants while optimizing energy costs and aim to achieve net-zero carbon emission for ensuring environment sustainability (ESG agenda). To address this challenge and to achieve the goal of “sustainable IAQ”, the white paper has suggested a “Clean First” approach (illustration below) – a 4 step roadmap for achieving sustainable IAQ for buildings. Credits: enVerid white paper on “How to achieve sustainable indoor air quality” The above framework includes the following steps/elements that building managers (organizations) can follow to attain the goal of sustainable IAQ: Defining IAQ goals – organizations should define their IAQ goals based on IAQ performance standards like LEED, ASHRAE, RESET, UL etc. Clean IAQ – selecting air cleaning technologies for cleansing recirculated air. For example – using air filters/purifiers etc. Optimizing building ventilation – determining how much outside air is needed to supplement the cleaned indoor air (in step 2) to comply with and achieve the IAQ goals (in step 1). Monitor and control IAQ – monitoring IAQ for assurance and use controls (automatic or semi-manual) to adjust air cleaning (adjust filtration levels) and ventilation levels (adjusting supply of outside air). WHY DO WE NEED A FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE IAQ The framework has been designed to provide a pathway for building managers to improve IAQ for health and wellness of building occupants while ensuring energy optimization and decarbonizing buildings. As suggested in enVerid white paper, for new upcoming buildings, organizations should start with defining IAQ goals (step 1) for attaining sustainable IAQ mission however, for existing buildings, we should start with monitoring IAQ (step 4) to baseline existing IAQ performance and then plan their IAQ goals (step 1) and proceed with other steps. University of Miami Case Study The white paper also includes the extracts from a case study made by University of Miami on achieving sustainable IAQ goals at UHealth Fitness and Wellness Center. In UHealth Fitness and Wellness Center, higher concentrations of CO2 and VOCs were observed due to higher occupancy and emissions from fitness mats inside the gyms, respectively. University of Miami suggested using more outside air ventilation to improve IAQ, but more outside air made it difficult for existing HVAC systems to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature and humidity levels. Also, this added to more PM levels coming into the building and higher utility costs. University of Miami then decided to use a Clean First approach to achieve Sustainable IAQ. The University of Miami started by supplementing existing particulate filters with a sorbent-based air cleaning system for removing gaseous contaminants (Step 2) and then recalculating the required outside air volumes accounting for the efficiency of the air cleaning systems (Step 3). The National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) performed independent measurement and verification of energy savings and IAQ (Step 4). As a result of this, the University of Miami was able to replace 75% of outside air with cleaned indoor air in compliance with the IAQ procedure (IAQP) within ASHRAE standard 62.1. This resulted in a 36% reduction in total HVAC energy consumption and a 41% reduction of HVAC peak demand while providing the desired IAQ improvement. Refer below chart for energy consumption chart for uHealth Fitness Center: Credits: enVerid white paper on “How to achieve sustainable indoor air quality” Refer chart below for impact of IAQ pollutants in uHealth Fitness Center Credits: enVerid white paper on “How to achieve sustainable indoor air quality” The 4 steps of the clean first approach are as under: STEP 1: DEFINE IAQ GOALS The benefits of defining and setting IAQ goals would benefit organizations to ensure more satisfied occupants as most of these standards mandate informing occupants on the IAQ standards of the building/workplace. As per a study by Honeywell, 72% of office workers worldwide worry about air quality in their building/offices. The study also found that 9 out of 10 respondents want to be kept informed on their building’s IAQ, yet only 1.5 out 10 (15%) were receiving actual updates. The white paper suggests 5 IAQ standards that organizations can consider: ASHRAE, LEED, WELL, RESET, and UL. STEP 2: DEFINE IAQ GOALS The white paper recommends using sorbent filters that address the full range of gaseous contaminants as defined by ASHRAE 62.1, with third-party verified efficiencies based on ASHRAE standard 145.2 or other nationally recognized test methods. STEP 3: OPTIMIZE VENTILATION In the 3rd step of the framework, it is recommended that building managers should determine how much outside air is needed to supplement the cleaned indoor air to comply with the IAQ targets and goals set by the organization in step 1. The white paper recommends to combine layered air cleaning technologies with optimized ventilation rates using ASHRAE’s IAQ procedure to achieve IAQ targets in a cost-effective manner. STEP 4: Validate, Monitor and Control IAQ The final step in the framework is to validate the IAQ design, continuously monitor IAQ for assurance, and use controls to adjust air cleaning and ventilation for maximum efficiency and climate resilience. It is recommended to have periodic and continuous monitoring of IAQ as a best practice. Below is a chart of the recommendations made in the white paper for monitoring and controlling IAQ in workplaces: Field Validation: Using hand-held devices to do periodic testing of certain IAQ parameters (IAQ audit vendors that can do lab-testing
Why traditional IWMS needs to be re-invented in the light of COVID-19?
Why traditional IWMS needs to be re-invented in the light of COVID-19? The first generation of software for facility management were known as Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) or Facility Management Information Systems (FMIS). In 1980’s CAFM seemed ‘smart’ as integration back then meant one central database connected to other smaller modules and all these modules made use of the central database. Integration of processes, with other systems or even buildings, was way beyond anyone’s imagination. But, as facilities at workplaces became more sophisticated and facilities management broadened to include duties associated with business operations, responsibilities that once belonged to separate departments begin to merge under facilities department. In other words, the scope of facilities management was changing—and quickly. This proved to be the catalyst for the evolution of CAFM into IWMS. Today, IWMS systems are responsible for much broader aspects of management. Moreover, IWMS systems can be integrated with other systems, if necessary, to increase overall functionality. However, organizations are now facing new challenges due to COVID-19 where traditional IWMS solutions are not the answer. A global survey of executives, employee experience experts, and knowledge workers done by CISCO sponsored dimensional research indicates that most employees will be working a significant portion of their time from home from now on. At the same time, employees will still return to offices and businesses need to make numerous changes in the workplace to facilitate a safe return. Solutions will be needed that reduce the need to touch high-use items and that measure and communicate cleanliness, social distancing, meeting room, and desk usability. According to Verdantix 2020 survey with 250 facilities executives, 47% of firms have accelerated their digitization programs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect the following trends to dominate the digitization initiatives at workplaces in the next 18-24 months. A. Use technology to facilitate compliance with the changing health and safety protocols at workplace: IoT and AI enabled technologies would facilitate data collection, aggregation and analysis of air and surface hygiene, trends, and performance at workplaces. Surface cleaning and air hygiene management standards would be critical KPIs in workplace performance criteria for all administrators and FM service providers. This would help employees to be informed on health and hygiene levels and build trust and confidence for them to use their workplace more often, going forward. B. Repurpose workplace and space management: New IWMS playbook offers solutions aimed at COVID-19 and the return to work, including contact tracing, way finding and space planning. Indoor mapping solutions will elevate employee experience and accelerate workplace digitization efforts and space rationalization programs. These software’s help workplace administrators to monitor current occupancy against set capacity limits and establish automated workflows in response to high-traffic areas. Furthermore, managers can analyse the data using AI to detect data anomalies and predict when areas are likely to be highly populated. The way finding web app helps employees interact with their space more intuitively, navigate safe routes around their workplace, and find spaces or co-workers. IoT/IoRT enabled applications would drive the evolution of next level of IWMS in the coming years. Expect IWMS to be more versatile, intuitive, and automated/connected with infrastructure and humans than ever before. The future IWMS is like a catalyst to deliver superior and advanced workplace business insights and predictable impact in a way people interact and collaborate in the repurposed workplaces. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Facebook Twitter Youtube Medium Twitter Instagram Spotify The first generation of software for facility management were known as Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) or Facility Management Information Systems (FMIS). In 1980’s CAFM seemed ‘smart’ as integration back then meant one central database connected to other smaller modules and all these modules made use of the central database. Integration of processes, with other systems or even buildings, was way beyond anyone’s imagination. But, as facilities at workplaces became more sophisticated and facilities management broadened to include duties associated with business operations, responsibilities that once belonged to separate departments begin to merge under facilities department. In other words, the scope of facilities management was changing—and quickly. This proved to be the catalyst for the evolution of CAFM into IWMS. Today, IWMS systems are responsible for much broader aspects of management. Moreover, IWMS systems can be integrated with other systems, if necessary, to increase overall functionality. However, organizations are now facing new challenges due to COVID-19 where traditional IWMS solutions are not the answer. A global survey of executives, employee experience experts, and knowledge workers done by CISCO sponsored dimensional research indicates that most employees will be working a significant portion of their time from home from now on. At the same time, employees will still return to offices and businesses need to make numerous changes in the workplace to facilitate a safe return. Solutions will be needed that reduce the need to touch high-use items and that measure and communicate cleanliness, social distancing, meeting room, and desk usability. According to Verdantix 2020 survey with 250 facilities executives, 47% of firms have accelerated their digitization programs because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect the following trends to dominate the digitization initiatives at workplaces in the next 18-24 months. A. Use technology to facilitate compliance with the changing health and safety protocols at workplace: IoT and AI enabled technologies would facilitate data collection, aggregation and analysis of air and surface hygiene, trends, and performance at workplaces. Surface cleaning and air hygiene management standards would be critical KPIs in workplace performance criteria for all administrators and FM service providers. This would help employees to be informed on health and hygiene levels and build trust and confidence for them to use their workplace more often, going forward. B. Repurpose workplace and space management: New IWMS playbook offers solutions aimed at COVID-19 and the return to work, including contact tracing, way finding and space planning. Indoor mapping solutions will elevate employee experience and accelerate workplace digitization efforts
Importance of measuring, monitoring, and managing indoor air quality in all public buildings
Importance of measuring, monitoring, and managing indoor air quality in all public buildings Indoor air hygiene- the new ‘risk’ marker The outbreak of COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as it is now established by the medical fraternity and researchers that there is high transmissibility of this virus in indoor areas and this happens through air-borne droplets. SARS-CoV-2 virus mainly spreads via respiratory droplets which are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Such droplets can remain suspended in form of an aerosol (as studies show) which can remain airborne for a long duration and can travel in certain cases up to 30 feet, unlike what was assessed earlier. Health authorities have singled out indoor areas like workplaces, auditoriums, halls/rooms, shopping malls, retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, etc. with poor ventilation as potential COVID-19 infection hotspots. As per multiple research findings, amongst many constituents of indoor air, particulate matters (PM2.5 & PM10) and Carbon Dioxide play a significant role in enhancing the infection risk to occupants in indoor space. Additionally, other toxic gases such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are commonly found in workplaces, shopping areas, auditoriums, restaurants, and hotels have a serious health impact on the occupants and could dull cognitive abilities of the occupants as studies have established. (Source: HARVARD T.H CHAN, School of Public Health) THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE RISK — ROOT CAUSE World Health Organization (WHO) has mentioned in a report (WHO EPI March 2020) that respiratory droplet transmission of COVID-19 can occur when a person is in close contact with an infected person. In an indoor office environment, a symptomatic occupant can exhale viruses in the form of aerosols along with CO2. These virus-laden aerosols can easily accumulate at places of circulation like lifts, lobbies, staircases, etc. Other occupants can be easily infected by inhaling these virus-laden aerosols. THE REMEDY Practicing Indoor Air Quality measurement, monitoring, and validation ASHRAE recommends Carbon dioxide (CO2) monitoring as a reference indicator of the adequacy of ventilation systems. Since carbon dioxide is produced by human respiration, the amount of carbon dioxide can be easily used as an indicator to determine the adequacy of fresh air ventilation in an indoor environment. Studies as mentioned earlier also infer that the level of particulate matters (PM) in indoor environment is also a potential marker for aerosol transmission. Therefore, Monitoring of PM 2.5 & PM 10 through periodic measurements, analyzing the trends of these parameters in the most frequented areas like reception, auditorium, cafeteria, pantry, washrooms etc. will likewise lead to measures that can help in controlling these particulate matters. Consequently, measurement, monitoring, and trend analysis of these key IAQ parameters like temperature, humidity CO2, and PPM (2.5 &10) by handheld/mobile AQI sensors (over and above the measurements recorded thru the Building Management System) at random spots. Where the IAQ/ BMS sensors are not located, will actually be the pointers to the efficacy of the installed sensors of the BAS and therefore can act as re-calibration audit support other than broad basing the IAQ measurements beyond the fixed areas. In conclusion It is therefore recommended that the measurement, monitoring, and the validation of the CO2, PM10, PM2.5, Temp., and Humidity levels in the indoor environment of any commercial or public facility/building should now become an intrinsic part of its Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) activity in light of the new health and hygiene regime as recommended by leading institutions and public health experts. Thus managing safe and secure Indoor Air Quality begins with IAQ measurement and monitoring. Sources: Wolfgang Schade 1,2,* , Vladislav Reimer 1,2, Martin Seipenbusch 3 and Ulrike Willer 2 ation: Schade, W.; Reimer, V.; Seipenbusch, M.; Willer, U. Experimental Investigation of Aerosol and CO2 Dispersion for Evaluation of COVID-19 Infection Risk in a Concert Hall. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3037. https://doi.org/ and Exhaled CO2 as COVID-19 infection risk proxy for different indoor environments and activities Authors: Z. Peng1 , J. L. Jimenez1*. Affiliations: 1Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA. Subscribe to Our Newsletter Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Facebook Twitter Youtube Medium Twitter Instagram Spotify Indoor air hygiene- the new ‘risk’ marker The outbreak of COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as it is now established by the medical fraternity and researchers that there is high transmissibility of this virus in indoor areas and this happens through air-borne droplets. SARS-CoV-2 virus mainly spreads via respiratory droplets which are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Such droplets can remain suspended in form of an aerosol (as studies show) which can remain airborne for a long duration and can travel in certain cases up to 30 feet, unlike what was assessed earlier. Health authorities have singled out indoor areas like workplaces, auditoriums, halls/rooms, shopping malls, retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, etc. with poor ventilation as potential COVID-19 infection hotspots. As per multiple research findings, amongst many constituents of indoor air, particulate matters (PM2.5 & PM10) and Carbon Dioxide play a significant role in enhancing the infection risk to occupants in indoor space. Additionally, other toxic gases such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are commonly found in workplaces, shopping areas, auditoriums, restaurants, and hotels have a serious health impact on the occupants and could dull cognitive abilities of the occupants as studies have established. (Source: HARVARD T.H CHAN, School of Public Health) THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE RISK — ROOT CAUSE World Health Organization (WHO) has mentioned in a report (WHO EPI March 2020) that respiratory droplet transmission of COVID-19 can occur when a person is in close contact with an infected person. In an indoor office environment, a symptomatic occupant can exhale viruses in the form of aerosols along with CO2. These virus-laden aerosols can easily accumulate at places of circulation like lifts, lobbies, staircases, etc. Other occupants
The future of workplaces and emergence of workplace technology
The future of workplaces and emergence of workplace technology Researchers and technology pundits are forecasting that human-controlled functions would progressively reduce in the coming 10years and give way to autonomous and platform enabled services in most spheres of B2B services. The global pandemic has significantly accelerated innovation and technology adoption in the workplace sector. Workplaces are transforming at the back of these technologies to support future work formats. According to an article published by Deloitte “The digital workplace is more measurable and manageable”. Transforming the digital infrastructure of a workplace can help in gaining insights on workplace productivity, availability and user experience, real-time. Smart infrastructures that can identify patterns, nudge positive employee behaviours, and fine-tune service and support performance at workplace. Emerging trends shaping the future of workplaces 1. Workplace hygiene &wellness The outlook of a post-pandemic workplace will be to ensure employee wellness & maintain strict hygiene standards. Simultaneously, office services would progressively be digitally managed and orchestrated. All this would be to ensure that the employees can have a great experience at work and the workplace solutions help them to be productive, while the services remain effective and truly on demand. Overall, the digital applications would foster a near contactless experience, high user experience and efficient collaboration keeping hygiene & wellness as the underpinning objective. 2. Hybrid work & Gig employment Globally, due to the pandemic the work from home (WFH) phenomena gained tremendous recognition as the organizations decide their return to work strategy, work from home would continue for some employees in a business while hybrid working and work-from-anywhere are seen to be the other emerging & widely accepted work formats. Simultaneously, gig working was gaining prominence and it is expected that gig working would gain further momentum. WFH, hybrid working and gig employment therefore, present a significantly different operating challenge in the workplace of the future. According to a survey, 72.2% want a hybrid remote-office model. Hybrid culture allows for structure and sociability (at an office) while offering independence and flexibility (at home). To support these, the workplace needs to be flexible, available & facilitate collaboration which is unlike how most workplaces are designed today. While space planning & layout at most workplaces is expected to undergo significant changes progressively. This could lead to organizations working with different real-estate formats like Hub & Spoke model. 3. Digitization – Technological advancement We are using mobile applications in all spheres of our life, be it business transactions, social interactions, e-commerce or baking and payments. Mobile and cloud computing are the key pivots which are also accelerating adoption of digital applications at the workplaces. With enhanced data security protocol, many organizations have moved their strategic applications on the cloud. And the trend seems to be gaining significant momentum as the world navigates the pandemic. As the workplaces get repurposed to support hybrid and other emergent work formats, digital technologies are facilitating organizations to migrate their organizational processes to the new ‘normal’, at scale. Technology is aiding organizations, employees, workplaces and other stakeholders to be high levels of flexibility, adaptability and real time of collaboration which was never experienced in the past. The future workplace is going to be agile, experiential and offer countless opportunities… 4. The dispersed workforce A significant percentage of employees have moved back to their hometowns and are working from home since the break out of the pandemic. The pressure of virtual meetings, increased screen time and lack of socializing has begun to affect the employees. In the coming months, as the pandemic eases and people get vaccinated; we expect that organizations will start calling their employees to the workplace either on a regular basis or for a few days following a hybrid work strategy, or people who don’t want to come to the office will operate from a co-working space near their homes/hometowns. Moving forward with the return-to-work strategy, organizations need to focus on flexibility over location and hours of work that underpins a modern agile workplace. Working from the office, gives employees a sense of community that in turn fosters engagement and encourages collaboration between different teams. Studies suggest that when the option to communicate face to face is removed, overall communication levels decrease drastically. 5. Space planning and management The pandemic has sparked enormous changes in the work formats – accelerating trends in remote work, digital interactions, transactions and workflow automation in certain other cases. This is leading to a shift where certain organizations have and are moving to hybrid work while others are contemplating and reviewing its efficacy in their own environment. When employees return to work, keeping them safe at the workplace means re-imagining & re-orienting the space and office layout, seat arrangement, and the occupancy patterns at the workplace. The dimensions of space and place together, constitute the workplace. When employees come to office, they’d like to collaborate, socialize & interact; the organization and the workplace administrators would have to reconfigure the meeting rooms and their usage norms so that social distancing, contact tracing & meeting room availability is far more seamless when employees come to work. As workplaces would be occupied partially, space administration and space efficiency management would become far more strategic, and would become a key business imperative & a strategic insight for the organization. In the coming years, the ‘repurposed’ workplace would leverage technology and digital applications and deliver agility, improved collaboration, higher service efficiency and superior employee experience at work. This in turn would bolster employee productivity and morale and better employer equity, as per multiple research reports. More in our upcoming blog… Subscribe to Our Newsletter Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Facebook Twitter Youtube Medium Twitter Instagram Spotify Researchers and technology pundits are forecasting that human-controlled functions would progressively reduce in the coming 10years and give way to autonomous and platform enabled services in most spheres of B2B services. The global pandemic has significantly
The future of workplaces
The future of workplaces Re-purposing workplaces with digital technology As organizations continue to respond to the crisis and decide on a Return to work strategy for their employees, keep in mind the new workplace trends driving the new workplace. How can organizations address the new workplace trends? To facilitate the new workplace trends, technology would play an important role in a seamless migration. Some new workplace use cases that we foresee gaining momentum would be; 1. Employee experience and Health & Wellness In the new normal, workplaces would be designed to trigger positive emotions and lasting experience for the employees when they come to work. Therefore, we foresee organizations would have higher employee engagements through virtual platforms with their teams at work and seek feedback. Using the power of business intelligence, data science, and digital platforms would enable organizations to have cognitive reports on employee experience and their perception of the organization at periodic intervals. In this context, we foresee employee health & wellness, playing n important role in shaping positive experiences & emotions towards the workplace. In response to this, progressive organizations have started to focus on air & surface hygiene standards at the workplace. Consequently, workplace administrators would now be keen to review air & surface hygiene standards at periodic intervals to ensure the wellness and health agenda of their employees. Air & surface hygiene standards would be pushed further. We see digital technologies playing a role in facilitating this use case by creating hygiene dashboards for public views. With digitization, hygiene standards would evolve based on workplace patterns and a regional or global certification process would gain endorsement. In our opinion, this would gain further impetus as consumer groups are pressing hard for legislation on indoor air quality standards which in turn can accelerate adoption levels of air & hygiene measurements at workplaces. 2. Immersive and Agile workplace Workplaces would converge and would provide an immersive platform both in the virtual & real environment. This would foster collaboration within the workplace and from the outside, which would start off with mobile devices playing the role of an anchor. This in our opinion, would give a two-way engagement of improved connection in a near virtual environment for people working at the workplace with their colleagues who are at a remote location or vice versa. Audio-Video interfaces, collaboration, and management tools are going to facilitate space management, service coordination, demand-based activities, traceability of data & assets, and several new digital use cases which would transform the work & workplaces and would have an infinite impact on people and the way they do business. 3. Collaboration With hybrid & new work-formats gaining significant acceptance and workplaces being re-purposed; the issue of people collaboration is now becoming a critical agenda and key priority for most organizations. Collaboration is critical in the new-normal as people would interact on virtual platforms and in many cases not as often as earlier. While this offers significant flexibility for the employees, the organizations are keen that the workplace & the work processes are agile, real-time, and are digitally enabled to foster seamless collaboration, coordination amongst all stakeholders of the business. A survey by Forbes Insights found out that the digital workspace employees reported a significantly greater impact on productivity (63%) than on accomplishing more in a typical workday (38%), with the help of business applications. Take a real-life example; Imagine, before you start your day at the workplace; you get a notification stating that your work desk is cleaned, sanitized, and ready for you, your morning coffee is booked with the cafeteria, and meeting rooms are already booked with the necessary IT requirements. You have your schedule on your mobile and when you reach the office, you can just begin your day without wasting your time on such tedious tasks! Automation will not only help in improving the efficiency of an employee but also figure out how your service team is performing, enhancing collaboration between various functions of a business, and build a more transparent culture. Keeping people, processes, assets, and operations together to keep pace with the workplace of the future would drive investment and operation strategies of all organizations in the next 6 quarters. The workplace of the future will be different across all organizations and technology and digital applications are going to play a significant role in transforming the workplaces of today to the workplaces of the future. One couldn’t have seen a more exciting time in the workplace tech environment than this! Subscribe to Our Newsletter Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Thank you for Signing Up Please correct the marked field(s) below.1,true,6,Contact Email,2 Facebook Twitter Youtube Medium Twitter Instagram Spotify Re-purposing workplaces with digital technology As organizations continue to respond to the crisis and decide on a Return to work strategy for their employees, keep in mind the new workplace trends driving the new workplace. How can organizations address the new workplace trends? To facilitate the new workplace trends, technology would play an important role in a seamless migration. Some new workplace use cases that we foresee gaining momentum would be; 1. Employee experience and Health & Wellness In the new normal, workplaces would be designed to trigger positive emotions and lasting experience for the employees when they come to work. Therefore, we foresee organizations would have higher employee engagements through virtual platforms with their teams at work and seek feedback. Using the power of business intelligence, data science, and digital platforms would enable organizations to have cognitive reports on employee experience and their perception of the organization at periodic intervals. In this context, we foresee employee health & wellness, playing n important role in shaping positive experiences & emotions towards the workplace. In response to this, progressive organizations have started to focus on air & surface hygiene standards at the workplace. Consequently, workplace administrators would now be keen to review air & surface hygiene standards at periodic intervals to ensure the wellness and health agenda of their employees. Air
Rebooting employee experience and engagement in this new world of hybrid workplaces
Rebooting employee experience and engagement in this new world of hybrid workplaces The pandemic has repurposed work, workplaces, and work formats. Hybrid work has become the new normal for most organizations. While hybrid work provides flexibility to employees, it can pose challenges for organizations to engage employees, enhance their experience, and most importantly uphold the organizational culture in this new scenario. It is in this context, we at Caleedo organized a webinar with two industry veterans Ms. Reshmi Shankar, General Manager and Head, Facilities Management Group India and Bangladesh for Wipro Limited, and Mr. Sadanandan C Thondieri, Vice President – Corporate Services, BCM & CSR for Tata Communications, to get their perspectives and opinion on how employee experience and engagement can be rebooted in this new world of hybrid workplaces. Here’s the key extract of our discussion with them: Caleedo Talks: In your opinion what are the key attributes that characterize a hybrid workplace specific to the Indian business context and a few workplace strategies that organizations need to adopt to usher in the whole hybrid working culture? Ms. Shankar: The real-life problems that we used to face have now been replaced by virtual problems. The most important key is flexibility, which now has been accelerated with the outbreak of COVID. In my view, hybrid is not really anything new. We have always had virtual meetings and technology has always enabled collaboration during virtual meetings. But the scale that we are now working virtually is making this a very unique and novel situation. The key to a successful hybrid model would be flexibility and technology would support this flexibility so that we have a choice-based mechanism where we can decide when, how, and from where we want to work. Another interesting aspect would be digital risk and security so that we are protected as an organization and not be exposed to any kind of cyber security risk. Migrating to a hybrid workplace would involve understanding what your employees require and are looking for, and the kind of customization that suites your organization and community. Because community and collaboration are probably the foundation of culture. Building a company culture by providing that sense of community in hybrid work model would be another key aspect for building a successful hybrid workplace. Mr. Sadanandan: Over and above flexibility, health & safety, and collaboration, autonomy should also be considered. The ability of the employees to decide how and where they want to work. Also, I believe that the employee expectations from a hybrid work would be high. Rather than mere transactions, they would expect that the various touch-points are in a continuum. We conducted an online poll during the webinar in sync with the theme of the discussion and the audience gave their feedback which would perhaps lend future insights on the subject. Poll 1. 88% of respondents in the poll believe that ‘returning to office’ would benefit them in reinforcing emotional connects with their colleagues and senior managers, and would help them in collaborating better during team meetings. A minority, 12% of poll respondents believe that it would help them in breaking the monotony of work from home. Caleedo Talks: What in your opinion would be top three or four employee metrics that the administrators need to track and manage in this new world of hybrid workplaces? Mr. Sadanandan: There are multiple elements that contribute to overall workplace experience. Today, the hybrid work model brings in multiple components and challenges for creating the overall employee experience at workplace. Employers would want to retain talent, create culture, provide learning opportunities, provide a sense of continuity and connectivity, manage burn-outs, ensure health and safety etc. There are multiple aspects which keeps the employers thinking about how to deal with this emerging scenario. With all these elements, workplace certainly has a significant and prominent impact. It is important for workplace managers to have a clear strategy. The employees would expect a sense of care, experience, and feeling of wanted at the workplace. The employers need to also ensure that this is consistently maintained. One of the metrics that workplace managers may consider would be to see how they are actually enabling the workplace and from where the employees are working. Next step would be to see how we can enable employees to work from remote locations and the kind of technologies that we need to extend. Workplace administrators need to see the kind of enablement that is required to ensure employee engagement and productivity irrespective of the model of working they have adopted. The second area of focus for workplaces administrators should be health & safety and demonstrate to the employees that the workplace is safe to operate from. The last metric would be to see how the whole thing is panning out in terms of managing resources and cost for the organization. Track and manage the utilization levels or the efficiency that we are able to achieve. Overall, a connected digital platform can make an overall experience. A platform where employees, customers, visitors and other stakeholders can seamlessly operate and have visibility on various metrics. Poll 2. 82% of poll respondents believe that the biggest concern while returning to work is ‘adherence and management of COVID protocols at workplace’ and ‘indoor air quality and surface hygiene levels in workplace’. A minority, 18% of the respondents believe that knowing the ‘health status of their colleagues and support staff at workplace’ will be the top concern while returning to work. Caleedo Talks: How would the community engagement usher in the experience that would also help organizations live their purpose and the culture they are trying to establish? Ms. Shankar: For me, culture is a very 50,000 feet high subject. The sense of belongingness and connectivity is more important. Today, organizations are operating virtually. On-boarding and exits are managed virtually and human interaction is missing. The more we virtualise, the more we would lack human interaction. While both are