Coworkings and flexible spaces: the new standard of the working environment

Remote and smart working have become more and more widespread in the last period due to the multiple changes that the whole society had to face. This situation has modified not only the working environment, but also the companies’ attitude, as employees have gone through a phenomenon of responsibilized freedom. Many workers have done different tasks, faced new challenges and gained more responsibilities. They have learnt how to become more efficient and organized in order to obtain good results like high productivity. The positive effects and benefits of the new working reality have been confirmed by a study conducted by Stanford University. Along with the survey remote workers have become more efficient and their productivity has increased by 13%.

THE WHOLE APPROACH TO WORK HAS CHANGED, AND TECHNOLOGY IS GAINING A PIVOTAL ROLE!

In this context, where going back to an old fashioned office workday seems quite difficult, there has been an increase in the importance of flexible spaces and coworkings. Coworking spaces are becoming the new norm, they offer all the amenities needed by workers: a comfortable space where to work, several meeting rooms, coffee stations and the support of a community. The whole approach to work has changed, by methods, environments and times! In this dynamic period, technology is gaining a pivotal role, it improves the fruition of the resources and the management of spaces and buildings.

How to design a coworking space

The new trend of coworking is spreading at lightning speed, more and more spaces are coming to light, anyone with its peculiarity. Not only are there places dedicated to professionals with a commun background, but also to people that share the same passions. For example, nowadays dog-friendly coworking spaces are gaining ground in the U.S. So, these businesses represent not only a working space, but also a creative one where different experts meet and share ideas and opinions. Although, in this place of sharing and learning some essential features are needed. Here are the ones that we, at Sofia Locks, consider crucial.

COWORKINGS NEED FLEXIBILITY AND CUTTING-EDGE SYSTEMS

The coworking should be easily accessible, users shouldn’t have problems reaching the resources, spaces and services should be get to the easier way. The management should be agile, in order to immediately respond to the needs of the different users, and the time scheduling should be flexible. As we are gonna underline later, flexibility plays a key role in this context, as users should feel free and comfortable in order to build a positive customer base. Technology becomes a fundamental feature when talking about flexible spaces and the services should be cutting-edge. Coworkings represent the places of gatherings of modern professional figures, who are accustomed to have everything at their fingertips, in their smartphone or their laptop.They have to be able to manage everything freely and rapidly..

Security is essential

Security plays a fundamental role when talking about coworking and it represents the first step that has to be carried out to create a safe environment for both users and employees. Nevertheless, implementing security systems that allow people to access different areas and at the same time grant the security of the building is not easy! Cloud nativ access control solutions are essential in thsi context! There are many options that can be put into use when it comes to shared spaces, but not all have the same reliability.

CLOUD-NATIVE SOLUTIONS ARE NOT ONLY SECURE, BUT ALSO CONVENIENT

The cloud-based systems designed by Sofia Locks are thought for flexible solutions, they always grant secure and seamless access to the ever changing list of guests that use the service. The security standards used are the ones of the e-banking systems and they are also GDPR compliant. The functioning of these solutions is very simple, through the dedicated application users and employees can browse and book any kind of resource, from desk to locker, to meeting rooms. The manager can manage and coordinate the continuous flow of people remotely and on site, in this way he can always grant access or deny it when needed! So, these solutions are not only secure, but also convenient, as cards or keys are no longer necessary, users just need their smartphone. Moreover, new technologies also allow to unlock the door hands-free, without compromising the security of coworkers! They just have to tap the “unlock button” on the application and the door automatically opens. This feature has been developed with special attention to the challenges we are now facing (See more about features for fighting Covid19).

Flexibility is the key

Flexibility is a fundamental feature when dealing with coworkings, as these spaces continuously change! Cloud-based solutions are agile and allow the manager to coordinate and administer different buildings with a single panel, even if located in different cities or Countries. The remote access control allows to have a global view of the current situation and to be always ready to satisfy the needs of the single user.

Why joining the cloud-native side?

Switching to cloud-based solutions is a great step for a coworking manager and therefore he should be aware of all the different advantages reachable with these systems. Firstly, we provide a complete management interface that grants full control over users and permissions. Through this interface it is possible to create tailored roles and assign permissions, every authorization can be shaped to be in charge over one or more functionalities. Secondly, the system is designed to meet the coworkings’ needs, access to spaces and resources should be managed in a flexible way, according to renting models and workstations. Thirdly, security is granted, a comprehensive log of access events is kept and authorizations can be modified in real time and with immediate results. Moreover, the software update is done automatically, the manager should not worry about it as system providers are responsible for it. This also works as a protection against cyber security threats. Another interesting point is related to costs, using a cloud-based solution all the costs associated with traditional server-based systems are called off.

The changing environment

The environment is fast changing and flexible solutions have assumed a central role now. Coworkings will play a key role for recovering, but they need security and flexibility above all. The attractiveness and the success of these structures depends on these features, and therefore suitable solutions should be implemented. Cloud-based access control system, like the one developed by us, at Sofia Locks, represents the needed tool to grant safety, security and flexibility to managers and users.