Smarter Office Survey

• 79% planning only a partial return to the physical office in the recovery phase
• 38% of Irish businesses saw no change to productivity following a year of remote working with 36% reporting an increase
• Current focus on mitigating short-term challenges posed by the pandemic greatest obstacle in reframing the role of the future office

The purpose of the Smart Office Survey, which we carried out in May of this year, was to understand the impact of the pandemic on the office and how businesses are navigating the challenges of adapting their offices to the realities of the post-COVID environment.

The survey revealed that 79% of businesses were planning for only a partial return to the physical office in the recovery phase of the pandemic, with only 2 in 10 businesses currently seeking to fully return to the office in the coming months. When reflecting on the experience of a year of remote working, 38% of business reported seeing no change in productivity, 36% seeing an increase and 26% seeing a decrease.

In light the continuing demand for flexible working arrangements post-COVID, almost three-quarters of respondents agreed that accelerating the move to a smart office, which enables employees to work from home or in-person, will be crucial to their organisation’s future success.

According to the smart office survey, the main obstacles facing businesses in reframing the role of the office this year include a continued leadership focus on mitigating the short-term challenges posed by the pandemic (35%), outdated work practices (23%), an absence of a digital strategy (12%) and a lack of in-house skills and expertise” (8%).

In embracing the potential of the smart office, business leaders expressed a range of priorities for the remainder of 2021. 28% of respondents agreed that maintaining a connected workforce will be their top priority, while 26% said that simplifying processes and work practices within the office will be the number one concern. This was followed by driving business efficiencies (13%) and improving productivity (12%).

Paul Kearns, Managing Director of Kefron said: “Our survey findings indicate that the Irish business landscape is going through a major transitional moment, especially with regard to how organisations think about the physical office. With the vast majority of businesses preparing for a partial, rather than full, return to the office, it’s now clear that the office will no longer confined to just four walls. It is becoming a hybrid space where employees can access information from any location securely so they can do their best work. At Kefron, we believe we are seeing the emergence of a smart office fit for the future.

“Business leaders voiced a number of concerns about the future of a smart office, especially as it relates to employee collaboration and the threat of cyber-attacks. Going forward, the challenge for organisations of all sizes will be to develop robust systems that increase efficiency, reduce environmental damage, meet the needs of employees and customers alike, and protect their data from various existing and future risks. These concerns should be at the heart of each business’s plan as they embrace the smart office in 2021 and beyond.”

Other key findings of the survey include the following:

• 78% of respondents said they were “more concerned” about the risk of fraud and cyber-crime since embracing remote work arrangements. 12% said they were directly affected by fraud incidents in the last 12 months.
• 4 in 10 respondents said that their digital documentation and record systems were inadequate at the beginning of the pandemic.
• 1 in 4 respondents agreed that “access to documents and information” proved to be a challenge during the pandemic.

A smart office starts with access to all documents from anywhere. Learn how Kefron can digitise your documents f