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Johnson Controls Research Reveals Gap Between Today's Workplace And Office Workers' Expectations For 2020
LONDON -– Global research from Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) Global WorkPlace Solutions (GWS), a leading provider of facilities, commercial real estate and energy management for many of the world’s largest companies, has revealed there is a gap between the amount of teamwork that today’s workplace can support and the amount that office workers anticipate using in 2020.
The study, which reports results from 1,700 respondents in seven countries, shows that office workers expect to spend more time working in team spaces that incorporate collaborative technologies, such as interactive digital screens, touch surfaces and live video streaming from locations around the world. This shift to working in virtual teams using a range of technologies is coupled with a decrease in the amount of time that office workers expect to spend at their desks, on the phone, or in traditional meeting rooms.
“We know that collaboration between white collar office workers is a principal driver of creativity, innovation and therefore business advantage. It allows teams to become more than the sum of their parts,” said Dr. Marie Puybaraud, director, Global WorkPlace Solutions, Johnson Controls. “Although some collaborative technologies are used today, the research indicates that there is a gap between the amount of collaboration supported by today’s workplace and the amount that workers expect to be using in just under a decade’s time. Failure to invest in collaborative technologies and updated workspaces will hamper productivity. This has an impact on people designing new workspaces or retrofitting existing ones today.”
The type of workspaces seen in the office is also likely to change. The frequent use of team spaces that incorporate collaborative technologies will increase from a fifth of people who currently report high usage to 52 percent in 2020. However, people expect to be using traditional meeting rooms far less – 40 percent said they currently use them regularly, compared to 27 percent who expect to be regularly using them in 2020. The use of the desk phone is also set to decrease from the half of people who use them frequently today to just a third.
“The research also reveals that one-size-fits-all workplace environments are less effective than those that are built for purpose. No two organizations are the same, so each one will need to customize its space to support its business model and culture,” said Puybaraud. “This drive toward mass collaboration will change the way companies think about the real estate they occupy. A higher proportion of company floor-space will be designed specifically to support collaboration, which means understanding the interplay between people, the real estate portfolio, technologies and working practices.”
The use of video communication and real-time technologies is also set to increase substantially. White collar workers expect to be using web conferencing, instant messaging and video conferencing far more by 2020. The number of people regularly using web conferencing is expected to triple from 19 percent currently to 57 percent. Office workers also expect to be using collaborative technologies that are still only at the developmental stage. For example, just under half (44 percent) expect to be using three-dimensional video conferencing in 2020, which would allow users to perceive depth on screen for a more realistic image.
Key findings – the use of technologies and workspaces now and in 2020
Web conference – 19 percent reported high use currently, with 57 percent anticipating high use in 2020
Two-dimensional video conferencing – 18 percent to 51 percent
Team spaces with incorporated collaborative technologies – 20 percent to 52 percent
Dedicated collaboration room – 18 percent to 36 percent
Instant messaging – 33 percent to 54 percent
Traditional meeting room – 40 percent to 27 percent
Desk phone – 50 percent to 33 percent
Three-dimensional video conferencing – 44 percent of office workers anticipate high use in 2020
About the survey
The Collaboration 2020 research project was undertaken by Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions, Director of Global WorkPlace Innovation, Dr. Marie Puybaraud, and Kristensen Consulting, Collaboration Strategist, Dr. Kjetil Kristensen. The objective of the survey was to better understand the link between collaborative work patterns and business performance. The survey investigated how professionals currently use different technologies and workspaces and how they expect to use them in the year 2020. The survey gathered information from more than 1,700 white collar workers with at least five years experience. Respondents were from the US, UK, Germany, Australia, India, Canada and China. Of the respondents, 51.6 percent were female and 48.4 percent male.
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