HI there, 

WELCOME TO THE INNERCIRCLE:

your monthly recap to stay connected with the world of Smart tech and Smart life.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS (BUT IN THE MEANTIME....)

We’re turning the corner into fall, but the air has decidedly less of a cardigan-meets-pumpkin-spice-latte vibe this year. Concerns about reopenings have merged with persistent back-to-school worries, a pandemic still growing in some areas and the threat of second waves in others. The University of Southern California has hundreds of students testing positive in a few short weeks. 

Even New Zealand – which thought it had eradicated the virus – is dealing with its return, and many European countries are experiencing upticks in cases. It’s clear we can’t be complacent. (Not to mention America’s ongoing battle.) As we are forced to make critical decisions with imperfect information, it’s imperative that we respond to what’s happening right now and prepare for whatever is to come.   

That means being smart about processes and procedures, and finding efficiencies around every corner. This requires digitization.

EMBRACING DIGITAL 

With technology advancing at breakneck speed, it’s common for businesses to presume that Digital Transformation is a lengthy, arduous and costly endeavour. Yet the truth is, even while life is upside-down as it is now, the current landscape presents an ideal opportunity to make bite-sized digital changes that offer big impact.

Deploying security guards using hand clickers to count customers through the door, or doling out paper-based health check surveys may seem cost-effective and manageable. But these are momentary band-aids. That’s why we find retailers seeking to automate store occupancy, notifying customers in real time about how many people can enter. This simple move to a digital solution improves the customer experience, while optimizing occupancy for safety and retail performance.

If this pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that automation and transformation are the key enablers and differentiators in driving our economy forward and sustaining businesses. Modern tech is here and any company can customize it to meet current and future needs. The key resides in simplicity.

Check out our latest blog post, The Bite-Sized Process That Helps Businesses Achieve ‘Digital Transformation’.

THE CHANGING WORKPLACE

Despite headlines claiming the opposite, working from home has not been a wild success. We’re hearing about fatigue, stress, a lack of productivity, deteriorating business models, privacy and security risks… so for our clients, we’re laser-focused on helping people to return to the office. 

For example, take a law firm that can’t meet clients in the office. The trickle down effect leads to reduced billable hours, privacy concerns, costly security investments, and a poor client experience. Employees and clients need a safe, secure and private space for important in-person conversations. Meanwhile, many attorneys need to continue providing in-person counsel. The office must still be home base. 

Creative agencies are also feeling the strain. Concerns from clients in maintaining their privacy and IP with a distributed workforce are real. They can’t confidently ensure that all conversations are indeed private. On the production side, digital teams are unable to produce commercials and other visual/audio assets on home internet. On premise solutions are needed to process massive amounts of media. The race back to the office is critical. 

We’re seeing serious setbacks and losses in industries that can’t perform at a high level in a virtually capacity. For them, working from home is simply not a viable path forward. Returning to the office is key for many industries to recover.

TECHNOLOGY: A PANACEA FOR OUR TIMES

Despite the still-cloudy outlook, there have emerged many bright spots in how tech companies are both reimagining their products and how we work together. Take Rakuten Kobo, for example, which has separated desks with planters, lights and edible herbs in their local office as they approach a limited reopening. 

Smaller tech players are also stepping forward to help fight against COVID and adapt in spite of it. Japanese start-up Donut Robotics has made waves with a robotic mask that can translate anything the wearer says into eight separate languages. Connected to a smartphone, users can make calls or speak text messages directly into the mask, which can also amplify the user’s voice –  an important consideration for those who are hard of hearing, too. 

We can expect plenty more innovations to flow from these times.

IN OUR SPACE ...

• The hot, hazy days of summer have been busy for us, as companies confront the need for continuity and consult how to reopen safely. We’re working with clients in technology, grocery, banking and building automation to help their employees return to work. 
• With higher education campuses decoding how to roll out classes, universities and colleges need new tools to breathe new life into the in-person student experience. 
• Top up anyone? We have freshened the InnerSpace website to make sure visitors know right away that we are here to help spur the COVID recovery for businesses who must reimagine their indoor space.
• Our own Matt MacGillivray, vice-president of research and design, offered thoughts in the Globe and Mail on how a 61-year-old IT specialist could best re-enter the job market. 

“I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It’s not. Mine had me trained in two days.” – Bill Dana

That's a wrap... 

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Stay well, stay safe,

YOUR TEAM AT INNERSPACE