In recent times we hear more and more often about “Smart Working”. In
other countries of the world it is making its way strongly and going very
well, while in Italy, unfortunately, it is still struggling to take off. It is
growing, yes, but compared to the United States and the average for the
rest of Europe it is still far away. But what is Smart Working? What are its
benefits? Let’s try to understand more specifically how this new idea
related to the world of work and human capital management works and
what it is.
What Is Smart Working
Smart Working, also called “agile work” is a new way of reorganizing
work that is based on new technologies, a real modern evolution of the
workplace enabled for new digital technologies, able to overcome both
limits temporal than physical. It is an employee job which however has
some characteristics of self-employment. This concept was born to marry
two fundamental needs: on the one hand, a more flexible approach to work
and its organization; on the other hand, the need to reduce costs related to
productivity. Therefore, in this completely new perspective, the way of
carrying out normal and daily work tasks does not involve time and place
constraints, thus untying the productivity of the individual employee from
the place where this activity is practiced and leading to greater
responsibility for working results.
Smart Working and technology
New information technology has been the main promoter of the spread of
Smart Working, especially the advent of the Internet and wi-fi networks.
Although it depends on the type of work performed, it is basically necessary to have an Internet connection and a PC, in addition to any peripherals. Through the Internet, the worker will thus be able to connect to the software and data necessary to carry out their work. Everything is made easier by the same company which using so-called “cloud computing” solutions in which everything you need (software and data) is on a server common to all employees, making it easier for the worker to access these data also from home. What is the Home Office? Smart Working is a great novelty arrived with the telematic revolution thanks to which it is possible to work remotely, that is to say from your own home or in any case in an environment that is comfortable and safe like your home by making video calls and even using social media. The work environments of Smart Working focus precisely on the concept of the so-called “Home Office”, that is to say efficient and innovative offices that allow meeting, collaboration and communication between employees, making the performance of work activities and the time spent at work. It is therefore necessary to make sure that you are sufficiently equipped with spacious desks, comfortable office chairs, bookcases that are able to contain in an orderly manner all the archive and work material as well as the modular ones, so that they can be rearranged over time, thus adapting them to every single and different need.
Smart Working and furniture In the completely new concept of Smart Working, the design and planning of offices change as the employee is allowed free choice of their
workplace thanks to the use of tablets, smartphones and laptops. The workspace is no longer designed on fixed workstations but on flexible and functional workstations, organized according to the needs of the worker at various times of the day. In this way, the furniture is seen as a means to make the flexibility of the surrounding space more concrete and tangible with versatile and easily reassembled furniture. They become the main tool to give flexibility to the surrounding space: soft armchairs, light, compact and conformable desks, folding tables, thin support shelves to hold books and documents, folding tops and cabinets on wheels: these are the elements that must guarantee no only an easy mobility but also a saving of space and time in order to optimize the work. This increases the well-being of workers and increases the productivity of a company, bringing positive effects on the success of the organization and its productivity, making the work space increasingly dynamic, comfortable and operational and increasing employee motivation. Each element of the furnishing of a Smart Working Home Office must ensure not only functionality but also space and time savings; it must also ensure great comfort since prolonged use of smartphones, tablets and laptops puts a lot of strain on the eyes and back. Therefore it is better to change position often and opt for comfortable seats that allow different and relaxed positions
