Billed as insight into the future of the American office space, NAIOP gave the floor to Joel Schellhammer today at the Northeast Florida NAIOP luncheon.
“He will be sharing with us how the perception of the office workplace is changing. People are rejecting the uninspiring sea of sameness that has come to be known as the office. Instead, they want informal, authentic and inspiring spaces where they feel an emotional connection. This cultural movement is redefining the corporate workplace—from a singular focus on efficiency, towards a pluralistic approach that enriches the emotional, cognitive and physical well being of people. Organizations are listening. They’re creating thoughtfully-curated workplaces that have become destinations where people want to work.”
Here are the highlights…
Companies providing B2B services will now see their customer’s expectations more inline with the retail experiences they are having with Amazon.com, Netflix, and Nike; such as,
Know your customer. “You need to know me”, the consumer. Office users demand much more personalized solutions. Netflix knows what I want to watch before I do, and my office solutions provider should anticipate my needs in the same way.
Make it easy. Nike guides me through my shoe buying experience while making me feel in control the entire time. You need to guide me through a shared-creative process like this and make it easy.
And the product should be there NOW! Amazon can get it to my door tomorrow (sometimes today), so you need to be able to turn around my office furniture in less than 6-9 weeks.
Steelcase use to sell on longevity. “We provide office furniture that will last 25 years”. Sometimes companies these days don’t know what industry they will be in 10 years. Changes are happening more quickly, and flexibility is king.
Artificial intelligence is a change agent in all industries, including office space furniture. There are ten million truck drivers in the USA that may soon be replaced by driverless vehicles. Almost every sports recap is written by artificial intelligence. The office furnishings of the future will contribute to the augmenting of human performance. For example, your office space will function more like your smart home devises and anticipate your needs based on routine and past performance.
Overall, office users are looking for more choice, control and freedom.
Written by Tyler Saldutti
March 22, 2018
