As companies get used to the “new normal”, the hybrid work model is gaining prominence. In this post-pandemic setup, not all employees visit the office every day. As companies are cutting real estate costs and redesigning office spaces, wayfinding can pose a challenge to new hires, employees, and visitors. Thus, managers are now relying on modern digital wayfinding solutions to help people navigate the space and find their way around the office.
Hybrid workplaces are dynamic. This means layouts and seating arrangements can change periodically. In such a scenario, employees might struggle to locate their workspace or meeting rooms. This is where a digital wayfinding solution shines.
A wayfinding solution provides visitors and employees with an in-depth map of your campus so that they easily reach their destination within the facility.
In a hybrid workplace, a digital wayfinding solution is the need of the hour as it improves employee experience and enables smooth collaboration.
Here are five reasons your workplace needs a 360-degree digital wayfinding solution.
- Provides Up-To-Date and Accurate Information
With a wayfinding solution, employees can get real-time information about the availability of desks, meeting rooms, parking slots, etc. This means they can reach their destination without having to ask for directions. A digital wayfinding solution provides timely and accurate updates to any changes in floor plans, last-minute meeting room changes, personnel changes, and more.
Employees and visitors can, thus, easily search for information on the fly, be it the nearest bathroom, directions for a conference room, locating desks for work, and much more. Ultimately, a wayfinding solution improves the employee experience as it is simple to use and provides information in real-time.
- Helps Employees and Visitors Navigate
If you have ever taken a wrong turn while driving, you are instantly re-routed by your personal navigation app such as Google Maps. Similarly, a digital wayfinding solution helps employees and visitors navigate the property so they can reach their destination.
Say, your office is spread across several floors. Some companies may even have more than one building in a complex. For new employees and visitors, it can be especially challenging to navigate such a large space.
This is where a digital wayfinding solution can make it easy for new employees, current employees, and visitors to find their way around. With an interactive office map, everyone who steps into your office can feel comfortable.
Not only does this help employees make sense of their physical space, effective navigation is also useful for facilities and other managers to support the employee experience.
- It’s Ecological and Reduces Costs
A wayfinding solution can be something as basic as a static map at the reception or something more complex like a tech-enabled GPS map on an app. While physical signage is nothing new, using a digital wayfinding solution in your workplace reduces wastage of paper and stationery. By doing away with physical signs and notices, organizations can move towards an environment-friendly system.
Additionally, a digital wayfinding solution also saves costs involved in labor, shipping, printing, etc. When signage needs to be displayed at various points in an office, the costs can quickly add up. On the other hand, a digital solution updates information automatically and makes it accessible to all employees at a lower cost.
- Enables Better Collaboration
Wayfinding is just as important for collaborating in the workplace. In hybrid workplaces, where schedules and seating may change, collaborating can become difficult for new employees and visitors. With a digital wayfinding solution in place, employees can quickly locate their teammates and get straight to work.
If your workplace has several meeting rooms, it can confuse employees and visitors. A wayfinding solution makes it easy for all visitors and employees to locate meeting and conference rooms. What’s more, many digital wayfinding solutions also allow users to book meeting rooms and send updates to participants.
- Promotes Inclusivity
A good digital wayfinding solution is easy to use and features a simple, intuitive design. It provides accessible navigation options so everyone has access to the information, regardless of any physical disabilities.
Choose a software with a user-friendly interface that presents all vital information on a single dashboard. You can also customize the view by adding hot spots and buttons to get different display modes.
Implementing a digital wayfinding solution will help your employees and visitors feel comfortable in their physical environment. It can be set up in a way that caters to everyone’s accessibility needs, encouraging inclusion in the long run.
Summing Up
While wayfinding is hardly a new concept, it’s become a priority after the pandemic as companies re-design office spaces and call employees back to work. A digital wayfinding solution is one of those crucial hybrid workplace tools that benefit employees in many ways. It helps them navigate the office, book desks, find meeting rooms, and feel comfortable in the office.
If you need a wayfinding solution for your workplace, try out WorkInSync interactive wayfinding app. Promising the best user experience, WorkInSync has been helping companies establish hybrid workplace models in the most efficient way possible. With a 360-degree digital wayfinding software, this tool makes it easy for employees and visitors to navigate the workplace.
To learn more about the digital signage and wayfinding tool, schedule a demo today.
