Virtualisation the way to go for some companies

Connecting employees in different countries and time zones makes sense for ventures in many locations

Xavier Fuchs is the sales director for the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa at Steelcase, a furniture manufacturer that aims to help employees in a wide range of locations remain in contact. Steelcase invests US$50 million a year in research and development to help identify the best ways to combine the physical and virtual world in the office. Here, Mr Fuchs talks about virtualisation.

Is virtualisation inevitable?

As today’s business world becomes more and more global, colleagues are often based not only in another office, but in another country and in a different time zone. Organisations can’t allow distance to be a barrier to effective teams and the more distributed teams become, the more essential it is to close the gap. Effective virtualisation should be designed not only for leader-led presentations, but should also allow teams to engage in generative collaboration, which is about combining knowledge, problem-solving and innovation.

What about technology for teams in the same location?

Teams that work in the same location need a fluid environment that allows them to share content quickly, effectively and with ease. This means equal access to both digital and analogue information, a comfortable seat at the table, and a view of the screen for each participant. Through the seamless integration of technology, participants can engage in active collaboration by connecting with the help of a physical adapter or even wirelessly, from anywhere in the room.

How can you optimise physical space for the virtual world?

For virtual collaboration to be successful, the right technologies need to be brought into the right workplace. Based on our research, we suggest the following to optimise physical space:

Careful consideration of camera and microphone placement: develop a layout that allows all users to be audible and on camera. Ensure that there are multiple screens to see the person and the shared content simultaneously.

Allow people to quickly switch between group and private work: this could mean having glass walls to limit noise distractions while supporting continued visual access or having enclaves adjacent to the team space to allow for privacy without the need to get away.

Encourage employees to stay energised by designing a workspace that promotes movement and change of posture while maintaining visibility on camera: this includes high tables to encourage standing or an informal lounge setting for videoconferencing – for added comfort.

Think about both sides of the experience: provide a similar setup to employees in all locations to ensure uniformity of experience throughout the organisation. Consider utilising space to help build trust: set up a “wormhole” – a continuously open video connection – outside the team room to encourage social exchanges between people in different locations.

Plan for a range of team sizes and videoconferencing exchanges: you might need to accommodate one-onone interactions as well as full team sessions. To utilise your real estate and encourage employees to use the technology, offer people choice and variety – videoconferencing kiosks next to the team space, nooks within it or even mobile solutions.