Steelcase has designed their Munich Learning and Innovation Center with screens around and between open plan workstations to create a division between workers facing each other. Density has been reduced by increasing distances between desks and pulling apart seating in collaborative spaces, in order to meet social distancing guidelines. Geometry has been altered by positioning workstations at 90 degree angles to each other.

Learn more about the new design elements Steelcase proposes for a safe return to offices at:
https://www.steelcase.com/eu-en/research/articles/topics/post-covid-workplace/welcome-back/

(Image credit: Steelcase)

CBRE, the largest commercial real estate services company in the world, has published an excellent study of measures required to combat exposure to Covid-19 in the workplace. The study includes detailed graphics explaining how furniture and layouts can be reconfigured in the short, medium and long term.

Read the full report at:
https://irp-cdn.multiscreensite.com/e894f327/files/uploaded/Future%20of%20Furniture%20post%20COVID%2019_CBRE%20Furniture%20Advisory.pdf

According to property consultant, DeVono Cresa, demand for office space in London dropped by 30% in the first quarter, fueled by virus and Brexit fears. Global financial institutions and serviced office proprietors are leasing less space worldwide in the wake of the pandemic. Although some businesses are cutting costs in the short term by migrating to the serviced office business model, many firms are reconfiguring their existing furniture layout and adding dividers or screens to adhere to social distancing guidelines in the medium term. In the long term, a major redesign of the workplace will be necessary to adapt to a new reality and changing business practices.

Read more about this trend at:
https://workplaceinsight.net/demand-for-london-office-space-plummets-but-will-bounce-back-to-an-extent/

The workplace has evolved from an emphasis on private office suites, to open-plan workstations, to free-flowing collaborative open spaces. In the post-pandemic universe, we are likely to see a return to private spaces with micro private offices, larger workstations with barriers to transmission, fewer large conference rooms, elimination of small huddle spaces and a new functional style integrating tech-based solutions with social distancing and enhanced digital interaction.

Read more at:
https://www.workdesign.com/2020/04/what-people-can-expect-from-the-return-to-the-workplace/  

(Photo credit: Work Design)

Aldous Huxley’s prescient essay from 1946 and Susan Cain’s current day TED talk shed light on the bombardment of noise and distraction we are increasingly subjected to.

“The twentieth century is, among other things, the Age of Noise. Physical noise, mental noise and noise of desire — we hold history’s record for all of them. And no wonder; for all the resources of our almost miraculous technology have been thrown into the current assault against silence.” Aldous Huxley from his essay Science, Liberty and Peace

Read more of Mark Eltringham’s blog and see Susan Cain’s TED talk at: https://workplaceinsight.net/what-aldous-huxley-can-teach-us-about-acoustics-at-work/

 

Concert tours require meticulous planning, reliable carriers, knowledge of international customs requirements, 24/7 attention to detail and lots of care. Large tours with back to back gigs maintain at least 2 identical sets of equipment which leap frog between venues to allow time for one set to be loaded in and erected, while the previous set is being taken down and loaded out for the next venue. Read more about challenges unique to the touring entertainment industry here.

According to research conducted by Steelcase, a trend is emerging in which companies focus on building agile workspaces for collaborative teams to solve complex problems and accelerate their response to market demand for innovation. The space needs to be dynamic and adaptable to changing tasks and promote face to face interaction between team members, rather than relying on slower, impersonal digital discussion. The space must provide areas for teams to display and share ideas, as well as private areas for tasks requiring concentration without disruption.  Research shows that the linear workspaces of the past have not been conducive to creating a balance between collaborative teamwork and personal space. Read more about this trend at:

https://www.steelcase.com/eu-en/research/articles/new-work-new-rules/

Three competing shipping giants have joined a tech venture to develop blockchain platforms for international supply chains.  They joined forces to remain relevant in the logistics industry, where players like Amazon have become leaders in cloud computing and international logistics for their own use, only to turn around and resell those services to the industry.  Read more about this trend at JOC.

Digital freight management systems may push traditional freight forwarders out of business. However forwarders offering 3PL services, provide added value because the complexity of certain supply chain services are not conducive to digitization. Cargo owners benefit from digital platforms by cutting out middlemen for point to point transport but still need logistics specialists to handle pre and post-shipment services.

To learn more about digital platforms and related block chain developments, click on below links:

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/forwarders-on-notice-as-new-tools-put-freight-in-hands-of-shippers

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/blockchain-technology-can-spur-seamless-and-efficient-international-trade

Read More