A CIO’s job goes beyond choosing and implementing the best tech products in operations. They create tech-based physical experiences. Their expertise enables them to determine how available systems can enhance the workplace, making employee processes more efficient. Examples include tech-enabled offices, warehouses, and retail spaces that benefit from sensors, digital signage, video conferencing, and other modern amenities.

Tech Enabled Offices

CIOs often focus on developing tech-enabled offices that make office work more efficient and provide workers with information that allows them to make insightful decisions. Here are some features of a tech-enabled office design.

• IoT refers to a network of devices and objects embedded with sensors that relay information across departments, organizations, and industries. Connected offices can gain insight into anything from company-wide performance to the energy consumption in their environment.
• Access Controls: Access controls ensure workers and other parties can only access the necessary information. It’s a popular security measure that offers optimal risk reduction.
• Resource Booking Platforms: These tools help organizations allocate resources, including employees, supplies, equipment, tasks, and appointments.
• Video Conferencing: Tech-enabled offices typically include high-definition cameras, microphones, and well-lit environments optimized for video conferencing.
• Digital Whiteboards: Digital whiteboards are ideal for brainstorming and sharing ideas.
• Document Management Systems: Documents are often stored in cloud-based systems to reduce loss and promote shareability.
• Ergonomic Designs: Offices are often designed ergonomically to reduce RSIs and place everything at workers’ fingertips.

Smart Warehouses

Smart warehouses are integrated with technology, making systems more efficient and improving customer service. Standard features include the following:

• Autonomous Robots: Often called cobots due to their ability to work alongside employees, autonomous robots are involved in picking, inventory distribution, and tracking. Some can also handle warehouse equipment, improving employee safety.
• IoT: IoT is also integrated into warehouse spaces. Sensors are placed on inventory to track products in warehouse settings and throughout the shipping process. It reduces loss, provides better customer service throughout shipping, and makes systems more efficient overall.
• Artificial Intelligence: AI can help warehouse systems predict demand so managers can order products accordingly. It can also identify maintenance needs in various types of warehouse equipment so they can be addressed before they lead to more expensive repairs.
• Warehouse Management Systems: These systems act as a central operation tool. They bridge between robots, sensors, and other warehouse technology and implement advanced analytics to guide data-driven decisions.
• Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV): A subset of autonomous robots, AGVs are pallet carts and forklifts that follow a guided digital path to load and unload boxes, pallets, and containers, reducing damage and injuries.
• Automated Picking Tools: Picking tools use sensors, voice activation, and pick-to-light technologies to locate inventory in a warehouse, speeding up the ordering and delivery processes.

Optimized Retail Spaces

Retail spaces that integrate technology can make services more efficient, save time and money, and improve the customer experience. Commonly integrated features include:

• Digital Signage: Digital signage can be updated regularly to advertise current product information and offers and adjusts according to customer interests and demographics.
• Smart Shelves: Smart shelves are equipped with RFID tags and other IoT technology to enhance inventory management.
• Mobile Checkout Systems: These systems allow people to pay for items using their smartphones, reducing the time at checkout.
• IoT: IoT is a prominent feature in smart shelving, enhancing inventory management. It also collects data so retailers can better understand customers and provide more targeted marketing and personalized shopping experiences. It can also monitor store conditions and update pricing to optimize the retail environment and boost efficiency.
• AI: AI analyzes customer behaviors and buying patterns to improve engagement, support research and development of new products, and create more targeted marketing campaigns. It also assesses demand to ensure retailers order products as needed to avoid understocking and overstocking.

Choosing the Best Tech Products for Your Organization

With so many tech products across diverse industries, CIOs must hunker down to choose the best for their organization. The best approach involves:

• Defining business needs and objectives
• Exploring and comparing various products
• Seeking diverse insight on product comparisons
• Considering risk and ROI to determine how the product will benefit your company
• Ensuring security and scalability
• Gaining input from stakeholders
• Considering integration and user experience

Want to learn how to implement the technology that moves your company forward? Sign up for our newsletter today.