5 Reasons to Optimize Your Business Meeting Space with Workplace Analytics

5 Reasons to Optimize Your Business Meeting Space with Workplace Analytics

Collecting data about the way your business meeting spaces are used is essential for making sure they remain cost-efficient. The information gathered via workplace analytics empowers your organization to make strategic decisions about how you continue to invest in these spaces for optimal productivity and long-term business success.

ET Group offers workplace insights that answer important questions about your technology ecosystem—including detailed Meeting Insights to provide clarity on the collaboration that occurs in your business spaces and User Insights to provide important context about user experience. Below, we list five reasons that this information can help you by optimizing the design, technology, and features at the core of your business spaces.

Hybrid space improved via workplace analytics

Reason 1: Better Use of Space

Data gathered from the everyday use of your meeting spaces can tell you how to use them more efficiently. For example:

Learn More: Designing Conference Rooms that Work for Today’s Offices

On-site and remote team members using hybrid space efficiently

Reason 2: Increased Cost Efficiency

The more you learn about the features your employees are using in meeting spaces, the easier it is to improve what may not be working and capitalize on what is. Here’s how that might look:

Employees gathered in huddle area hybrid meeting space

Reason 3: Improved Employee Productivity & Satisfaction

Learning about the way your team members use business meeting spaces via our User Insights can also show you the most effective ways to support them at work—giving their productivity and satisfaction a measurable boost. Here are some of the things we can help you track:

Technology issue being resolved proactively due to remote monitoring in hybrid space

Reason 4: Data-Driven Incident Response

In the event that your meeting spaces experience problems, it’s important to understand what went wrong so that you can take steps to solve it and avoid it in the future. ET Group’s Remote Monitoring tracks this data and uses it to proactively address issues in your technology ecosystem.

Learn More: What Remote IT Support Looks Like in Hybrid Meeting Rooms

Motion blur effect in modern hybrid office to symbolize passage of time and importance of future-proofing

Reason 5: Future-Proofing Your Workplace

Finally, it’s critical to have the data you need to make strategic decisions about how to keep growing and improving your business meeting spaces to keep them current over time. We can help by:

Aligning Your Business Meeting Spaces with the Needs of Modern Work

When you use data to optimize your spaces for better hybrid meetings, you create an environment where spaces are more welcoming, resources are allocated more efficiently, and employees love coming to work. You also make it easier to deal with potential technical challenges and plan for future growth.

Book a discovery call with us and see how you can use Workplace Insights to support your organization, or browse the FAQ below for more details. Together, we can give you the data you need to keep your team members and the spaces they use one step ahead of the curve.

Frequently Asked Questions about ET Group’s Workplace Insights

What Meeting Insights can ET Group provide?

Our Meeting Insights cover all of the following:

What User Insights can ET Group provide?

Our User Insights include:

What types of business meeting spaces does my organization need?

Organizations should maintain a variety of business meeting spaces, depending on the specific needs of their team members. These could include:

Booking a consultation with us is the first step towards finding out exactly what kind of spaces will serve your business best. We can consider your specific business goals and make appropriate recommendations.

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Workplace Occupancy Metrics That Can Help You Better Optimize a Business Meeting Space

Summary

Workplace Occupancy Metrics That Can Help You Better Optimize a Business Meeting Space

Understanding when, how, and why your business spaces are used by employees is the key to making them more efficient. If you gather the right data, you can optimize these spaces by investing in AV technology and making other adjustments that improve their ROI while creating a better employee experience. It’s a win-win.

But what metrics are the most important to track when you’re trying to validate these changes—and what can they tell you? Don’t worry; that’s where we come in. ET Group has years of experience helping businesses and other organizations transition their spaces, technologies, and processes to align with the realities of modern work, and we’re here to show you the stats that can give you confidence when making these decisions.

Employees in business meeting space to demonstrate fluctuating occupancy rates in the age of hybrid work

Key Benefits to Optimizing Business Meeting Spaces

Before we dive into the numbers and what they mean, it’s important to recognize the tangible benefits that optimizing your business meeting space can bring to your organization. Some of these are more quantifiable than others, but the most important and obviously valuable ones break down like this:

Key Metrics for Business Space Optimization

Now that you know why optimizing your space matters, it’s time to look at what data you actually need to do it—and what it can tell you.

ET Group collects workplace analytics that help our clients use meeting spaces and other workplace environments more efficiently, so we have some ideas about the most important metrics to track. Of all the information you can collect about the way your space is used, here are the areas we recommend you focus on:

Employees in business meeting space as room utilization rate is being determined Employees in business meeting space as room utilization rate is being determined

Room Utilization Rates

This metric measures the frequency and extent to which a meeting room is used. It’s usually calculated as a percentage, representing the proportion of time the room is occupied compared to its availability.

How to Analyze It

To analyze room utilization rates, look for patterns in how different rooms are used. Are some consistently underused? Or are there rooms that are always booked? Identifying trends like this helps with reallocating or repurposing spaces to match actual needs.

Potential Impact on Business Real Estate

High utilization rates might indicate a need for more or larger meeting spaces. Conversely, low utilization could suggest that a business is maintaining more space than necessary, leading to potential downsizing or repurposing of under-utilized areas.

Clock on wall of office to demonstrate peak occupancy times

Peak Occupancy Times

This metric identifies the times when meeting spaces are most in demand. It involves tracking the occupancy of rooms across different times of the day and week.

How to Analyze It

By understanding peak occupancy times, businesses can implement policies to manage high-demand periods more effectively. This might include reserving spaces for critical meetings during these times or encouraging meetings outside peak hours.

Potential Impact on Business Real Estate

Knowledge of peak times can guide the design and availability of meeting spaces. For example, if peak times are concentrated in certain hours, it might be more efficient to have flexible spaces that can be quickly adapted for meetings, rather than many small, dedicated meeting rooms.

Hybrid meeting in business space

Average Meeting Duration

This metric calculates the typical length of time meetings last in the business spaces. It provides insight into how meeting spaces are used in terms of time allocation.

How to Analyze It

Understanding the average meeting duration helps in optimizing booking schedules and room availability. For instance, if most meetings are short, the booking system can be adjusted to allow more frequent, shorter bookings.

Potential Impact on Business Real Estate

This metric can significantly influence the types and sizes of meeting spaces a business should invest in. If meetings are generally brief, smaller meeting spaces might be more suitable than larger boardrooms. Conversely, longer meetings might necessitate more comfortable and equipped spaces.

Additionally, a pattern of shorter meetings may indicate a need for “ad hoc” spaces—rooms that aren’t designed specifically for meetings but have the required equipment and facilities to accommodate spur of the moment conversations. This might include digital whiteboard tools to provide quick visual references, or video conferencing software for unscheduled calls.

ET Group technician collecting insights to help business optimize meeting space

Find Support Preparing Your Business for the Demands of Modern Work

The physical  spaces used by a business are investments, just like employees and financial assets. Optimizing these spaces is not about efficiency for its own sake; it’s a strategic imperative that has a measurable impact on your margins. The more you understand the metrics we’ve listed above, the easier you can maximize the potential of your physical spaces. This also helps you align your work environment with employee needs and habits, fostering better productivity and collaboration.

At ET Group, we help organizations of all kinds leverage data-driven insights to create better spaces with technology that enables seamless communication. The results are clear: a more engaged workforce, reduced operational costs, and better adaptability as the ways we work continue to evolve. Book a discovery call with us now and learn more about how we can keep you current and connected.

Frequently Asked Questions about ET Group’s Workplace Insights

How do you gather workplace insights?

Our team uses real data gathered from the way your team uses your business spaces to identify patterns in your workplace and recommend improvements. We use our Remote Monitoring Dashboard to track:

How do you protect my organization’s information?

Our support team is made up of certified professionals in industry-leading AV software and hardware. We have extensive training and experience, and have passed rigorous exams to ensure our proficiency in the tools and systems we use. This allows us to provide you with effective, up-to-date services and safeguard the data we collect to help you make better business decisions.

How can I learn more about using data to improve my business meeting spaces?

We partnered with Vyopta to collect data from over a million hours of hybrid video conferences and published a report exploring the challenges modern workplaces are experiencing. Download it here and get the inside track on how the right metrics can improve the way you work.

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Encourage Employees to Come Into Work by Making the Office More Useful

Summary

Encourage Employees to Come Into Work by Making the Office More Useful

Although the benefits of hybrid and remote work are well documented, office attendance remains important for many employers. But since mandatory attendance can feel punitive and impact morale, we believe it’s more effective to encourage employees to choose to come into work—and the easiest way to do that is to make your space a place where they feel comfortable and supported.

Below, our team guides you through several key elements of making your office more useful for modern workers and their needs. We’ll show you why the design of your space, the technology you use, and the amenities you provide can all help your team members do their best work (and make them excited about visiting the office to do it).

Creating a Useful Workplace Environment

The key to making your office more appealing to team members is creating genuine value for them. Here are three easy areas to focus on where you can make effective improvements quickly:

Happy employees in office with human-centered design

Human-Centric Space Design

Human-centric space design is about involving and centering people in the design process. Making the end users of a space part of the design process is one of the most effective ways to support their comfort, health, and overall well-being. It’s about creating environments that are not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but also deeply attuned to the needs and experiences of the occupants.

Human-centered workplaces are typically comfortable, adaptable, and practical. They often involve the use of new technologies—but critically, these technologies must be integrated in ways that serve the people using them.

At ET Group, we design human-centric spaces for modern workplaces by making sure they are:

Flexible

Hot-desking solutions and modular layouts reduce unused real estate by allowing team members to drop in or out as needed, while providing more versatility for employees.

Intuitive

Prioritizing efficiency and ergonomics results in spaces that minimize confusion and distractions, promoting focus and productivity.

Purpose-Built

Identifying your organization’s unique needs and creating spaces that incorporate relevant technologies means your workplace is almost always the best place for employees to get work done.

Synchronized

Critically, any tools used in your space must be able to complement each other and connect when necessary. This is often one of the most difficult aspects of designing a space that serves the modern hybrid workforce—so if you want your employees to feel good about performing work in-office, it’s vital to ensure that the technology you invest in is compatible and scalable.

Learn More: How Audiovisual Consulting Provides Key Support for Hybrid Work Environments

In-office team members in meeting with remote employees via video conferencing system

Modern Collaboration Technology

The technology your office uses is what allows you to ensure seamless communication between remote and in-office team members. Improving this technology is not about discouraging remote work, which makes many employees happier and more productive—it’s about making sure the in-office experience you offer is comparable in terms of the comfort, focus, and satisfaction it provides.

Key elements of modern collaboration technology include:

High-Quality Video Conferencing Systems

Crystal clear sound and video with user-friendly hardware and software reduces friction and helps avoid delays—whether you’re using Webex, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or another solution.

Real-Time Collaboration Software

Mural, Vidcast, and other tools make it easy for team members to work on projects together, no matter where they’re located.

Reliable Tech Support & Network Infrastructure

Remote support solutions and onsite technical assistance make working from the office the least stressful option for team members who experience technical difficulties when working remotely.

Smiling in-office workers in relaxation area

Other Amenities

Creating a purposeful, human-centric space gives employees a place that facilitates deep focus, and the right technology helps make it a frictionless environment—but a few extra incentives don’t hurt when you’re trying to make your office the most attractive place for people to work. Here are a few other recommendations:

Quiet Zones & Relaxation Areas

Designated quiet zones or relaxation areas with comfortable seating can offer employees a place to unwind or work without distractions. This is especially important in an open office layout.

Professional Development Opportunities

Host seminars, workshops, or classes in the office. This not only encourages personal and professional growth but also shows your investment in your employees’ future. We offer workshops for thriving in hybrid spaces that can further increase your ROI from upgrading your workplace by equipping team members with the skills and confidence to use the new technology effectively.

Encouraging Employee Engagement & Feedback

Before moving forward with any office renovations or upgrades, it’s vital to make sure you have a clear picture of your team’s needs and preferences. Try the following:

Smiling team member in office during technology consulting

Upgrade Your Office to Support Your Modern Workforce

The office should be a purposeful environment where employees feel value in going in to utilize the available tools and amenities available. If it isn’t useful to your team, you can’t expect them to show up—but creating an in-office experience that supports everyone’s best interests is both mutually beneficial and relatively straightforward.

We’re here to help you build a workplace that meets the needs of forward-thinking organizations and employees. Book a discovery call now to get in touch with an industry leader who can show you the best way to make your office a place where people genuinely want to work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many employees still work in offices?

According to Forbes, less than 60% of employees currently work in-office. It’s estimated that 32.6 million Americans will work remotely by 2025.

Why do employees want hybrid and remote work?

98% of employees want to work remotely at least some of the time. The most popular reasons why include:

How secure is hybrid and remote work?

It depends on the technology that you use to keep your team connected. Remote and hybrid work only pose a security risk when technology or employee knowledge is insufficient to meet the needs of the organization. Working with a technology consultant can identify these gaps and ensure that any hybrid technology you invest in addresses them.

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Why Your Leadership Team Must be Aligned on Your Workplace Strategy

Summary

Why Your Leadership Team Must Be Aligned on Your Workplace Strategy

Unified leadership streamlines your team’s decision-making and makes your entire organization more efficient. When leadership is aligned on how work happens and why, it reduces uncertainty for everyone in the workplace and gives them the confidence to do their best work—whether they’re embracing remote and hybrid work or relying more on an in-office model.

Below, we explain how to create an effective workplace strategy with your leadership team. Read on to find steps for collecting feedback, setting goals together, and finding consensus on the technology and strategy that will set you up for success.

The Real Impact of Leadership Alignment

When the people in leadership roles at your organization are on the same page, everyone benefits. This has countless advantages—some easier to quantify than others—but let’s look at a few of the most obvious and important ones.

Communication

Differing views on remote work can lead to mixed messages—which can lead to confusion and conflict between teams or departments.

Regular updates and consistent messaging from an aligned leadership team ensures that everyone understands the way your workplace works and the tools it uses.

Productivity

Misaligned leadership leads to misallocated resources—resulting in underused office space, inadequate remote work support, and other problems that can delay projects and disrupt workflows.

When your leadership team is clear on the way your workplace is configured and used, it’s easier to make sure team members have access to the technology and support they need.

Morale

When there’s inconsistency in workplace policies, employees often feel their preferences and work styles are not being considered. This leads to a sense of dissatisfaction and disconnection from the company’s objectives.

Communicating clear goals and strategies for achieving them actually helps your leadership demonstrate their commitment to accommodating diverse work preferences. This fosters a more inclusive and supportive work environment, leading to higher job satisfaction, stronger employee engagement, and a positive organizational culture.

Key Steps for Aligning Your Leadership

Team leader providing feedback on workplace strategy preferences

Collect Feedback from Team Leaders & Employees

When it comes to choosing the model and technology your workplace will use, different members of your leadership group and their team members may have different preferences. Gathering feedback before you meet with them sets you up for constructive conversations where everyone’s perspective is considered.

For Example:

Let’s say that your new workplace strategy involves decisions about the extent to which your organization will embrace hybrid work. You’ll need to ensure that your team shares an understanding of the different options available (from distributed and asynchronous to entirely co-located).

Key questions to ask your leadership team might include:

We’ve written extensively about this topic in the past with WORKTECH Academy. Learn more about how to successfully set up a company strategy for hybrid work.

Remote and in-office team members holding strategy alignment workshop

Organize a Strategy Alignment Workshop

Once you have a clear understanding of the different opinions held across your leadership team, you should plan a workshop to discuss and surface them openly. This allows members to share their perspectives with each other and promotes collaborative decision-making.

It’s important to understand the barriers that exist between your team and the strategy you want to create, but it’s also critical to avoid blame and allow everyone’s voice to be heard. Ensure that you create an environment of psychological safety, where leaders feel safe to speak their mind.

ET Group offers free workshops that help organizations to surface the potential blind spots and challenges hindering effective hybrid collaboration alongside other senior industry leaders. Register today or reach out to us for help facilitating a workshop designed for your leadership team.

Set Common Goals

Once all perspectives have been heard and understood, you can start identifying commonalities and using them to develop shared goals. Develop a list of questions that you might answer to better align your organization on its shared priorities. 

Unified leadership team after agreeing on workplace strategy

Develop Your Strategy

Use the answers to the questions you asked in the step above to determine a list of shared priorities. These will help guide the framework for your new workplace strategy, informing the model (remote, hybrid, in-office, etc.) you’ll use and the technology you’ll need for it.

Now you should have everything you need to draft a strategy that reflects the collective decision and aligns with business goals. For more information on this, see: How to Create a Hybrid Work Policy for Your Office.

Test and Prototype Your Workplace Strategy

When your leadership team has found consensus on how you’ll work and what technology you’ll need, you can formulate a plan to test and prototype this strategy with a wider group in your organization. Here’s an outline of the process you might follow:

Alignment Leads to Better Outcomes

The more planning you and your leadership team do at the front end, the easier it is to create a strategy that benefits everyone at your workplace. Taking the time to understand the different views within your organization and find common ground lets you build a strategy 

Use the steps above to start planning your next moves, and reach out to us for additional support. Our experts can consult with you to clarify your organization’s needs and create a specific plan to make sure the technology you use helps your people meet them.

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The Benefits of Using Video Conferencing Technology in Courts & Correctional Facilities

Summary

 

The Benefits of Using Video Conferencing Technology in Courts & Correctional Facilities

As courtrooms and correctional facilities throughout North America face an increasing backlog in the number of cases completed and challenges related to inmate quality of life, video conferencing technology has profound potential to improve the efficiency of our justice system—from remote hearings to video visitation, telehealth, and the delivery of remote educational programs for inmates.

ET Group Justice Solutions are designed to improve both the efficiency with which these important institutions function and the experience of all people connected to them. Below, we explore five of the most important benefits video conferencing technology provides in this context.

See Also:

Transforming & Innovating Technology Infrastructure

Courtroom technology began to expand significantly throughout North America following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, various groups including the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA) requested that courts use technology to improve communication for litigants during hearings.

According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, the adoption of this technology was unprecedented in both size and scale. Specifically, video conferencing was cited as an effective way to move hearings online, thereby resolving many cases that would otherwise have been delayed.

Technology that Supports Equality

Following the pandemic, it became clear that while this technology had obvious and exciting implications, it also created certain difficulties—specifically, for people with disabilities, limited English proficiency, or no access to high-speed internet. Many courts have since mandated that the use of video conferencing technology in courtrooms must “ensure principles of due process, procedural fairness, transparency, and equal access are satisfied when adopting new technologies.”

This evidence points to an urgent and ongoing need to modernize courtrooms—not only in North America but around the world. Our focus at ET Group is to promote, standardize, and simplify the virtual infrastructure that makes these kinds of efficiencies possible.

Increasing Access to Justice

One of the easiest ways to measure the success of new technology is to look at the material benefits it provides for the people who use it. That philosophy, which is at the heart of our hybrid workplace solutions for enterprise organizations, applies just as much to the technology we develop and implement for courts and correctional facilities.

At ET Group, we believe that justice is only served when it’s served equally. Here are some of the ways in which our video conferencing technology is designed to benefit litigants, inmates, and the people connected to them:

Reducing Operational Costs

Improving the efficiency of courts and correctional facilities does more than save time—it also saves money. For governments and private organizations that administer these facilities, this makes resources available to allocate towards other services and quality of life improvements. Here’s how:

Improving Service Delivery

Standardizing the video conferencing tech used across the justice system reduces the potential for compatibility issues and ensures important information is not lost while improving user experience and delivering faster results. Our solutions focus on improving service in the following ways:

Increasing Safety

Ultimately, the justice system exists to provide security for people—so any video conferencing technology used in courtrooms or correctional facilities must make safety a top priority. This concept applies equally to two vital areas:

Bringing Justice into Focus for the Modern Era

Video conferencing technology is already fundamentally transforming the way justice is administered in modern courtrooms and correctional facilities. Using this technology to its full potential requires a standardized approach that prioritizes increased access, cost-efficient technology, and a focus on service and safety.

Learn more about our HybridCourts™ and correctional video solutions by contacting ET Group Justice Solutions and speaking with an audio visual expert who can walk you through the best ways to use these tools for your organization. With our help, justice can be faster, more efficient, and available to a wider number of people than ever before.

Frequently Asked Questions about Video Conferencing Technology in Courtrooms & Correctional Facilities

Who benefits most from hybrid and virtual courtroom technology?

Hybrid courtroom technology benefits the people who administer justice and the people who rely on them. Here are a few examples:

What activities can correctional video technology support?

Our video conferencing systems for correctional facilities make the following activities safer, more cost-effective, and easier to coordinate:

What correctional video systems does ET Group offer?

Our video conferencing hardware for correctional facilities includes a few different options:

SecureMobile (For Cisco Webex Room Kit): Perfect for flexible, open spaces where equipment needs to be moved frequently. Offers mobility with lockable wheels and handles, along with secure and clear audio-visual capabilities.

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Audio Visual Technology Adoption Starts with Better End User Training

Summary

Audio Visual Technology Adoption Starts with Better End User Training

Encouraging your team to adopt and use audio visual technology is about more than just design and deployment. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how useful your video conferencing system is if your team members don’t understand how to use it.

Investing in comprehensive end user training for your team shows them what your AV technology is capable of, and how to use it effectively—increasing the likelihood that they’ll adopt it and improving your ROI. As providers of custom hybrid technology solutions for organizations in a broad range of industries, our team is here to show you why workshops and consulting should always be a part of any technology investment you make for your business.

How End User Training Encourages AV Tech Adoption

Most organizations recognize the need for audio visual technology. But not having clarity on what this technology is needed for, what specific tools are being purchased, or how they’re being deployed all make large-scale adoption less likely. End user training provides clarity during each of these critical phases to ensure that organizations are set up to succeed.

Identifying Organizational Needs

There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all AV technology—that’s why we design custom hybrid workplace solutions for each of our clients. But before we can do that, it’s vital that you understand what communication challenges your organization is trying to solve.

Office speaking to team members in two different locations on same monitor during video call.

Example: Improving Screen Real Estate on Multi-Point Calls

Let’s say a business wants to bring three locations (Toronto, New York, San Francisco) into the same video call. This is called a multi-point call (as opposed to a point-to-point call, which takes place between just two endpoints).

Pretty much any traditional video conferencing vendor can make this happen—but wait. Now let’s say the same business has dual screens at each location, and wants each location to see the other two on separate monitors (a person in Toronto would see New York on one screen and San Francisco on the other, and so on).

Suddenly, there aren’t so many appropriate video conferencing options. That’s because most vendors use a communication protocol called H.323. When a multi-point call is made using H.323, the video streams from each location are effectively combined and sent to the other locations as a single stream.

This single video stream can only be viewed on a single screen—which causes the video images of the remote locations to shrink on the display, dramatically diminishing their value.

Bottom line: being aligned with your audio visual provider on your organization’s specific goals is the key to investing in appropriate systems. Consulting with ET Group before buying video conferencing technology would allow this business to rule out vendors offering standard H.323 solutions ahead of time, whereas skipping this step could lead towards buying technology that doesn’t work for them.

Buying the Right Technology

Once your goals are clearly defined and you’ve consulted with our experts, you’re in a position to choose tools that support your organization. To see what this might look like, let’s return to the example we introduced in the last section.

Employee connecting with people in two different locations on multi-point video call.

Example: Evaluating Three Potential Options for Multi-Point Video Calls

Our example business now has clarity on what they want to achieve, and knows that traditional H.323 offerings aren’t the answer. Now they need help choosing between three other options:

Bottom line: Working with technology consultants to learn about the technology available to your organization and make informed decisions prevents your team from running into challenges down the road. This removes the potential for friction and improves the likelihood that your audio visual technology will continue to be used.

Clarifying Deployments for Staff

Working with consultants to clarify your organization’s needs and educate your leadership about the different technologies available can prevent many of the problems that hamper adoption. However, you’ll still need to make sure your staff is comfortable using the new system once it’s been deployed.

Workshop for employees showing benefits of new video conference technology and increasing confidence in hybrid work.

Example: Encouraging Team Members to Use New Video Conferencing Systems

Let’s assume that the business in our example has opted to invest in newer video technology like SIP, an internet-based protocol that offers better scalability and flexibility.

This solves the issue of making calls between locations—but some team members may shy away from using the new technology because they’re used to older and more established protocols. While placing phone calls or sending emails to other locations may be more comfortable for some, it’s also less efficient for the business and may lead to some information being lost in translation.

Bottom line: at this point, the organization needs ongoing training to make their staff aware of the new system’s capabilities and help them feel confident using it. Workshops from ET Group can help by providing team members with essential skills for thriving in hybrid workplaces, recontracting the ways in which they work together, embracing design thinking, and more.

Investing in People Is a Prerequisite for Investing in Technology

At ET Group, we believe that technology is only useful insofar as it supports people to communicate and collaborate effectively. That’s why we consider end user training a must for organizations that want to make sure the audio visual technology they invest in is being adopted and used.

Start out by clarifying your needs and consulting with experts who can present appropriate options for meeting them—this helps you avoid many of the pitfalls that can lead to team members abandoning new technologies out of frustration. Then, follow up by providing your team with comprehensive training that helps them see how your new investment solves their pain points and gives them the competencies they need to use it effectively.

To learn more about our hybrid workplace solutions or the training we can provide for your workforce, book a discovery call with ET Group. To learn more about end user training for audio visual systems, browse the FAQ below.

Frequently Asked Questions about End User Training for AV Technology

Why can’t I buy audio visual technology without investing in end user training?

We do not recommend purchasing technology without training your personnel on how to use it effectively. This creates frustration that eventually leads to abandonment, and can also cost more in the long run by making meetings less efficient or secure.

Can tech support improve AV tech adoption?

Yes—the right support is instrumental in helping your team feel comfortable enough with new technology to adopt and use it. ET Group’s support services keep user experience consistent and productive, encouraging personnel to stay connected and collaborate with the tools you’ve purchased.

How can end user training be adapted for different skill levels?

Always purchase new audio visual technology from organizations that can provide accessible training for members of your team with different proficiencies or experience levels. ET Group offers workshops aimed at different audiences (team leaders, intact teams, etc.) so that everyone can understand how your new technologies relate to their role and find effective ways to use them.

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How Audio Visual Consulting Provides Key Support for Hybrid Environments

Summary

How Audiovisual Consulting Provides Key Support for Hybrid Work Environments

Hybrid working is the natural model for competitive enterprises that want to remain productive while providing the flexibility required by their teams. But creating a successful hybrid work environment is about more than the AV technology you implement—it’s first and foremost about better understanding the people who use the technology and what their needs, challenges, and use cases are on a daily basis.

ET Group provides custom hybrid work solutions that help organizations achieve their goals and empower their employees. Our audiovisual technology consulting services are unique in that they prioritize human experience—we believe that technology should always serve people instead of the other way around.

Below, we explain to you why an AV consultant can be vital for supporting your hybrid AV and IT infrastructure and show you some of the key challenges it can help you solve.

The Purpose of Audiovisual Consulting

Audiovisual technology consulting involves expert guidance and management services to help organizations align technology with business strategies. Ideally, these services should set an organization up to assess its existing audiovisual, collaboration, and IT infrastructure, identify areas for improvement, and implement solutions that boost both productivity, engagement, and employee satisfaction.

Challenges with Conventional Technology Consulting

Unfortunately, conventional approaches to technology consulting have a tendency to focus on technology to the exclusion of the people it’s meant to serve. This approach often fails because it does not properly engage or account for the user’s true wants, needs, or experiences.

ET Group’s Human-Centric Approach

Our approach at ET Group puts people first and technology second. We use a flexible five-step process rooted in design thinking—a nonlinear iterative methodology that focuses on understanding the human beings at the heart of a given problem and finding innovative ways to address their needs.

See Also: 7 Design Thinking Principles that Will Help Hybrid Work Succeed

These five phases are designed with enough flexibility to accommodate each organization’s unique needs, while also ensuring that the solutions we create are practical and data-driven. They include:

Below, we’ll walk you through each of these areas and provide details on the steps involved so that you can see how and why our audiovisual consulting underpins effective hybrid design at each stage.

Smiling employees during hybrid meeting supported by technology that connects virtual meeting platforms seamlessly

Phase 1: Understanding Stakeholder Needs

The first stage of our process focuses on identifying and understanding your needs as an organization: who you are, what you’re trying to achieve, and what specific challenges are between you and your goals. During this phase, we typically:

See Also: The 7 Most Common Problems in an IT Work Environment & How to Fix Them

Workshop to gather feedback on early stages of prototypes during testing and iterating phase of technology consulting

Phase 2: Aligning Priorities – Analyzing Insights & Data

Next, we examine the data collected in Phase 1 and use our findings to suggest concrete next steps that speak to your needs. This step takes place during a meeting with all key stakeholders, where you can expect us to:

It’s important to note that while your input is welcome at every stage of our audiovisual consulting process, it’s particularly valuable in this phase. Ensuring a mutual understanding of what we’re setting out to accomplish and why makes the next steps more efficient and produces significantly better results.

Phase 3: Conceptual Design & Prototyping

During this phase, we work with you to create a sampler of possible technology solutions. Our use of VR, 3D models, concept drawings, and more allows you to explore available solutions in detail before you commit substantial resources to any of them—ultimately helping you make the best choice for your organization when it’s time to invest. We focus on:

This is a co-creative process—we create mockups that encourage you to interact as much as possible with each potential solution so you can make the most informed decisions possible.

See Also: Can Design Thinking Bring Clarity to the Hybrid Work Experience?

Phase 4: Testing & Iterating

Once we’ve worked together to select prototypes and begin creating them, we initiate a co-creative process that allows you to provide feedback as each design is further realized. This involves:

Large meeting room with 360° OWL Cameras for video conferencing

Phase 5: Building a Detailed Design

Finally, it’s time to bring your selected prototype into the real world and scale it for your organization. Our team will:

You receive a complete package with everything you need to meet the needs established in the first phase of our consulting process—guaranteeing that the solution you receive is one based on the actual problems your people need to solve, and providing measurable value for your organization.

Find the Expert Technology Advice You Need to Grow Your Organization

Technology is only one aspect of creating an effective hybrid environment. Investing in the guidance required to select, implement, and scale that technology as your business grows guarantees you the best possible ROI and provides a superior experience for everyone at your organization who uses it.

To learn more about optimizing your workplace with help from our experts, book a discovery call with ET Group or read the Frequently Asked Questions below.

Frequently Asked Questions about Audiovisual Consulting

How do I know what kind of audiovisual consulting and technology my business needs?

You don’t have to know what specific solutions you’re looking for when you come to us. Our audiovisual consulting process begins with an in-depth audit of your business and its goals so that we can identify areas where you’re succeeding and others where you’ll benefit most from our input.

How much does an AV consultant cost?

ET Group doesn’t believe in one-size-fits-all consulting—our solutions are unique to each client, so our rates vary depending on your goals, the challenges that stand between you and reaching them, and the cost of the solutions we create together. For a specific idea of the kinds of costs you might incur, contact us and speak with an expert.

What other hybrid solutions does ET Group offer?

ET Group provides versatile solutions for a wide range of needs required for effective hybrid workplaces, including:

These services can be purchased separately or as part of a comprehensive approach to hybrid workplace development that we call the HybridX solution.

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Calculate the ROI For Your New Video Conferencing System

Summary:

Calculate the ROI For Your New Video Conferencing System

With hybrid work being embraced across many industries, high-quality video conferencing has become a must for efficient communication—but before investing in this technology, it helps to know what kind of financial returns you can expect from it.

While the costs of different video conferencing solutions vary, there’s a fairly straightforward way to estimate the ROI a new system offers before you purchase it. Below, our team at ET Group will walk you through the factors you should consider in your calculations so that you can make an informed decision about how to proceed.

Calculating ROI: A Simple Formula with a Few Tricky Variables

At its core, ROI is a percentage that represents the net gain of an investment versus its initial costs. The formula is straightforward:

ROI = (Total Benefits – Total Costs)/Total Costs x 100

The challenge lies not in the math involved, but in comprehensively and accurately assessing what factors constitute the ‘Total Benefits’ and the ‘Total Costs’. Below, we explain each of these in detail so you can fully understand the implications of investing in new video conferencing technology.

IT professionals upgrading business network to allow for new video conferencing system.

Breaking Down the Costs of Video Conferencing

An effective video conferencing system comes with a range of costs, depending on your existing infrastructure and the functionality your organization needs:

On-site team members in meeting room using video conferencing technology to collaborate with remote team members and save costs.

The Benefits of Video Conferencing Technology

Although a worthwhile video conferencing system requires an initial outlay and comes with ongoing expenses, it also brings a wealth of benefits that help offset these costs. These include:

Using the ROI Formula in Context

Given the costs and benefits outlined, let’s imagine how these could feed into the ROI formula above:

To provide some perspective, let’s use a hypothetical medium-sized company as an example. This company has:

Example Costs

Total Costs = $20,000 + $30,000 + $15,000 + $10,000 + $10,000 + $15,000

Total Costs = $100,000

Benefits

Benefits Tally = $100,000 + $100,000 + $50,000 + $50,000 + $30,000 + $40,000 + $30,000

Total Benefits = $894,231

Now, applying our formula:

ROI = ($894,231 – $100,000) / $100,000 x 100 = 794.23

ROI= 794.23%

Keep in mind that these numbers are entirely hypothetical, and intended to highlight the potential long-term returns video conferencing technology can provide. For a more detailed idea of how your specific organization could benefit from implementing this kind of system, we recommend reaching out to our technology consultants for a detailed plan and a personalized estimate.

Graphic of team using video conferencing system to watch presentation explaining company growth.

Video Conferencing: A Critical Long-Term Investment

Investing in a video conferencing system has the potential to provide significant financial benefits in the long run, but it’s also an excellent way to improve your organization’s culture. The right technology can help you streamline your operation, improve collaboration among your team members, and move with more agility when faced with critical decisions.

As an increasing number of businesses move towards hybrid and remote work, investing in a video conferencing system is also an important part of future-proofing your organization. Contact ET Group to find out how we can help you stay ahead of the curve with a custom hybrid workplace solution that helps your people do their best work and provides a measurable return on investment over the course of its lifespan.

Frequently Asked Questions about Video Conferencing ROI

How often should I reassess the ROI offered by my video conferencing system?

Given the pace of technological evolution, it’s advisable to reassess the ROI of your video conferencing system every 2-3 years. This ensures you’re leveraging the latest features and helps identify areas where newer solutions might provide better value. Regular reviews will ensure your system remains cost-effective and meets the evolving needs of your organization.

Is negative ROI for video conferencing systems possible (& how can I avoid it)?

Before investing in any new technology for your business, it’s important to make sure the costs outweigh the benefits to avoid negative ROI. Factors that could contribute to negative ROI for video conferencing systems include:

To avoid these issues, it’s vital to plan and implement your new system with experienced professionals. Our team at ET Group provides consulting and training for your team to maximize the effectiveness of your new system and eliminate these risks.

Is employee training for new video conferencing systems always necessary?

While modern video conferencing tools are designed for ease of use, it’s essential to recognize that comfort with technology can vary among employees. Training ensures that all team members can use your system to its fullest potential.

Even if your team members are familiar with such tools, the specific features or integrations of your new system may require brief training sessions. The goal is to ensure seamless communication and collaboration without technical hiccups so that you can enjoy the best possible value from your investment.

What costs and benefits are most relevant for my company when calculating ROI?

Each organization has unique needs. While we’ve offered a general breakdown of potential costs and benefits above, it’s crucial to consider your company’s unique factors, such as:

Consulting with our technology specialists at ET Group is the easiest way to arrive at a more specific estimate of the ROI you can expect from upgrading to a new video conferencing system.

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6 Steps For Achieving Unified Communications & Collaboration

Summary

6 Steps For Achieving Unified Communications & Collaboration

Unified communications and collaboration (UCC) is essential for successful hybrid workplaces, because it facilitates a single-pane solution for the various technologies that connect enterprises. Integrating diverse communication tools into a cohesive system not only enhances productivity but also ensures a seamless workflow between in-office and remote team members.

ET Group specializes in creating hybrid workplace solutions that embrace the principles of UCC for the organizations who partner with us and deliver measurable advantages. Below, we’ve laid out a road map with six essential steps you’ll need to take when designing a hybrid work environment aligned with this vital principle.

Graphic representing UCC with remote worker using laptop to communicate with on-site team member in hybrid workplace.

What UCC Is (& Why It Matters)

Unified communications and collaboration is a comprehensive approach to integrating various communication methods within an organization. The concept of UCC encompasses a wide range of technologies and tools that enable people to connect, communicate, and collaborate effectively, regardless of location. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Unified Communications

This aspect refers to the integration of communication tools like email, instant messaging, voice and video calls into a single, unified platform. The goal is to centralize all the threads of communication in a single platform, which enhances information flow between parties and teams.

Collaboration Tools

These are technologies that enable teamwork and cooperation. They might include file sharing, real-time document editing, digital whiteboards, project management software, and video conferencing platforms.

The Benefits of UCC

The integration of these communication and collaboration tools can improve productivity, streamline workflows, and enhance the overall efficiency of business processes. It allows for more flexible, agile, and effective communication and collaboration, especially vital in hybrid or remote work environments.

UCC solutions also provide consistent and accessible communication across different devices and locations. This enables seamless collaboration among team members whether they are in the office, at home, or on the move.

Six Steps to Building a UCC Solution for Your Organization

Team members discussing communication needs of organization to prepare for UCC solution.

Step 1: Identify Communication Needs

UCC can include a wide variety of components, but not all of them are essential for every workplace—so the first thing you’ll need to do is determine precisely what your organization needs. This might include (but is not limited to):

Understanding the unique requirements of your team is vital. Meet with key team members to confirm the types of technology that they rely on most often, and create a list of which ones will be essential components of your hybrid workplace. Our technology consulting services—including our “Transforming Hybrid Collaboration” workshop—can help guide you through this process and ensure you’re hitting all the right bases for your business.

Step 2: Evaluate Available Technologies

Once you’ve established your needs, it’s time to create a shortlist of specific tools for each of the technologies you want to incorporate into your UCC solution. This is a critical part of ensuring that you’ll achieve a hybrid space that is:

We can provide you with a comprehensive overview of the current technologies available for your needs and narrow down your options. This will help you choose practical and affordable tools that will serve your organization well for years to come.

Members of workplace collaborating with professional to implement UCC solution for hybrid work environment.

Step 3: Integrate Systems

Of course, the design of any hybrid workspace is only as good as the way it’s ultimately implemented. Seamlessly integrating the tools you’ve invested in so that they work together without hitches brings you a wide variety of benefits, including:

The science of successfully integrating various workplace technologies is called interoperability—essentially, the ability of disparate technologies to connect and interface with one another. Learn more about interoperability here and find out how we work to ensure high levels of it in every hybrid space we engineer.

Step 4: Training & Support

As important as technology is for achieving UCC, it’s also only half the battle. Once you have the right tech, you need to help your most important resource—your people—become confident and proficient in its use.

Properly training staff on all new systems is vital for maximum efficiency and team satisfaction. Consider investing in workshops to help your team embrace hybrid work and the technology that makes it possible so that you can ensure a consistent experience for everyone at your organization.

You’ll also need support and maintenance to keep your UCC technology current, functional, and secure. Remote support like real-time analytics and automated room testing for video conferencing systems between meetings allows you to be proactive and avoid compatibility problems (instead of waiting for them to occur before responding).

Graphic of team members in enterprise collaborating via different technologies to represent UCC.

Step 5: Encourage Usage & Adoption

To ensure the continued success of your unified communications and collaboration tools, it’s essential to actively encourage their adoption among team members. This can be achieved by:

Creating a culture that values these tools helps your team appreciate their value and leverage them effectively on a continuous basis. In turn, this maximizes the ROI of your entire hybrid work environment.

Step 6: Regularly Review & Optimize

Finally, regularly reviewing your unified communications and collaboration tools ensures that the technology you’ve chosen continues to serve the evolving needs of your team. Even if you’ve followed all the steps above, this is an important step for two reasons:

Working with us to create and maintain a comprehensive hybrid workspace designed specifically for your organization allows you to benefit from our experience and technical expertise—ensuring that the communications and collaboration technology you rely on is always current and comprehensive. This helps your organization stay flexible and ready to adapt as modern workplaces keep evolving.

Get Help Implementing UCC for Your Enterprise

The journey to effective unified communications and collaboration in a hybrid work environment is a strategic process that should be approached deliberately. Each step above is crucial for facilitating a more connected, efficient, and versatile workplace.

ET Group’s expertise in UCC solutions can ensure that your organization has the right tools and support to thrive in the era of hybrid work. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you navigate the challenges that come with making this essential shift and reap the benefits you and your team deserve.

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What Is Interoperability & Why Is It Essential for Effective Hybrid Workplaces?

What Is Interoperability & Why Is It Essential for Effective Hybrid Workplaces?

Summary

Hybrid workplaces are quickly becoming the new normal for forward-thinking organizations—blending the flexibility of remote work with the stability of traditional office settings. But every effective hybrid workplace depends on a concept that’s crucial for efficiency and inclusivity: interoperability.

Interoperability is the governing principle we use at ET Group to integrate meeting room technology, desk-hoteling software, and more in our custom hybrid workplace solutions. Below, we explain everything you need to know about this concept when updating your workplace for the modern era.

Graphic representing interoperability with icons for cloud systems, video conferencing solutions, and other hybrid work technologies.

What Is Interoperability (& Why Does It Matter)?

Interoperability is the ability of different communication platforms to connect seamlessly with one another. In layman’s terms, it’s about ensuring data can flow directly between the technologies that connect your workplace.

The simplest way to think about interoperability is that it gives everyone the same experience, no matter what device they’re using. But interoperability is different from integration—which is a general way of ensuring that disparate technologies can all be used together in the same IT environment. For two communications platforms to achieve interoperability, they should be set up to exchange data directly and without the need for additional infrastructure.

Hybrid Technology Where Interoperability Is Imperative

Efficient, user-friendly hybrid workplaces require various technologies to keep in-person and remote team  members seamlessly connected. Among these, video conferencing platforms are the single most important technology for ensuring interoperability, since team members often use different software (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) to communicate in hybrid setups and must be able to connect them without technical challenges that hamper user experience.

Other technologies should also be integrated into hybrid workplaces to create a harmonious tech experience for users. These include:

Graphic of remote worker struggling with interoperability problems during hybrid work

The Perils of Poor Interoperability

Interoperability issues can cripple the efficiency of hybrid workplaces, turning what should be a streamlined operation into a clunky and disjointed process. Here are a few of the challenges that can occur:

The Collaborative Power of Interoperability

Conversely, when systems are interoperable, they empower all members of your hybrid workplace to collaborate easily. Here’s what interoperability brings to the table:

Fostering Inclusion Through Interoperable Systems

Focusing on interoperability when creating hybrid spaces is what makes it possible to create a cohesive environment out of potential chaos. For example, each hybrid setup we implement at ET Group is unique, but we always set out to achieve the following goals:

By prioritizing interoperability when we design digital work environments, we ensure that your digital tools and platforms enhance your productivity and the experience of your team rather than holding them back. Reach out to us and learn more about creating a hybrid environment that propels your business forward, and check the FAQ below to learn more about the solutions we use.

FAQ about Interoperability in Hybrid Workplaces

Will choosing interoperable systems limit my choice of workplace technologies?

Not likely. Interoperability is less about finding products that are designed to work with each other out of the box, and more about creating processes that make different technologies compatible. In the long-run, this usually broadens your technology options instead of limiting them.

How much maintenance is required to maintain interoperability in a hybrid workplace?

Every IT environment requires ongoing technical support to prevent technical errors, security gaps, and obsolescence. That’s why ET Group offers support services for hybrid environments that ensure the ongoing functionality of our solutions.

Can I make different video conferencing platforms (like Zoom and Teams) interoperable?

Yes—our connections solutions can help you architect a space capable of connecting to major meeting platforms like Google Meet, Zoom, Teams, Webex, and more.

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