Here at Wayleadr we love to hero smart offices and the people who help create them. A real leader in this space is Cody Goodermoote from Proxy. In his role as IT & Workplace Operations Manager Cody is playing a key role in creating the Office 2.0 experience for one of the US’s fastest growing companies.
What role does technology have in improving workplaces in your opinion?
Technology will play an absolutely critical role in improving workplaces today and into the future. That’s exactly why Proxy created Workplace 2030. We want the best experts and the best technology to come together to create solutions that will improve the health and safety of all visitors and employees.
What are the key barriers to tech adoption in this space at the moment?
The key barriers to tech adaptation in the space from my perspective are:
1) Existing options on the market tend to be expensive and come from large, established companies that are slow to innovate
2) Connectivity with other apps and services — shouldn’t your visitor management system connect to your access control system so visitors can have seamless access to your space, all from their phone?
3) Budgets & priorities. I think pre-COVID, companies did not allocate nearly enough money to office technology — this is definitely going to change since there is now a clear ROI, especially on the health and safety side.
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Learn MoreWhat are your favorite innovations in the market at the moment?
I’m biased, but Proxy’s technology is 100% my favorite technology on the market. Our Mobile Reader Nano is the smallest mobile reader in the world! We’re enabling new directions in the smart, healthy workplace with our line of readers & sensors — all while keeping end user privacy at the forefront of what we do. We’ve got some really exciting products coming out this year.
How is technology making it easier for employees to work in your experience?
We now have fast home internet connections, sometimes exceeding office speeds — we have high-quality cameras and the services (Zoom, BlueJeans) to support interactive meetings. Companies rapidly adopted SaaS tools like Slack, so employees can remain connected anywhere in the world — gone are the days of slow, email-based communication. There’s a lot of really great tools coming out like around (around.co) that are helping to redefine the clunky, intrusive video conferencing experience.
What are the key challenges you are seeing in workplaces post-lockdown?
1) Some employees really want to be back in the office and most of them thrive on the in-person energy of others. We need to ensure a safe, smooth reopening of workplaces globally — we’ve seen a lot of solutions, many which are contradictory — this is why Proxy launched Workplace 2030, so that we can combine the best techniques and technologies for reopening offices safely, all vetted by industry leaders.
2) Public transit is definitely a concern among employees in companies we’ve seen surveys from — anywhere from 45-75% of people have stated this is their top concern with returning to the workplace. Many have cars, but in San Francisco we have the challenge of limited parking spaces. I think this is where Wayleadr can really help get more people back into the office in areas where parking is limited or hard to access.
Transform your facilities management
Discover how Wayleadr's facilities management can help you streamline your operations and improve efficiency
Learn MoreLooking for some real-life examples? Check out how companies like Colliers International, Version 1 & Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt have solved their parking problems.
What is the one part of your job that you’d love to see technology make easier?
Technology has already made my job a lot easier — but I’d argue that printers are still the one office technology that has not improved in the last 10 years — they still seem to jam frequently no matter how much you spend on them or what kind of fancy paper you use. I’m not sure we’ll ever make a printer that doesn’t jam or somehow malfunction.
Know someone who you think should be featured in our workplace innovators series? Email your recommendation to [email protected].
Parking causing issues? Join industry leaders from companies like Sanofi, Indeed.com & CBRE, schedule a demo with Wayleadr.com today and solve your parking problems in the click of a button.
