by Brianna Crandall — September 4, 2020 — Australia-founded startup OfficeMaps, an interactive workspace management tool provider, has just announced the launch of new software features to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in the office.
OfficeMaps workspace management software helps FMs allocate or block desks and office space to ensure social distancing; see who is remote or on site; and trace contacts. Image courtesy OfficeMaps. Click to enlarge.
A COVID-safe work environment is crucial. OfficeMaps helps employers and facilities managers (FMs) ensure social distancing is maintained. The software shows employers a visual representation of their assets and office space. This means that employers can allocate or block desks and office space while abiding by social distancing measures.
Further, OfficeMaps has just released a new contact tracing feature. This feature uses mapping technology to compile a list of which personnel are in the office at any time. Understanding your immediate work environment is at the foundation of a safe and productive workplace, says the company.
No transition back to office life is perfect, points out the company. It is important to have a plan for the scenario in which an employee comes to the office with the virus. The contact tracing feature of OfficeMaps highlights where an employee has been and with whom they have had contact. Should an employee test positive to COVID-19, employers are able to act quickly to minimize the spread.
This is just one of several new features added into the OfficeMaps proprietary platform in response to the rapid spread of COVID-19. The OfficeMaps team has seen a huge surge in the number of enquiries as employers wrestle with social distancing requirements. This software has the potential to be a lifeboat for doing business during COVID-19. Offices must implement social distancing — and quickly. OfficeMaps might just make that transition far easier for businesses around the world.
Robert Wilkinson, CXO of OfficeMaps, remarked:
For the foreseeable future, gone are the days of employees’ sitting side by side in open plan offices. We are making social distancing easier by enabling administrators to selectively block desks from being allocated to permanent or temporary users. Over the past three months, we’ve seen a huge number of requests from HR managers and employers who want to ensure that their staff are returning to the office safely. New enquiries have tripled since COVID-19.
This recent growth is on the back of already increasing attention, according to the company. Subscription revenue for OfficeMaps has doubled each year since 2018. The US has the highest number of subscribers, followed by Australia and Europe. All of these markets are set to rise as COVID-19 social distancing measures remain in place.
Wilkinson continued:
The new features are a result of COVID-19 enquiries. While for many businesses remote working will be a new norm, many still require office interaction — irrespective of what many people are saying, the office is not dead! As a result, we need to ensure these spaces are safe during the days people are in the office. Our new platform features not only [help] protect people returning to the office but also [ensure] that social distancing is adhered to.
OfficeMaps has transformed in the face of COVID-19, to meet real business needs. New features include:
- Enable social distance — OfficeMaps enables administrators and FMs to selectively block desks from being allocated to permanent or temporary users.
- Contact tracing — Staff location is noted and tracked. OfficeMaps can inform employers of which staff are present, with whom they come in contact, and where they spend their time.
- Display occupancy statistics — Ensuring appropriate people density in office buildings is a key method for limiting the spread of COVID-19. OfficeMaps gives your employees’ the tools they need to know when a safe number of people have been reached in your building or in your meeting rooms.
- Find sanitizing stations — To help employees adhere to new cleanliness standards, OfficeMaps makes it easy to find resources in the office.
- Find where team members are working from — with many team members working from home either permanently or for some part of the week, it can be hard to find them when you need them. This feature helps by showing a team members “working from” status from the map or search.
Even before COVID, OfficeMaps was already being used by many happy clients to keep track of who and what is where within office blocks with a visual representation on an interactive map of business locations. The technology is used to also ensure the business real estate is being used and managed effectively.
For more information, visit the OfficeMaps website. Founded in 2017, OfficeMaps has grown steadily and is preparing for a rapid phase of growth as more workplaces look to stagger their “back to the office” strategy.
