With a new year comes a fresh start. It’s a great time to get into the doctor, get a check-up and get back in shape. But employees aren’t alone in their need to check on their health – your office is probably also out of shape. While the employees are away for the holidays, tech-heavy spaces such as meeting rooms are sitting unused. With the rapid advances in collaboration technology over the last few years, those rooms may not be ready for our new style of work.

Meeting rooms don’t have to be an obstacle upon your return, however. Here are a few reasons why now is a great time to give your meeting room its own “health check.”

1. Safety concerns aren’t going away

Re-evaluating the way employees launch and manage meetings has greatly influenced the way offices are set up. Make a note of how many remotes and panels each room holds. Are the blinds controlled by an iPad, the TV by a Crestron remote and the lights by a Cisco Touch10 panel? Consider integrating each of these meeting room products into a single panel or remote with the Cisco Touch 10 Wall Mount.

If employees can enter the meeting room and control everything with a single touch, their chances of spreading or picking up germs is greatly reduced, a concern on many people’s minds over the past several years. Of course, the simplicity achieved by integrating remotes is a huge bonus. No more struggling with technology to launch a meeting!

2. Remote – and hybrid – work is the new normal

Remote and office workers must live in harmony. The new hybrid meeting experience can present a problem: it will need to feel as personal as the remote meetings we’ve all grown used to. The solution requires installing new technology, such as cameras that can easily find the face of whoever is speaking.

In addition, companies that adopted updated meeting platform technology such as Zoom, Webex or Microsoft Teams for the first time while remote will need to ensure their meeting rooms can support those tools. A glitchy video call isn’t a great way to start your first meeting back in the office.

3. It’s time for an assessment

If you’re using the next few months to prepare your office for this new normal, the RoomReady team can work with you on a video room assessment.

We start by completing a thorough inventory of each meeting room, accounting for every chair, light and remote. We take note of the video endpoints you’re using, and how each element of the room is controlled. We sit down with your team to define the room’s “desired state” – how will the room be used, and what components does it absolutely need to have?

Finally, we work with you to develop a standard room menu, detailing what steps you need to take to upgrade each unique room while ensuring a consistent experience from meeting space to meeting space. We develop a migration plan for you to implement any new technology, and can even complete installation if you choose.

We’re seeing a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, but it’s likely going to be a few months before we can safely return all our employees to the office. In the meantime, you’ve got a great opportunity to ensure your workspaces are ready for their return – and RoomReady is here to help. Learn more about our video room assessment here.