World Champion Austria Furniture industry
The office of the future comes from Lower Austria Just in time for the return of office life Bene is presenting a new furniture line and offers interesting insights into the latest trends.
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Photo: Bene GmbH
“Challenge the Future of Work” report, which provides fresh insight t is obvious that work life is not only changing in factories and food for thought. thanks to technological advancements but also in offices. How they will change is up for debate though. Over the last few Artificial intelligence is considered a positive thing years, a number of studies and surveys were published, all One of the surveyed issues was the use of artificial intelligence. The with highly different results. They range from dystopian scenarios majority of people don’t see it as a threat but as a positive thing – were work is mostly done by machines and humans will become regardless of age, sex or how dynamic they consider their compaobsolete and unemployed, to optimistic outlooks that see the main nies. It is also interesting to note that artificial intelligence with use of artificial intelligence to make work easier and more pleasant. regards to an office environment is seen more positive than overall In 2018, Bene added the opinions of 40 international experts to the technologies of automation despite the majority of those surveyed latest findings and summarised them in its “Future of Work” report. believing that their employers are at best moderately prepared for There are four key areas: What will the interaction of humans and the changes that the use of artificial intelligence will bring about. machines look like? What does new work require from management Another surprise were the answers regarding the meaning and culture? How do people experience their work, which meaning does purpose of work. 73 percent of respondents want to contribute their it have to them? And the fourth area dealt with the architectural skills and want to identify with their company’s goals. This figure design of the workplace. is considerably higher than expected after the results of the first Since then, Bene conducted a number of further interviews with report. It was also surprising experts, customers and partthat the age of the respondents ners, hosted panel discussions played no role in this regard. and webinars, in order to take “In the first Future of Work rea closer look at the evolution of port we considered younger work and the rooms it takes people to play a special role,” place in from various perspecexplains Michael Fried, Managtives. ing Director of Bene. “We unTo explore these issues, toderlined that the Generation Y gether with the Karlsruhe Instihas particularly high demands tute of Technology (KIT) and of their employers. But we have the Fraunhofer Institute for to revise this assumption now. Systems and Innovation ReThe desire for self-expression search (ISI), Bene surveyed and personal development at 1,200 people from 34 countries work – know-why instead of about the current situation and know-how – seems to be a genthe future of work. The findings eral sign of times and not a The Parcs line launched a new era of an open, flexible office landscape in 2009. have been compiled in the new
