Wearables in the workplace

Wearables in the workplace
The wearable tech market is booming. Sales of smart watches and glasses, fitness trackers are expected to reach $3 billion by the end of 2016, and are projected to top that by another billion dollars in 2017. And while smart devices are certainly proving to be very popular with consumers, they’re also changing the way we work. Smart watches are enabling employees to access cloud platforms while on the road. Smart caps, bracelets and badges allow managers to monitor employee location, which can help when assigning tasks or during emergencies. A 2014 study from the Institute of Management Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London revealed that workers experienced a 3.5% increase in job satisfaction. The same study also reported an 8.5% increase in productivity. For business managers, this kind of data is telling.

Smart watches

Traditional watches have always helped people make appointments on time. Today’s watches can do so much more. Smart watches are at the top of the wearables market in sales, accounting for 59% of the market share in 2015. It is predicted that by 2019, smart watches will account for 70% of wearable sales. With their potential for business applications, it’s not hard to see why. 

Late for a meeting or can’t make it because you’re out of town? No problem. Skype is now available for Apple and Android watches. From your seat on the train you can now connect with colleagues from all over the world. Need an update on a sales spreadsheet? Cloud platforms like Salesforce’s Analytics Cloud allow you to monitor analytics from anywhere via phone and smart watch apps. And how does all this lead to greater productivity and efficiency? The answer is time. Employees no longer have to stop tasks and travel to central locations for meetings, or be at company headquarters to access data. They can teleconference on the fly, and they can access and edit documents without needing to hit the office or meet with other workers in person. And watches are even more portable than smartphones.

Smart glasses

While Google Glass was initially viewed as a flop, both critically and in terms of sales, it’s possible that the technology was simply released too early. Business Insider is predicting a yearly sales rate of 21 million units by the end of 2018, translating into a $10.5 billion yearly revenue stream.

Industrial smart glasses created by XOEye are proving invaluable in the construction industry. When difficulties are encountered on site, the XOEye glasses let workers make high quality video recordings which are then sent to troubleshooting experts off site. Thanks to two-way communications ability, remote viewers can provide expertise to guide the workers through problems. Security firms could also benefit from these glasses as video of ongoing situations could be relayed to headquarters.

Sensor data and efficiency

Sensor tags worn on shirts, in badges or in smart caps are helping workers with organizational tasks. In Amazon’s warehouses, shippers are wearing GPS tags and using handheld scanners to determine the fastest route to every given item, saving them time and allowing them to process orders faster. Arm bands worn in grocery stores can keep track of shelf stocking so that employees no longer need a clip board.

The safety factor

Many wearable devices on the market today are designed first and foremost with safety in mind. GPS trackers in watches, badges, bracelets, caps and the like can be invaluable for tracking employees, especially when they are going into potentially dangerous areas such as mines. Some devices take this one step further. AlertGPS has worked with Matrix Medical Network to create wearable devices for home healthcare workers. Should Matrix’s workers ever feel endangered, they simply press a button which will immediately alert the authorities. The devices also provide predator alerts. Should a healthcare worker be assigned to work in or near the home of a registered sex offender, for example, they will receive an alert right away.

The future

Wearables are already making their presence felt in the workplace, and their role is only going to grow in coming years. In addition to providing wearables to employees, companies are now starting to allow employees to bring their own devices to work. According to a Salesforce survey, 54% of companies already allow workers to bring their own devices. Another 40% indicated that they would allow “Bring Your Own Wearable” (BYOW) policies in the future.

Paul Fitzgerald is a science and technology writer with Inventorspot.com and blogs for CNN International Report. He is also tech and celebrity writer with Hoss Magazine, one of North America's leading home lifestyle publications.Â