Humanscale has always been one of the industry’s “vision driven” companies. As a longtime leading provider of “ergonomic” products intended to help workers avoid work related injuries, the company has gradually broadened its focus to include a more general and inclusive “health-centered” approach.
At NeoCon 2015, Humanscale launched OfficeIQ, a hardware/software system that can help companies monitor actual utilization of its several sit/stand products. Using occupancy and height sensor technology from a lightweight, portable box positioned on or under the work surface, OfficeIQ provides companies with sit/stand utilization data across teams or departments or entire work locations.
Individual employees may opt-in to receive real time feedback on their personal utilization of the sit/stand features, encouraging them to change, move and make healthy choices throughout the day. The software even calculates incremental calorie burn using an algorithm based on scientific measurements of the calorie burning differences between sitting and standing.
I recently visited Humanscale’s Manhattan showroom to experience OfficeIQ in person and talk to Humanscale Founder and CEO Bob King and VP of Marketing Chris Gibson. Despite my long admiration for its lineup of chairs designed by Niels Diffrient, I had never actually discussed design philosophy and product development policy with Humanscale executives. And I was eager to learn how it made the leap from furniture products and accessories to a full-on tech product.
Just as the widespread adoption of technology is fostering changes in how and where people work, the application of technology can be helpful in convincing numbers driven business executives that investment in workplace design and furnishings can be justified through hard evidence.
“OfficeIQ is in line with our focus on solutions that are inherently simple and easy to use, yet have a real impact on wellness in the workplace,” said Mr. King. “It will help to ensure that sit/stand equipment users gain the full benefits of their ergonomic workstations.
“No one is talking about utilization, but this is critical data for the evolving office environment. It can generate cost savings and help employers see real returns on their investments in developing healthier and happier places to work.”
Mr. Gibson said, “We were looking for ways to increase utilization of sit/stand products, as well as help our customers understand and realize the benefits. In searching for solutions, Jake Sigal and Massimo Baldini, the founders of Tome software, pitched us on the idea of using ultrasonic sensors that could detect height changes to measure how often people were actually using the capability our sit/stand products gave them. It was one of those serendipitous moments when you hear an idea and immediately know it’s the answer to the problem you’ve been trying to solve.”
A passion for connecting hardware products to software applications led Messrs. Sigal and Baldini to establish Tome, Inc. in April 2014. Founded in metro Detroit, the company develops connectivity products to keep people mobile and active. Messrs. Sigal and Baldini sold their previous startup, Livio, to Ford Motor Company in 2013. Their goal is to create value as a focused niche within the larger Internet of Things (IoT) movement. Tome is a member of the StartUp Health accelerator, based in New York City.
The pair were drawn to Humanscale because of its impressive array of health-centered products.
“The Tome team is totally into the Internet of Things (IoT) movement, and they are passionate about developing things that can positively impact people’s health and wellbeing,” said Mr. Gibson. “So from the start, it looked like it had the potential to be a great partnership.”
The product development process was actually quite short compared with typical furniture development cycles. From start to first shipments was only a year. As happens in the best collaborations, each company brought its strengths to the process – Humanscale brought hardware design and electrical engineering expertise, and Tome brought software and wireless networking knowledge. Together they achieved something that neither could have achieved alone.
So here’s how OfficeIQ works. A small, unobtrusive white or black box is attached to the moveable work surface. It can sense height changes and records whenever a change is made. The individual workstations in an area are networked using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which allows the system to operate “under the radar” of a company’s enterprise wireless network without interference. That’s key to its acceptance by the IT gurus at potential customers.
Another important element of the system is that the data about utilization that is sent to the company is aggregated to a level that ensures individual users’ privacy. On the other hand, if an individual is interested in tracking their movements, they may opt-in to receive data on their own activity. Think of it as a fitbit that is dedicated to tracking the use of the height adjustability of your personal worksurface.
As a nice touch, Humanscale and Tome worked with scientists to develop an algorithm that calculates incremental calorie burn – that is, the difference in calories burned during a day based on one’s actual usage of the sit/stand feature compared with sitting all day.
They also developed reporting that “gamifies” the experience. Individuals can receive activity scores and alerts with smart sit/stand reminders, while companies can set up teams to create a friendly competition between departments. Tome’s “Don’t be Creepy” data policy protects the individual’s privacy. In turn, employers receive aggregated data, which enables the company to track occupancy and utilization rates.
And that can be big! If reducing real estate costs is a goal for most companies, and average square footage per employee can only be squeezed so far, understanding utilization rates is an important lever for providing right-sized workplaces.
If reducing real estate costs is a goal for most companies, and average square footage per employee can only be squeezed so far, understanding [workstation] utilization rates is an important lever for providing right-sized workplaces.
Realizing the power that measuring overall space utilization would provide its clients, Humanscale recently announced the extension of the OfficeIQ line to include a “connected” caster that can sense whether or not a Humanscale chair is being occupied at any given time – providing real time data on real estate utilization in addition to the health and wellbeing data provided by the sit/stand tracking.
We tend to assume that not sitting all day is better than sitting all day. While there have already been some studies carried out on individual subjects to measure various indicators of increased health benefits, the true benefits will be best understood as the result of broader scale “epidemiological” studies. If cost conscious companies are going to spend money on equipment to enhance employee wellbeing, they will have to have data that supports the claimed benefits.
In January, Humanscale and Washington state health insurance provider Premera Blue Cross announced an innovative pilot study hoping to learn how the perceived benefits of OfficeIQ actually translate into reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, employee satisfaction, and general wellness in the workplace. Mr. Gibson promised to keep us apprised of the results, and we promise to share the findings with you our readers. To be continued!