Productivity software is a market worth $47.33 billion but optimising indoor air quality (IAQ) could be more effective and save money.
Productivity software offers advantages but many employees fail to effectively manage multiple productivity tools at once. Cornell University’s Ellis Idea Lab researchers found that nearly an hour of every working day is wasted trying to find information via tools. Not only do these wasted hours by each employee impact their productivity, but it also has the potential to negatively impact a company, with up to $450 billion being lost annually.
“We seem to be forever trying to seek out another percentage of productivity as new tools come and replace others,” said Rishi Chowdhury, co-founder of Incube Space. “With relatively small gains left to make by switching tools, we should instead be looking at our environment and ensuring that as humans we’re in optimal condition to thrive in offices. It starts with lower CO2 levels and optimal thermal comfort.”
IAQ can have a significantly positive impact on productivity that is being overlooked, Incube Space believes. Good IAQ throughout an office working environment has the potential to boost employee concentration and cognitive performance and can prevent headaches, fatigue and dizziness (Sweeney, 2021).
Choosing to invest in better IAQ across your office environment has the potential to hugely benefit your business, with the Harvard Study finding that doubling the recommended rate of ventilation across a commercial building can bring in an additional $6500 per year.
Choosing to invest in better IAQ across your office can also create a reduction in absenteeism, which is currently costing American companies around $2.4 billion annually.
Absenteeism is most commonly caused by the spreading of illnesses across a working environment and choosing high-quality IAQ can reduce this massively. You can maximise presenteeism in your office by choosing to prioritise IAQ as a productivity tool.
Incube Space believes that simply optimising your HVAC system can have a hugely beneficial impact. Consolidate data and insights from across your building’s technologies. Get rid of silos and connect everything from your BMS, HVAC, IoT sensors such as space utilisation or indoor air quality.
