How to Manage Post-COVID New Norms With the Help of AI
With Phase 3, more people will return to office and crowded spaces will quickly become the new normal. Though we have adapted to the pandemic with SafeEntry, TraceTogether and technological devices, it is equally important to construct systems that can prevent future outbreaks.
As such, it becomes key for companies and retailers to put in place efficient contactless contact tracing systems alongside Smart Workspace Solutions (SWS) to manage the pandemic. Specifically, SWS focuses on contactless procedures while automating work processes and contact tracing, creating a safe workspace for future offices.
Our Approach: The Canon Solutions
With limited physical interaction and social distancing in place, businesses are pivoting towards digital transformation by converting themselves into smart offices. Canon, too, is streamlining its tools and solutions that use AI to better manage crowds and the needs of Phase 3.For instance, with Canon’s Access Control, facial recognition and temperature screening technology are incorporated into a single and contactless interface.
For safe and secure door access control, this system can be configured to allow entry for only authorised employees and visitors. Additionally, its ability to record temperature and identification data for contact tracing purposes allows the entire process to be digitalised, freeing up manpower and resources.
In fact, these features already exist in Canon’s Facial Access Control Temperature System (FACTS), an artificial intelligence (AI) powered all-in-one solution that enables contactless contact tracing. Besides compressing the temperature scanning, barcode scanning, and monitoring needs into one interface, FACTS comes with a scalable contact tracing process system, enough to support hundreds of individuals and an entire suite of solutions. After toggling for check-in, users scan their face and are prompted to scan an identification card before FACTS automatically records their data for contact tracing purposes. The statistics report feature in this SWS technology makes FACTS ideal for easy planning, data analysis and managing crowd flow in our new normal.
Creating a Safe and Smart Workspace for All in Our New Normal
Introducing technological systems alone do not increase productivity in our new normal; there is a need to adapt workflow processes in order to integrate a safe workspace within.
Canon’s SWS have been designed with these needs in mind. The Solutions are simple to use because they already support the information and functions businesses will potentially need.
For instance, features such as a Visitor Management System and even a Facilities Booking System may traditionally require a human intermediary. SWS leverages on the automation of repeating processes with its contactless functions, allowing for a smoother transition into our new normal alongside reduced operational costs.
Beyond productivity, SWS smile recognition technology integrated within the facial recognition solution encourages people to smile, which can subtly cultivate friendlier and happier workspaces – research says that smiling can trick your brain into happiness, even if it’s a forced smile.
Contact Tracing Truths
When contact tracing was first implemented in Singapore, we were the first country to do so using a national coronavirus-tracing app. It was important to have the means to cut the chain of transmissions with TraceTogether’s bluetooth signal exchanges if people contracted flu-like symptoms, but also to adapt our social norms for a post-COVID world.
Crowds make it difficult for safe entry officers to simultaneously conduct crowd control and ensure that everyone adheres to contact tracing processes. Manpower is continuously expended on one fixed central location. With its deep learning capabilities, problem-solving and pattern recognition functions, AI changes the way we can process large amounts of data at a time. One of the biggest challenges managing mass contact tracing is continuously maintaining a safe workplace in our new normal – this is where Canon and the contactless SWS become especially relevant.
The New Norm and the Future Office Landscape
From everyday actions such as unlocking your phone with face recognition to pattern-detection in traffic lights, IoT and AI are indispensable in making our lives easier and more secure.
With the new normal, it is important to stay ahead and flatten the curve. This means adhering to contact tracing regulations and leveraging on technology's abilities to stay on top of ever-evolving situations. With Canon providing reliable end-to-end solutions with their digital transformation capabilities, SWS can improve productivity, automate repeating processes, and minimise operational costs as a one-stop solution. From a business operational planning viewpoint, these features can lead to actionable insights and streamline the future office landscape. If we can make life with our new normal easier for everyone, wouldn’t that be the ideal world?
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