Fueling Innovation in the Hybrid Workplace With RICOH Spaces

Building a Space for Productive Creativity and Collaboration

The Ricoh Digital Experiences (RDx) team spearheads the development of Ricoh’s next-gen workplace SaaS solutions, including hybrid workplace management platform RICOH Spaces. With the advent of hybrid work policies, the team discovered their current location was no longer sufficient for their needs. That’s why they set out to build a new workspace that would drive collaboration and creativity, while showcasing the best of the team’s work.

In this case study, we reveal how RICOH Spaces enabled the RDx team to optimise their office space while improving collaboration and attendance rates.

 

“RICOH Spaces has allowed us to find ways to transform and optimise the workplace that we can deploy on future projects at client locations. The new office will be vital as we continue to define the workplace of the future.”

Nathan Thomas, Head of Product, RDx

An Overview

The RDx team focuses on developing Ricoh’s digital experience offerings, utilising advanced technology such as AI to drive automation and deliver new services according to changing customer needs. The team thrives on collaboration and creative problem-solving, testing their solutions in real-life scenarios before rolling it out to customers. It was important that their office be a Digital Experience Centre that expressed both the possibilities and realities supported by RICOH Spaces.

The Challenges

The demand for better collaboration spaces and innovation

The team had been based in a 6,700 square feet space just outside the Birmingham city centre since inception. The space had been designed to accommodate desks and meeting rooms, but it lacked dedicated collaboration zones and flexibility.

Usage data showed that on average, only 50% of the available space was being utilised. As the RDx team moved to support hybrid work, maintaining such a large space was no longer a practical and cost-effective option.

The Solution

How RICOH Spaces enabled transformative hybrid workplaces

RDx took the opportunity to rethink their workplace, downsizing their footprint and envisioning a new space—one that would encourage productivity and collaboration while showcasing Ricoh’s digital innovations.

After identifying the ideal location in Rum Runner Works, RDx worked closely with Ricoh Europe’s facilities team to design and integrate the layouts, technologies, and furnishings that would be part of the new Digital Experience Centre.

This included the full-scale deployment of RICOH Spaces, a single platform for managing the workspaces and collaboration needs of a hybrid workforce.

The Outcomes

Empowered collaboration driving productivity

RICOH Spaces enabled RDx to create an agile, futuristic workspace that facilitates innovation and productivity. IoT sensors provide comprehensive workplace monitoring, identifying usage patterns, optimising space allocation, and enabling real-time adjustments for a data-driven intelligent workplace. If someone books a room then changes plans, the sensors detect inactivity and releases the space for rebooking.

The RICOH Spaces platform is integrated with their Microsoft 365 environment to provide a single, secure login. This sync calendars, Teams Rooms devices and user profiles and security permissions to reduce admin overheads.

Key Benefits

 

Enhanced Collaboration: Cutting-edge audiovisual solutions and technologies strengthen collaboration between on-site team and remote team members.

 

Improved Workplace Environment: Occupancy and environmental sensors help administrators monitor and adjust the temperature, humidity and CO2 levels for optimal work environment.

 

Better Space Utilisation: IoT sensors and usage data help track space utilisation and identify areas of improvement.

 

Scalable on Demand: Cloud-based SaaS software allows rapid scalability and flexibility, adding new users, spaces or even locations as your organisation grows.

 

“RICOH Spaces has allowed us to find ways to transform and optimise the workplace that we can deploy on future projects at client locations. The new office will be vital as we continue to define the workplace of the future.”

Nathan Thomas, Head of Product, RDx

Conclusion

A reimagined space for productive collaboration and creativity

RICOH Spaces has played a pivotal role in RDx’s journey, transforming the Digital Experience Centre into a modern, cutting-edge facility that fosters a culture of collaboration and creativity.

By enhancing the workplace experience and optimising resource management, RICOH Spaces enabled RDx to adapt working conditions in real-time to uncover new innovative ways of working, even within a smaller physical space.

 

“It’s more than a showroom—it’s a living facility where we are actually using and continuously optimising our solutions.”

Nathan Thomas, Head of Product, RDx