In today’s modern supply chains the people with whom we interact on a regular basis, are increasingly based in different cities, countries and across different continents.

Whilst generally, within our our own organisations, more and more people are working from home (or cafes or hotel lounges or on the beach!) More are working on client site, and more are working from remote hot desk locations.

In fact the hot-desking rental market has grown into a global phenomena. It’s a clear barometer of the changing nature and landscape of the workforce. We are essentially becoming a dispersed network of remotely connected stakeholders.

“Home” based output and performance has been drilled and debated for years as to whether productivity improves or is hindered when working away from HQ.

And with today’s demand for sustainable trading practices, souring overheads, environmental living, and the demands of hiring top market-aware talent; all important factors that have been influencing how employers shape their businesses in today’s increasingly virtual and dynamic eco-galaxy.

So the workplace with all its variables is literally morphing, it’s a constantly shifting space. Many firms now aspire to become fully remote operations; shaped in part by a growing responsibility to implement sustainable practices as well as sharing a growing belief that quality of life work balance trumps that of a traditional Monday to Friday groundhog existence.

And work life balance no longer simply refers to work and non-work (life) balance. The fact is we now spend so much time working, to a great many more of us, work itself is split into work and life balance.

Technology the great enabler

This recent change in attitude has certainly been shaped in no small part by technology. Technology advancement is probably the biggest enabler of this migration to a latte office lifestyle. The tech absolutely supports the case for remote working.

This means that users of technology, kitted out with smaller computers, smarter phones, slicker tablets etc, are connecting and consuming down through the cloud. They have become fully mobile offices and quite frankly they will never go back. In fact they constantly want more of the same.

We all have an insatiable appetite for tech that makes our lives better at home – and now equally in our work lives. The fact is we will never again be anchored to a single workstation or static environment.

Tech is pervasive. New software and hardware is certainly lifestyle bred so by design increasingly finds its way into every nook and cranny of our lives. As the lines between work and life continue to blur, so we’ll see more evolutionary type change in the work place akin to those social platforms moving in and reshaping social habits.

How many times have you joined a meeting online, only to find that most of the attendees are actually sitting in the same building as you.