BT ANNIVERSARY ISSUE: The Work Place

Networked. Friendly. And egalitarian. These three adjectives could well describe the workplace of the future. For, just like the 'how' and 'why' of work, the 'where' will change too.

Somewhere in the not-too-distant future...
It's three in the p.m. when Aarti Paul, the India-CEO (that's Coordinating Efficiency Organiser, silly) of CokPep-the world's largest food solutions company-realises she has not had lunch. She presses a hot-key on Daisy, her e-aid. In the next minute, Daisy taps into a location-based service and orders Aarti's favourite pepperoni and pineapple pizza (there's no accounting for taste, not even in the future) from the closest parlour. Knowing that she'd be tucking into a pizza soon, Aarti stops at the atrium of the EU office of CokePep (she's visiting) where there's a sort of canteen and orders a latte. Picking it up, she heads for one of the hotdesks dotting the atrium. It's time to check on things at home.

Her first call is to her Chennai GM (Goal Moderator), Sridhar Iyer. Aarti wishes to know the status of the presentation she has to take to New York Monday week. A campus recruit had suggested they launch Sambhar-flavoured Crisps and Sridhar had been working with the kid on a prototype. Iyer says the presentation will be ready by the time she's back from Europe. That reminds her that she had better tuck into lunch quickly; her flight to Mumbai leaves in 40 minutes and she hates plane-food (some things never change)...

That may not be the most accurate forecast ever written, but a little wishful thinking never did any harm. It has already become clear that technology is the all-pervasive force driving change in the workplace. Half a decade ago-when e-mail and the internet were not everyday terms, and Bluetooth could well have been some highly contagious tropical flu-work still went on. Only, compared to the quantity, pace and quality of work being done today (and that which will be done in the future), the past looks like a lazy Thursday afternoon in a French government office. Already, courtesy the infotech boom, things have changed. Admits Uday Bhansali, Senior Partner, Accenture: ''High productivity, high quality... the two are things we are increasingly taking for granted thanks to technology.''

It isn't just the serious side, the softer aspects of the workplace are also being influenced by the touch of technology. The way we work, the way we interact with each other, even the physical parameters of the workplace are in the midst of a metamorphosis.

The internet has already changed, directly or indirectly, the way people interact, the processes they use to, and the environments in which they do business, and the structure of their organisation. One of the most radical fallouts of technology is the death of distance. In the immediate future telecommuting will increase; driving this will be decreases in absenteeism, reduced commuting costs, increased productivity, and improved morale. Take the case of robotics engineer S.S. Krishnan, who works for the Department of Robotics at the Carnegie Mellon University, US. For the last five years, he has been working alone in Bangalore on a project for a company in Japan. It took him some time to adjust to this workstyle. But now that he has, and as the quality of communication links has improved, his visits to the US have tapered off. Indeed, futurist Joseph Coates estimates telecommuting will account for 20 per cent of all work done by the year 2005.

Still, if telecommuting has to work, companies and individuals will have to address a few issues. The challenges include measuring an employee's performance in terms of the achievement of objectives rather than the number of hours worked, providing access to databases such as online directories and libraries, and instilling loyalty and a shared vision among employees one may never meet face-to-face. Human beings are social animals and one of the biggest problems an organisation that allows remote working will need to tackle is fulfilling the individual employee's need to be in touch with others. Arthur Andersen already provides isdn connections to employees, and encourages people to work from home. But the response has been lukewarm. Says Narayan Seshadri, the head of the firm's business consulting operations: ''Employees prefer working in the office. The solution is to alter the structure of the workplace. Make the office more an area of discussion and debate, and not the place where you compile information.'' And that's something that requires a change in the mindset of the employees.

Companies will also increasingly feel the need to look at the human implications of technology. Says Arun Sehgal, Regional Director (hr), India and South Asia, Gillette: ''We are conscious of the fact that we should not become an impersonal office. We need to maintain a balance.'' The future, then, could see the emergance of virtual staff rooms and virtual meeting places. The premise of teleworking is simple. The workplace should not be confined to the office. Instead of travelling long distances just to get to a physical office, work can be done from the confines of the house, with the help of computers and communication tools. It saves the employee the hassle of travelling; the employer, precious fixed costs.

Already, wireless connectivity is heralding a revolution. Cellular operators (not the Indian ones, but there's nothing preventing them from doing so) have introduced the concept of a home zone tariff, which allow the use of a mobile telephone as a fixed line service while in a pre-defined home zone.

That seems plain vanilla stuff when you consider what the Transparent Telepresence Research Group (TTRG) is seeking to do in the UK. Over the next few years, the TTRG wants to develop systems that will allow three-dimensional video images of people to be transmitted across broadband networks, with the sense of touch and feel. With broadband will also come devices: watches with cameras and palmtops with global positioning system receivers. Are these devices needed? Well, view them as force-multipliers-they can be used to enhance productivity or increase efficiency-and perhaps the costs can be justified.

How does the workplace benefit from ubiquitous connectivity? It will permit smaller companies to be connected to their customers globally. In addition, e-mail will soon give way to voice (and later video) mail, significantly cutting down the time spent in communication. ''Work will not be about work only. A large part of work will revolve around communicating, through fax, e-mail, and the internet,'' explains Sridhar Mitta, Chief Technology Officer of e4e Labs. ''Organising and sharing of information at the work place will play a critical role.''

If flatter organisations and decentralisation are becoming more of a reality today, the reason is not a sudden change of heart among senior professionals and an abhorrence or power and control. It is technology. Avers Arun Maira, Chairman and Director, Boston Consulting Group: ''Earlier, people in management roles were supposed to have added perspective because of the information they had access to. Now everyone has access to the same information, which is why organisations are becoming flatter.''

Companies are increasingly realising the benefits of sharing information with employees even though it is difficult, sometimes, to operate in and control an environment in which everyone knows everything. Agrees Rakesh Pandey, Head of hr, Marico: ''We are a fully wired organisation. People have access to information, not necessarily on a need-to-know basis. This has its disadvantages. But we would rather err on the side of free access.''

Transparency apart, the emerging priority on the organisational front is to redesign the organisation in an effort to help companies combat unpredictability and spur innovation. Consultants are already spewing forth jargon like networked, fan-type, and web-based to describe the ideal organisational structure of the future (See Accelerating Change). The objective of all futuristic organisational structures is the same: flexibility and fluidity.

Not surprisingly, following the lead of a few companies that have already done so, more are moving towards becoming 'networked companies'. Globally, there are few really networked companies like Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, and 3m. In India there are none yet. Indeed, most Indian companies are still working towards creating a flat organisation. Take the case of Bharti Group which has cut the fat and moved from a 15-level structure to a five-level one. Explains Jagdeep Khandpur, the hr-Head of the company: ''The changes in the business demanded it.''

A few Indian companies are also moving towards a matrix structure. This aligns the organisation on more than one AXII-one geographical, and one functional, say-so as to increase the degree of empowerment, as compared to the traditional vertical organisation. Still, reporting to two bosses does have the potential to turn into a messy power-play. It is for this reason that some management gurus believe the matrix is a transient stage in the run-up to being a networked organisation. This is an ideal environment where the organisation is spread out like a web. Each individual functions in his own empowered space and 'bonds' with the others through the strategic vision of the company. As and when the need arises, groups come together, get the job done, and then move on to the next project.

The technology companies have a headstart in this direction. HCL Technologies has the concept of 'multiple-connected workers'. Says the company's hr Head, Sujit Bakshi: ''People working for a project can be drawn from different competency centres. They complete the project and then disband to go back to their own centres.''

The company also treats any account of more than $20 million as a separate company. Thus, the project the company is working on for Priceline.com is treated as a separate company with 150 employees. However, for the futuristic structures to really take off employees, details Sanjiv Sachar, CEO, Egon Zehnder, ''have to be able to work in a very flat environment, and forget about designations.'' And the success of a company will be a function of how rapidly and accurately it can align individual, functional, and organisational goals with the structure it has chosen. Says Atul Vohra, Partner, Heidrick & Struggles: ''Each person will be a company within the company with financial and other objectives. The shared vision will function as the glue that keeps them together.''

Accelerating Change
	The Machine Age	The Industrial Age	The Networked Age
Physical Environment	Cramped and basic--you were there to work, not to be comfortable	Functional- modular furniture based on the cubicle concept	Open workspaces, a relaxed and soothing atmosphere for employee comfort
Organisational Structure	Huge hierarchies, command and control environment--and no going out of line	A shallower pyramid, limited, but more interaction across levels and functions	Death of the pyramid--but that does not mean the death of top management
Working Hours	9-5 and overtime for working late	9-5 and no overtime for working late	Any-time work--you choose the hours you want to work

How would you like to work in an office surrounded by 240 acres of landscaped park and lakes, continental-style pavement cafes, and an olive grove. How would you like to be able to develop skills at the in-house 'university', order the weekly shopping electronically from the in-campus supermarket, keep trim and neat at a fitness- and beauty-centre, and pick and choose amongst restaurants interspersed in the complex? Interested? Well, just log on to the British Airways website and post your resume for a job at Waterside, the company's 200 million pound state-of-the art office.

Over the years, there has been a lot of talk about changing the face of the office, making it more relaxed, open, friendly, and everything else that the average twentieth century workplace wasn't. As far as corporate India goes, we are yet to see anything on the lines of BA's London HQ. But some software majors have already started experimenting with the workplace, using the concept of a campus and involving employees in the process of deciding what the work environment looks like.

The flattening of hierarchies will be mirrored in the physical structure of the office. Explains architect Hafeez Contractor: ''There is nothing like seniority now. So we are seeing flatter workplaces.'' Delhi-based Jyoti Rath, who's designed offices for Silicon Graphics, Compaq, and Svedala, explains the change that is well on its way to happening: ''Earlier, you would be asked to create six types of workstations; now that is being compressed.'' In most forward-thinking companies the norm is three types of workstations: first, the CEO's space, a one-of-its-kind type of cabin where privacy is essential; second, the senior executive's space for people who have other people reporting to them; and third, work bays where the rest of the organisation works.

The future workplace will also emphasise comfort. Companies will increasingly pay attention to the ergonomic qualities of the furniture and the other office equipment they fill their office with. R. Suresh of Stanton Chase believes the office will soon become one of those things individuals evaluate before deciding to take up a job. Says he: ''Office-homes will be created, not just home-offices. It will be a pleasure to work even though it may be a pain to get to the office.'' Thus, things like gyms, ATMs, basketball courts, cafeterias, and pools are almost passe; most offices have them. The next few years will see companies creating workspaces with facilities like pool, aerobics, food courts, and departmental stores.

According to Rath, it is important to not get carried away while creating a workspace of the future. For most of the offices he has designed, he reserves his creative best for the atria, canteens, and walkways. These, after all, are the places where companies want their employees to have fun. But when it comes to the workstation, it is serious business. The definition of space within the office will also blur: the cafeteria could well be the setting for important meetings. Then there are the pitstops. Technology has already removed the need for most face-to-face meetings. The pitstops are places where employees can gather and talk, formally if they need to, and informally if they don't. This is where the grapevine buzzes. This is where informal networks are kept alive. And this is where the most creative collaborative ideas sprout, often from impromptu brainstorming sessions. Bharti-BT even has a jukebox set up in one of its pitstops. Future workplaces will also be far more environmentally conscious than today's offices. For one, they'll probably use less paper, although it is difficult to think of a paperless office. Companies will also try and reduce the power-requirements of their offices by using natural light as much as possible, although this could be difficult in crowded city centres.

Some futurists foresee the concept of permanent seating disappearing (maverick adman Jay Chiat did so in the late eighties). Companies like Ascom and Compaq are already using the concept of hot desking. This could well be a constant of the office of the future: most employees will have their laptops and mobiles; so they can come in, plug into the network, and work from any desk. There's that word again: network. Visit any office that is coming up now and you'll see that the network is an important part of it. To paraphrase Sun Microsystem's motto of the 1990s: circa 200x, the network could well be the office.

-With additional reporting by Ashutosh Sinha, R. Chandrasekhar,
Jaya Basu, & Vinod Mahanta