SiliconANGLE’s Smart City roundup not only focuses on smart solutions for roads or buildings, but also smart solutions for the workplace.  With that being said, this week’s roundup features a connected and collaborative dry-erase board, the affect a smartly designed office can have on employee morale and performance, and an app that allows for employee and equipment monitoring.

SMART kapp

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Dry erase boards are commonly used in classrooms and meeting rooms for the office, providing a way for presenters to elaborate complex matters, and teams to collaborate.   The problem is, you can’t take the board with you.

SMART Technologies Inc. has come up with a product that’s as easy to use as your old dry erase board, but directly offers its written content in the cloud, accessible via computer, smartphone or tablet.

The SMART kapp is what you may call as a smart dry erase board.  It’s easy to set up, just hang it where your old dry erase board used to be, then plug it into a standard electrical socket.  Don’t forget to turn it on before you start your presentation and use dry erase SMART ink markers to write on the SMART kapp.  For those taking notes, just sync your device to the SMART kapp, and everything written on the smart dry erase board is sent to your device.

No news yet as to how much SMART kapp will cost. Along with its exact specs, all will be revealed at InfoComm 2014, kicking off next month at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Why a smart space design is crucial for companies

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iOffice, a facility management software provider, recently published the e-book, Wide Open Workspace: Trailblazing Solutions for Tomorrow’s Workforce. The goal is to enable employees to evaluate their workplace and provide tips as to how a few changes in the office can make everyone more productive.

The book highlights the need for companies to take a ‘smart space’ approach.  It’s not just about taking down cubicle walls to foster more employee collaboration, but also accepting the use of mobile devices for communicating and work collaboration, provided that the company employs a secure network.

The book recommends an employee lounge filled with fun activities to relieve stress, as well as an outlet for workouts and time for physical activities to keep employees’ heads clear.

Another thing the book pointed out the need for an ergonomic workspace.  It can be as simple as an ergonomic chair, keyboard, mouse, table. The idea is to make employees feel that the company is looking out for their best interest by providing them with things that won’t cause physical harm and promotes comfort to increase productivity.

Payroll Time Entry

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Dexter + Chaney, a company that has been specializing in construction management software solutions for more than 30 years, introduced a mobile app to allow supervisors and project managers to efficiently enter labor and equipment hours directly from the job site.

Dubbed the Payroll Time Entry, the app was designed for both Android and iOS devices and can be used online and offline.  App users can select the appropriate job and enter the time for all employees and equipment assigned to that specific job.  The app also allows for the easy reassigning of people and equipment, and provides tracking for supervisors so they can monitor the labor and equipment costs associated with the job at hand.

All the data entered in the app is automatically synchronized with Dexter + Chaney’s cloud-based construction software Spectrum.  Also, Spectrum applications including payroll, job cost, human resources and equipment management all make use of the data from Payroll Time Entry.