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WORKPLACE OF THE
FUTURE: Engineers survey predicts less paper, less people, and maybe a virtual view of Mt. Fuji NEW YORK, February 17, 1998 -- Robots, buildings made from recycled materials, more daylight, and "windows" that will let workers see live views of famous locations around the world -- these are just a few forecasts about the workplace of the future from a nationwide survey of engineers released today by the National Engineers Week Committee. The survey asked more than 100 electrical, chemical, mechanical, civil, and heating, refrigeration and air conditioning engineers to describe how -- using currently available technology -- the workplace of the future will be more environmentally friendly. The committee, a consortium of engineering associations and major U.S. industries which seeks to increase public awareness about the role of engineering, annually conducts a future survey as part of National Engineers Week, February 22-28. Overwhelmingly, engineers cited computer technology as the dominant influence on almost every aspect of the future workplace. From increased use of robotics in manufacturing, to electronic in/out boxes, to flat, window-sized monitors that can switch from a live view of Mt. Fuji to a close-up shot of Times Square at the click of a mouse, computers will dominate almost all facets of the future workplace. But, don't pack that lunchpail too quickly. The workplace feature most commonly named by the engineers is teleconferencing, meaning smaller offices, reduced staffs, and a major increase in employees working at home. The resultant decrease in commuting and business travel will translate to an immense reduction in the use of fossil fuels, the survey predicts. One engineer described in detail how work-at-home programs will bring an environmental payoff. "Let's say I spend half my time at home," one engineer wrote, "saving 50 miles of travel a day, times 2.5 days, times 48 weeks out of the year. That's 6,000 miles less travel, 333 less gallons of gas, and the associated emissions." Engineers in the survey point out, however, that while teleconferencing will mean fewer in-person contacts, it will not mean fewer face-to-face meetings. "A worker in Orlando could serve as a team member of a work team headquartered in Chicago," one survey participant wrote. "Meetings could be held, drawings reviewed and 'almost face to face' conversations conducted at extremely low prices since Internet information will be so inexpensive." (It's interesting to note that while the engineers predict that monitors and live remote pictures will be everywhere, few survey respondents mentioned the other side of the equation, that is, omnipresent cameras in the home, at the workplace, in transportation systems and in most other public areas.) Perhaps not surprisingly, the survey predicts that the long promised, but as yet unrealized "paperless office" is on the way but, the engineers insist, it will be sooner than previous progress indicates. Datebooks, calendars, letters, memos and almost anything else that now comes on paper will be delivered electronically. And, despite the environmental benefit, it will be economics that spurs the transition. Said one engineer, "It's considerably cheaper, in all terms, to transport bits." In another workplace shift, industries will continue the growing trend to relocate facilities that transform raw materials into intermediate products closer to the source of the materials, bringing greater fuel efficiency through reduced transportation costs -- much as the bulk petrochemical industry has moved to the Middle East during the past five years. Meanwhile, management operating functions, the engineers predict, will be performed remotely through electronic communications. Another way that energy efficiency will be key to a more environmentally-friendly workplace, the survey indicates, is with more localized generation of power, more co-generation to reuse energy that's now wasted through burnoffs or in cooling towers, and increased insulation during construction. "The office of the future will be energy efficient and computer controlled to a degree only currently enjoyed by Bill Gates," said one respondent, "and it will take full advantage of every BTU we pay for." Engineers often mentioned the GPS, the satellite-based Global Positioning System, as another current technology that is on the cusp of an immense expansion of use. Some noted that products will be tracked from shipment to delivery without a single human interface. Additionally, every company vehicle will also be tracked, as will each worker, whether at a job site or en route to the parking lot. Besides being more friendly to the earth's environment, the workplace itself will be a more environmentally-friendly environment. Paints will be made from less toxic chemicals. Clean-air vehicles will mean cleaner air for those working in warehouses that operate such equipment as forklifts that are currently powered by petrochemicals. Monitors will alert workers to any hazards in the air. Carpets and furniture will be constructed from allergen-free materials. Window treatments will ensure that a maximum amount of daylight comes through, but without harmful ultraviolet rays. Buildings will be increasingly constructed from recycled materials, the survey reveals, and will be smaller. There'll also be a heightened sense of comfort and safety. New furniture designs will introduce ergonomically-designed chairs and keyboards that reduce carpal tunnel syndrome. And, in general, machines will continue to take on the burden of physical labor -- "more fingertip control and less brute force" was how a survey participant described it -- as robotics transform warehouses and factories, freeing workers from hazardous job duties. Similarly, computers and monitors will increasingly depend on voice activation, requiring less hand-manipulated input. Other predictions from the engineers include:
In short: Engineers have seen the future, and it works. ### [_private/boilerplate.html]
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National Engineers Week Foundation
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