Why Space Matters: Taking Control Through Connected Environments

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“Pain. Lots and lots of pain.”

That was what sparked the lightbulb moment for Stephen Minning to launch PAM, his smart environment and wayfinding company.

Minning and his team had been working on a number of major wayfinding projects for large companies, from hospitals and airports to retail hubs and universities. They quickly found that the larger the organisation, the more complex the array of stakeholders, technology platforms, and software solutions.

“It was every man and his dog,” says Minning. “And it was just too complicated and too painful. So, we came up with a new approach.”

Minning didn’t want his software to add to the complexity – he wanted to meet specific user needs in a simple, sustainable, and scalable way. So, he built PAM, an innovative digital platform that reimagines the way businesses connect with their customers through smart, social, connected spaces.

The way you experience a physical space matters. And it matters to your customers even more.

Why space matters

If the environments that your employees and customers encounter are confusing, inefficient or alienating, your brand will suffer. A student could get lost and miss their exam. A customer might spend more time searching and less time shopping. Nothing boils the blood more than missing your train by seconds because the platform was too crowded.

Intelligent, smart environments are the way forward – fusing human-centred design, wayfinding solutions and Industry 4.0 technologies to create personalised, seamless customer experiences of space.

Australian company and Optus Business partner PAM provides connected environment platforms that enable businesses to take control of every aspect of their space. The cloud-based platform uses Internet of Things (IoT), data, analytics, messaging and communications to keep citizens, visitors, and workers constantly in touch with their surrounding environment.

“Reimagining precincts with better wayfinding and contextual guidance improves workflows and efficiencies, lowers costs, and saves precious time,” says Minning.

Not only this, but the easy-to-use, unfussy nature of PAM’s software removes the complexity often present in stakeholder-packed, technology-crowded spaces. This makes it far easier for IT teams to adopt and scale – and demonstrates that the best approach is often a clean and simple one.

“A solution should always aim to meet a focused user need, not every need ever,” advises Minning.

By creating a connected space that breaks down barriers and guides, engages, and delights users, organisations can enhance the functionality and experience of their brand, transform user behaviours and open up a wealth of future use cases.

Smart city solutions can save people up to 65% of time in interactions with government and healthcare services. In a transport setting, up-to-the-second maps and alerts improve crowd flow and help keep services to schedule. In an airport, reducing the time spent checking in and going through security means customers have more time to shop before their flight.

And in a hospital setting? That extra time can be life-saving.

From impersonal places to personalised experiences

Too many organisations are seduced by the allure of new technology, without considering the human impact. They pile new technology onto legacy systems and create more complexity. They lose sight of the end user and their needs. And they forget to look to the future.

Connected spaces not only improve the immediate experience of a brand or service, but also forge stronger customer connections through data-driven personalisation and better decision making for years to come.

“It’s all about taking a user-centred design approach,” says Steve Plummer, Head of Product at PAM. “Businesses can create tailored, inclusive, accessible spaces for each of their users to interact with – turning impersonal environments into personal experiences.”

“If you’re talking about connected experiences, that’s the end point for the customer. That’s the driver behind everything that we do.”

Integrating spaces with Industry 4.0 technology – such as IoT, process automation, data-driven platforms, and advanced analytics – can help you measure, understand, and adapt to a customer’s unique journey of engagement within a physical environment.

“With personalised guides, messaging and alerts, users are able to better interact with their immediate area as well as remotely across multiple locations,” says Minning.

Picture tailored routes, real-time updates, and unique suggestions – all delivered straight to your customer’s mobile device. That kind of experience provides a sense of ease and confidence that forges greater connections to the environment and, in turn, to your organisation.

Laying the foundations for your own connected space

Whether you want to create a more liveable city, or simply encourage customers to linger for longer, connected spaces provide a way to simplify and improve the experience of physical environments in a digitally-driven world. Laying the groundwork for connected experiences today means future-proofing your organisation’s potential for agility and growth tomorrow.

According to Plummer, this is where many organisations are currently falling short. Connected spaces and smart environments might still feel like a far away, futuristic idea – but there’s no magic switch that’s going to make it happen. Business leaders must act today if they want results tomorrow.

“Companies often try to approach a problem by looking to solve for just one moment in time,” Plummer says.

“But they need to look at more sustainable solutions – because if it’s only built for a particular moment, a solution can quickly age, and then you have to spend millions to rebuild. PAM wants to provide organisations with a solve not just for now, but for 10-20 years into the future.”

So where do you start? Minning recommends focusing your efforts on two key areas – the operational experience for your employees, and the transactional experience for your customers.

“You have to consider the emotive drivers for both your customers and employees,” he says. “Use those to inform how you can make each experience within your spaces the best it can be.”

Plummer suggests testing the technology in a small area of your business, such as a common workplace area or innovation hub.

“Start small, then extend the technology out to front of house where your customers will experience it,” he says. “After that, slowly filter to back of house to gradually replace your legacy systems and reap the full benefits.”

That way, you can be sure you’re meeting real user needs with solutions that can adapt and scale for years to come. Avoid the temptation to cram as many software platforms and systems into a digital project as possible. You’ll only add to the existing complexity – and even the best wayfinding technology will struggle to save you from that kind of chaos.

Right now, there’s an opportunity for you to reimagine your physical spaces and transform them into a sustainable business advantage – because it’s the seamless, personalised, digitally-fused spaces that now stop people in their tracks.