Boost your workforce productivity by adopting the Acoustic Intelligence Framework

SoundScaping

What does your office look like?

Has your organisation embraced the latest virtual collaboration tools?

Perhaps you are seeing the emergence of new behaviours at work?

Whatever the change in your organisation, it is safe to say that smarter working is on the rise.

But smarter working brings its own acoustic challenges. Unwelcomed workplace noise disrupts concentration, decreases productivity and increases stress amongst your associates according to a recent University of California study. And these are challenges that are being over-looked in even the most modern of working environments.

70%of office workers believe their productivity would be higher if their environment was less noisySource: American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) (1997)

81%of managers are unconcerned about office noiseSource: Occupational Health & Safety Magazine (2002) [follow-up ASID Study]

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So what are the key acoustic challenges and what can you do to minimise their effect on your smarter working environment?

The answers lie in a strategic approach to acoustics that we call SoundScaping. It is all about creating a framework to address acoustic issues and improve productivity across your organisation.

In this guide, Plantronics takes you through the three pillars of SoundScaping and shows you how to optimise smarter working by applying the Acoustic Intelligence Framework.

Pillar 1: Your workspace

Pillar 3: Your people

Pillar 2: Your telecoms

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Workspace

Creating the right environmentThe impact of acoustics is often overlooked in modern office design. Open plan offices, activity-based workspaces and the lack of private areas mean more disruption due to noise ‘pollution’. These challenges become even more pronounced when working outside the office. Whether working from home or a hotel, a busy café or from the airport, background noise infiltrates every conversation and prevents callers from sounding professional.

Source of noise pollution that can impact productivity in a modern, open plan office design:

• Fewer physical barriers.

• Lack of sound absorbing material used on ceilings, walls and floors.

• Speech being too intelligible due to lack of private spaces, workstation design and no management of variable noise levels.

SOUNDSCAPING

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Improving your space... in the officeBy following the ABCs of Acoustic Shielding you can enhance acoustic performance, whatever your office environment:

Absorption – use specialist materials on your floors, walls and ceilings to minimise noise from one area impacting other areas in your office.

Blocking – introduce vertical barriers to limit how far sound can travel across your open plan office.

Cover – play computer-generated sounds to mask unwanted noise.

…out of the office

Plantronics professional headsets will help you manage disruptive noise wherever you happen to be. On the move or stationary, wireless headsets with advanced noise cancellation technology actively prevent sound from impacting your conversations.

Workspace

SOUNDSCAPING

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Telecoms

Delivering improved communicationsBetter collaboration is not just about availability, it is also about quality interactions. With the rise of mobile devices, flexible working and Unified Communications, we are now able to talk to each other across multiple devices. One thing that often is forgotten is the increasing importance of high quality voice communications. On desk phones, softphones, smartphones and tablets background noise remains a problem. So how do you stay sounding professional while staying in touch?

Managing your SoundScape wherever you are

With everyone working in and out of the office and across a range of communication devices, the question of quality audio transmission takes on more significance. Plantronics headsets provide the answer. Offering state-of-the-art audio engineering, our professional headsets with advanced noise cancellation technology will help you:

• Enjoy a superior wideband telephony experience compared to a traditional handset

• Reduce the transmission of disruptive background noise

• Enable higher quality, more natural sounding communications

• Minimise double-talk (echo) that can undermine call clarity

SOUNDSCAPING

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People

Finding the right technology for you

The importance of various factors determining the impact of your communication is fundamentally different in voice-only interactions:

Smarter working requires higher levels of virtual collaboration. But if personal settings are ignored, the adoption of new technologies is slower and the quality of external communications suffers. When interaction is primarily through voice, there are three factors to optimise:

1) Audio ergonomics

2) Voice intelligibility

3) Speech impact

38% Tone of voice

87% Tone of voice

7% Message

13% Message

55% Body language

Voice-only communications

Face-to-face

Source: Telephone: Mehrabian, Albert & Morton Wiener (1967):

Decoding of inconsistent communications. Journal of personality

and social psychology 6(1): 109-114.

Source: Face to Face: Mehrabian, A. (1971). Silent

messages Wadsworth, Belmont, California.

SOUNDSCAPING

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Make the right choiceTCO is a global certification for headsets designedfor maximum performance, usability andminimal environmental impact. It shows thatPlantronics’ products have passed 3rd party lab andindependent testing for low emissions, superior soundquality and high durability.

TCO approved headsets have fulfilled the following criteria:

Plantronics has a 100% pass rate

More TCO certifications than any other headset manufacturer.

✓Ergonomics• Built-in acoustic safety protection• Replaceable parts for better hygiene • Adjustable for individual comfort and highly durable• Great sound quality with a longer life

✓Ecology• ISO 14001 certified manufacturing• Ethical employment practices• Highly efficient energy usage• Minimal use of harmful substances• Highly recyclable – reduced landfill

✓Emissions• Very low electrical / magnetic fields and SAR

TCO EdgePremium Certification for maximum comfort• Enhanced acoustic limiting• Recognised sustainable design• Best-in-class acoustic performance

TCO is a global certification for headsets designed formaximum performance, usability and minimalenvironmental impact. It shows that Plantronics’ productshave passed 3rd party lab and independent testing for lowemissions, superior sound quality and high durability.

TCO approved headsets have fulfilled the following criteria:

✓Ergonomics ✓Emissions ✓Ecology

Make the right choice

TCO EdgePremium Certification for maximum comfort• Enhanced acoustic limiting• Recognised sustainable design• Best-in-class acoustic performance

Find the right......headset design (Audio Ergonomics)

Plantronics supplies headsets that offer all-day comfort and acoustic protection for longer, more complex calls. A number of our headsets comply to TCO Edge the latest, most demanding independent professional headset certification.

...audio technology (Voice Intelligibility)

A professional headset with advanced noise cancelling is a critical tool for Smarter Working allowing you to sound professional working from any location. Plantronics headsets are optimised to work with all the major Unified Communication vendors including Microsoft, Cisco, Avaya, Alcatel-Lucent and Unify delivering a superior end user audio experience.

…conversation (Speech Impact)

We can help you look beyond the technology to make better use of your voice communications. Speech Impact training can show you how to ensure every caller is understood, how to use the power of your voice properly and how to tell stories to engage your audiences.

Discover more

PeopleSOUNDSCAPING

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FLEXIBLE DESK WORKERS who are generally office based, but not fixed at a location or workspace

OFFICE WORKERS who communicate through a combination of deskphone, smart-phone or computer softphone and want wireless freedom to roam.

MOBILE WORKERS WHO LOVE MUSIC who rely on their tablet or smart- phone for communications but also love to listen to music while working or travelling.

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• DECT wireless freedom to roam up to 120m

• Optimised for Microsoft Lync and most UC platforms

• Lightest DECT headset on the market

• Multiple wearing styles for additional user comfort

• No interference with Bluetooth and WiFi

• Easy to conference in up to three extra headsets, just by docking during a call

• Energy and bandwidth efficient with adaptive power based on proximity

• Savi 700 Series manages calls on desk phone, mobile and PC with automatic call routing

• Savi 700 Series offers Smart presence technology across multiple devices

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• Up to 24 hours continuous wireless streaming

• On-demand Active Noise Cancelling (ANC)

• Plantronics signature audio

• Stays charged longer using smart power management

• OpenMic feature lets you hear your surroundings

• Automatic music play/pause when headphones are put on/removed

• Switch audio between two connected Bluetooth® devices

SAVI 400 SERIES SAVI 700 SERIES BACKBEAT PRO

MOBILE WORKERS who rely on their tablet, smartphone or laptop for communication.

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

• Unrivalled audio clarity with 3 mics for advanced noise cancellation

• Lightweight for all-day comfort, 18g

• Smart Sensors allow users to take a call or lock their PC screen based on the headset wearing state*

• Smart re-charging case extends talk time to 21 hours between charges*

• Exclusive P2i nano coating means the Voyager Legend is water resistant

• Manage calls from multiple sources*†

• Up to 10m roaming

* UC model, †CS model

VOYAGER LEGEND UC

Plantronics audio solutionsChoose Plantronics audio devices to boost your productivity and enable your workforce to adopt their desired different working practices.

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©2014 Plantronics, Inc. Plantronics, BackBeat, Savi, Voyager, Voyager Legend and WindSmart are trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. registered in the US and other countries, and SmartSensor

are trademarks of Plantronics, Inc. DECT is a trademark of ETSI. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners

For more information about Plantronics products visit: plantronics.com