Why Organizations Need Smart Workplaces Today

By Diego Imperio, President & CEO, Ricoh LATAM

For years, we spoke about the “office of the future” as an aspirational concept—an agile, connected, technology-enhanced space. However, that future is no longer distant: it is unfolding every day, in every team interaction and in every decision the organizations make to remain competitive in increasingly dynamic environments.

But true transformation is not merely about digitizing processes or modernizing spaces, it is about something deeper: creating smart workplaces capable of anticipating needs, enabling human collaboration, and sustaining business continuity without friction.

This is the new era we are witnessing across Latin America. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, 84% of employers in Latin America and the Caribbean plan to invest in reskilling and upskilling programs to meet the rising demand for digital talent—clear evidence that the transformation of work is already underway in the region.

Spaces Can No Longer Be Passive

Over the past five years, work models became more hybrid, more mobile, and increasingly dependent on the connection between people, data, and processes. Today, simply “having an office” is no longer a guarantee of productivity.

Organizations need spaces that respond, learn, and adapt, providing a technology-driven experience centered on the evolving needs of each business.

A smart workplace is not a building filled with screens; it is an environment that understands how information flows, connects teams regardless of location, allows

tools to “disappear” so that human work takes center stage, and keeps operations always running, even when no technical staff is on site.

Technology With Purpose, Not Accumulation

Across the region, companies have invested millions in digital modernization, yet many still struggle to see clear returns. The reason? Technology, by itself, does not transform organizations.

The debes de poner el nombre complete y las sigals entre paréntesis (CIO) Playbook 2025, an igual aquí IDC study commissioned by Lenovo with 500 IT and business leaders across Latin America, highlights this tension: 65% of organizations in the region already use AI in some capacity, but one of the main barriers remains demonstrating ROI and overcome technical challenges, evidence that accumulating solutions is not enough unless they are strategically integrated.

What truly makes a difference is how technology is integrated. A smart workplace is not the one with the most platforms, but the one that connects them: process automation, reliable Device as a Service models, always-operational collaborative spaces, physical and digital security, information management, and tools accessible to every generation profiles.

Intelligence emerges when these components operate as an ecosystem, not as isolated projects.

A New Promise: Transforming Work Through Smart Workplaces

At Ricoh LATAM, we have defined a clear purpose: to create smart workplaces that transform businesses through technological services that put people in the center.

Because transformation should not be measured only in efficiency, but in an organization’s, and its people’s ability to adapt to customers, accelerate decision-making, improve employee experience, and sustain uninterrupted operations.

And that is what we focus on at Ricoh. The companies that start building these environments today will not only be prepared for 2026, they will be ready for any scenario the region may face.

Because the future of work is not a destination; but an intelligent system that learns with the organization and grows with it, starting now.