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. This guide illustrates the key acoustic challenges and the measures needed to minimise their effect on your smarter working environment.

1. Boost your workforce productivity
by adopting the Acoustic
Intelligence Framework
SoundScaping

2. 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 noisy
Source: American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) (1997)
81%
of managers are unconcerned
about office noise
Source: Occupational Health & Safety Magazine (2002) [follow-up ASID Study]
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3. 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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4. Workspace
Creating the right environment
The 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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5. Improving your space... in the office
By 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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6. Telecoms
Delivering improved
communications
Better 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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7. 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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8. Make the right choice
TCO is a global certification for headsets designed
for maximum performance, usability and
minimal environmental impact. It shows that
Plantronics’ products have passed 3rd party lab and
independent testing for low emissions, superior sound
quality 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 Edge
Premium Certification for maximum comfort
• Enhanced acoustic limiting
• Recognised sustainable design
• Best-in-class acoustic performance
TCO is a global certification for headsets designed for
maximum performance, usability and minimal
environmental impact. It shows that Plantronics’ products
have passed 3rd party lab and independent testing for low
emissions, superior sound quality and high durability.
TCO approved headsets have fulfilled the following criteria:
✓Ergonomics ✓Emissions ✓Ecology
Make the right choice
TCO Edge
Premium 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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9. 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 solutions
Choose Plantronics audio devices to boost your productivity and enable your workforce to adopt their desired different working practices.
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10. ©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