Episode 1: Merging Technology and Interior Design: A Blueprint for Modern Workspaces.

Future Ready Podcast.

An office isn’t a postcode, it’s a product.

In this episode of Future Ready with Bechtle, Stephen Harley (Field CTO, UK) sits down with Michael Harley (Head of Bechtle Interiors) to unpack why an IT company runs an interiors practice, and how space, culture, and technology must be designed as one system.

Very few teams can design a beautiful office and make the technology disappear into the experience. That’s the gap we fill.

Michael Harley, Head of Bechtle Interiors

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Why listen?

If you’re wrestling with return-to-office, hybrid, or remote-first policies, this conversation gives you a practical playbook to make the office worth the commute, without gimmicks. You’ll hear how Bechtle integrates AV, networking, power, acoustics, and space planning so people can simply… work.

In the episode:

The ‘why’ behind Bechtle Interiors: Tech and workspace are intrinsically linked; design decisions drive network, AV and device realities.
Post-COVID acceleration: Hybrid didn’t reinvent offices; it sped up long-standing trends (task-based zones, fewer rows of desks, smarter collaboration areas).
Common missteps: Treating hybrid as a real-estate reduction lever; over- or under-committing desk ratios; ignoring the basics (power, Wi-Fi, docks, AV).
Culture fit > cookie-cutter: Manchester’s sales hub needs different zoning to an accounting firm. Intentional design beats “one size fits all.”
Make it worth the commute: Reliable tech, task-based settings, and frictionless meetings matter more than slides and neon signs.
Flexibility & inclusion: Hot-desking isn’t for everyone. Design for neurodiversity, quiet focus, and policy exceptions (yes, even parking).
Collaboration that works: Informal collision points (yes, even a pool table) can defuse silos, when supported by the right norms.

Discover how to design a tech-enabled workplace that makes the office worth the commute.

What you’ll take away.

A decision checklist for your next office move or refresh:

What business outcomes must the space drive (sales velocity, onboarding, partner enablement)?
Which task types need purpose-built zones (focus, 1:1s, small collab, training, client demos)?
Do tech foundations match usage hotspots (power, charging, Wi-Fi density, sightlines, acoustics)?
Are AV choices fit for place (no open-area meeting cameras where privacy is impossible)?
How will policies support inclusivity (bookable fixed desks, quiet areas, reasonable adjustments)?
What’s the plan to measure and iterate (occupancy, call success rates, NPS of spaces)?

How to evaluate partners who can deliver joined-up design: space planning + network, security, device, AV, and change management.

Listen & Subscribe.

Watch Episode 1.

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Release Date: 6th November 2025

How Bechtle helps.

From discovery workshops and test-fit space plans to AV/Wi-Fi design, power planning, and change comms, Bechtle brings interiors and IT under one roof, so your workplace launches on time, on budget, and on brand.

Contributors.

Stephen Harley

Field CTO, Bechtle

Focus:
Modern workplace strategy, hybrid architectures, AV & collaboration.

Connect on LinkedIn

Contact Stephen

Michael Harley

Head of Bechtle Interiors, Bechtle

Focus:
Workplace strategy, space planning, AV-in-space integration, inclusive design.

Connect on LinkedIn

Contact Michael

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