1500 People Managed by 3 in Office... 'Office OS' Is Enough

[Start人] Jominhee, CEO of Allicon
Remote control of access, heating/cooling, and music at 7 locations including Jeongdong, Seoul and Ilsan, Gyeonggi
Detects people with motion sensors
Plans to apply to resorts outside the metropolitan area and expand globally

"Only three people are currently operating the workspace system of Jibmusil." Jibmusil, a distributed office brand that promotes itself as a 'near-home office,' currently operates a total of seven branches in Seoul Jeongdong, Seoul National University, Seokchon, Mokdong, Wangsimni, Gongdeok, and Gyeonggi Ilsan. Including offices where Jibmusil’s system is applied, the number of locations to manage increases to 12. More than 1,500 people use these spaces 24 hours a day, and if you add up the distances traveled between these spaces, it is as far as from Seoul to Daejeon. How is it possible for only three people to operate this? The answer provided by Jibmusil’s CEO, Jo Minhee of Allicon, is the ‘Office OS (Operating System).’ This means that technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) have been applied to the previously manpower-dependent space operation method to improve efficiency and systematize it.

On the 30th, CEO Jo said, "We are continuously developing Office OS technology that optimizes space operation by entrusting various aspects of office management to AI." He explained Office OS by comparing a neighborhood corner store and a convenience store. Just as a convenience store applies a highly efficient ‘Retail OS’ unlike a corner store, an OS optimized for the changing work environment has been created and applied to offices. For example, at Jibmusil, access control, heating and cooling, lighting, and music can all be remotely controlled. Motion sensors can detect whether anyone is using the lounge. AI cameras monitor the timing of various office supplies management. Unauthorized access monitoring and usage fee settlement are also automated.

The Jibmusil spaces are also designed with a focus on efficient operation. Unlike the neat, square offices in central business districts like Gangnam or Euljiro, spaces near residential areas come in various forms. To respond to this, Allicon introduced ‘modular design.’ CEO Jo explained, "We designed spaces with modular furniture called Work Modules and operate dispersed spaces like an online platform."

CEO Jo’s interest in changes to the working environment, including Office OS, began in 2015 when he founded the business networking platform ‘RocketPunch.’ After experimenting with 100% remote work since its establishment, he predicted that the work system would change so that office workers would no longer work in central business districts. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this change, leading to a merger with the space branding company Nspire, a name change to Allicon, and the launch of Jibmusil.

Allicon plans to accelerate the spread of Office OS. They believe that the competitiveness of Office OS, which utilizes AI and IoT, increases as the number of applied spaces grows. Accordingly, Jibmusil will expand to 10 locations by the end of the year and plans to increase to 20 by the third quarter of next year to cover most residential areas in the metropolitan area. This expansion is not just about increasing numbers but also involves an efficient location strategy based on data analysis. CEO Jo said, "Currently, about 30,000 potential users are registered by companies using Jibmusil, but only about 7% actually visit. After identifying needs, we found that users want office spaces closer to home," adding, "We will expand Jibmusil to spaces around 200㎡ within 3 km."

In the long term, there are plans to apply Office OS to workspaces in resort areas outside the metropolitan area. Global market expansion is also planned. CEO Jo said, "Asian cities where residential areas and central business districts are separated and traffic congestion is severe are our top priority for expansion," adding, "We are considering Vietnam and Singapore, among others."