How workplace technology can help enterprises meet ESG goals

At NFS we are often asked how our technology can help organizations achieve their ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) goals. It’s a valid question.

One we take very seriously. Let’s look at why meeting ESG goals is important, how integrated workplace technology can help drive a sustainable future and how our technology is driving results for our clients.

Our planet’s ecosystems and our current way of life are unsustainable without adopting more eco-friendly practices. This requires systemic change.

Embracing ESG can lead to numerous benefits, including the preservation of clean air and a non-toxic environment, the renewal of dependable resources, and the maintenance of high-quality, clean water.

McKinsey have identified four broad areas that need to be addressed:

• A climate risk management mindset
• Technological and behavioural adaptation levers
• Economic and societal adjustments
• Governance, institutional support, and commitment: having the institutions, policies, awareness, and community and leadership support needed to promote adaptation.

As climate change is already beginning to affect large areas of the world, it is imperative that not only are companies seen to be doing something in the abstract they also need to be doing something immediate to combat the very real issues of global warning.

As Gartner notes:

“As severe climate-change-related events shift from localized and episodic to widespread and persistent, organizations will seize the opportunity to make their response plans and support more explicit and transparent as part of enhancing their employment value proposition.”

While Rendezvous Workspace offers a wonderful room and desk booking experience it can do so much more. It can become the cornerstone of a whole workplace technology ecosystem based around a best of breed approach.

With our open API methodology and a portfolio of key partners – we offer more than a cookie cutter approach. Our flexibility means that clients derive value addition and can extend the lifespan of their existing hardware as we continuously develop new features. The API enables us to integrate with a number of smart workplace solutions.

Utelogy stands out as one of our key partners, taking a forward-thinking approach to energy management. Their system not only provides comprehensive data on meeting spaces and equipment but also includes an automated control solution that efficiently powers down devices at scale. This dual strategy significantly cuts carbon footprints and lowers total ownership costs without the need for extra hardware, making it an eco-friendly option for maximizing the use of current AV and meeting room resources.

They recently helped a client conserve an estimated 97,402 kWh over a span of 5 months. This translates to a 44% reduction in energy usage, amounting to savings of over $35,000 USD—a significant financial and environmental win.

The diagram below shows how significant these reductions can be:

Our sensor technology partners such as Abintra, enable our clients to pinpoint exactly when and how corporate real estate is being occupied and utilized. With the need to trim any excess fat – real estate leaders can make informed decisions about the size of their estate and downsize accordingly – again saving energy in the long run. Fully integrated with Rendezvous, real estate leaders can get a holistic view of how meeting space, for example, is being used.

Working with visitor management software partners such as Semieta we have dramatically eliminated the need for wasteful paper-based resources – no need for visitor books and a paper trail– thanks to Rendezvous visitors can check in to the building in-app or via QR code while directions and meeting confirmations are emailed automatically to visitors and staff alike to create a professional and slick experience.

The benefits of the Rendezvous ecosystem can be summarized as:

• Reduced “ghost meetings” and “no shows” – by mitigating against these, the danger of meeting rooms being left empty while using lights, heating or air conditioning are greatly reduced.
• Eliminates the paperchase – all meeting administration is handled digitally and thanks to Outlook integration all meetings are entered directly into attendees’ diaries.
• Visitor management – all digitised so there is no need to print visitor lists. Staff and guests can check in using a QR code or even in-app.
• Elimination of food waste – if a meeting is cancelled then so is the food order. The user interface makes it easy to order the appropriate amount of refreshments.
• Meeting room space utilization – business rules ensure that only appropriate meeting room space is booked.
  Increased desk occupancy – by increasing desk ratios you can make significant savings in terms of reducing lighting, equipment costs and heating/AC.
• Hybrid working – by adopting hybrid working – empowered by Rendezvous – it reduces the need for unnecessary commutes and can help you reduce real estate and HVAC costs.
• Open API – thanks to our open platform we interface seamlessly with building management systems.
• Proactive room management – ensure that AV and VC equipment is always optimised and operational. Power down all devices – automatically. Watch this video which demonstrates the seamless integration.
• Seamless VC integration – our integration with Webex/Teams and Zoom makes a compelling argument against unnecessary travelling to meetings. One global utility saved $5000 per week as a minimum in reduced travel expenditure.
• Management reporting – thanks to the triangulation of occupancy sensor and booking data – you can build a compelling story of peaks and troughs in utilization and quickly act.

NFS clients are enjoying tremendous benefits which are driving operational efficiency, eliminating waste and, ultimately, sustainability.

For one of our large global financial clients, we implemented occupancy sensors which, within as little as three months, enabled them to make some seriously sustainable changes – for example nudging staff towards using more environmentally friendly collaboration booths rather than small meeting rooms.

We also helped a major utility in deploying a solution that enhanced their space usage and decreased both expenses and dependence on external venue reservations. Environmentally, the company saw a reduction in travel costs amounting to $5,000 weekly, attributable to the seamless integration of Rendezvous with their video conferencing system.

As a supplier, NFS is fully committed to achieving our ESG (environmental, social and governance) goals.

We also extend that commitment to helping our clients achieve their ESG goals by providing the integrated technology tools they need to build meeting spaces that are efficiently organized, drive collaboration, provide a great digital employee and visitor experience while minimizing their carbon footprint.

Working closely with our partners, who share our vision, we are working towards the common goal of creating a cleaner and more sustainable environment for many years to come.