With the ever-changing nature of corporate real estate, it is becoming increasingly necessary for organizations to be able to measure how their real estate is being utilized and, importantly, taking that data and using it to drive better utilization and optimized occupancy.
Having a dedicated and integrated workspace management software solution is key to getting a holistic view of space utilization and occupancy data while driving continuous improvement.
Let’s explore the current situation and how dedicated office space management software systems help create the ideal hybrid working environment.
The current landscape
Increasingly, more organizations are shifting to hybrid working – if they haven’t already done so. This presents challenges for workplace leaders with an increasing feeling of uncertainty when it comes to real estate cost, space utilization and occupancy.
They need to gain insights into the activities which are taking place at their offices in order to understand just how effective their hybrid working strategies are.
Now is the time for organizations to think about how best to optimize their office environments to meet the demands of new hybrid environments and new technologies to create the ideal collaborative culture.
To be effective in driving cost reductions, improving efficiency and enhancing productivity and collaboration you need an effective workspace management solution in place.
An integrated approach
At NFS we recommend that leaders look at space utilization through many lenses – from room booking to desk booking to sensor occupancy data. Our Rendezvous solution integrates all aspects of space booking, utilization and occupancy data.
By triangulating the data in this way, you get a real sense of not only when the spaces are being used but why. Taking this enriched data, you can then make some informed decisions.
For example, if the desk booking data is telling you that staff are mostly coming into the office Tuesday to Thursday then leaders need to mandate that staff also come into the office Mondays and Fridays to ensure that there are not too many peaks and troughs in demand.
By the same token, if the room booking software is suggesting that there is not much demand for large meeting spaces or that the occupancy sensors are showing that large rooms are being booked but only 2 or 3 people are using them then it would make business sense to repurpose the rooms either as smaller breakout rooms or collaborative hubs.
Another advantage of workspace management software is that it can also help to reduce one of the major frustrations of modern office life – that of “no shows” and ghost bookings.
Solutions such as Rendezvous are the ideal workspace management tool – thanks to built-in business rules, rooms or desks can be automatically released should the booker not attend within, say, 15 minutes of the booking time. This is a great way of ensuring that expensive office space is fully utilized as rooms and desks can be allocated to people who need them.
Empowering collaborative working
While it is important that staff can book a desk using an easy to use app, leaders need to be cognizant to the fact that the world of work has changed. Thanks to the flexible and hybrid nature of work, workers are no longer expected to just sit at the same place every day.
You will now find a range of different rooms and spaces in the modern office from larger meeting spaces to collaborative spaces to huddle rooms. The old ways of managing space are becoming increasingly outdated. Rendezvous is designed to work seamlessly with video conferencing platforms such as Teams and it fully integrates with Teams rooms – showing meeting information on the panel and enabling meetings to be started via the panel.
Leaders need to invest in solutions such as occupancy sensors which enable them to pinpoint how space is being used and provide a no touch booking experience. By creating a great hybrid employee experience, you will attract the right talent.
New features of the Rendezvous workspace management solution, such as the employee portal, are designed for today’s collaborative hubs and neighborhoods making the booking far simpler and ensuring that managers can easily mandate office time thus ensuring optimum occupancy on traditionally quite days such as Monday and Friday.
The optimum employee experience
One way to achieve an optimized employee experience is by investing in the right solutions such as workspace management software to create collaborative and flexible workplaces and gain better insights into how your space is being utilized.
A workspace management tool improve your employees’ experience by:
While making sure that staff have the right working environment is important it is equally important to give them the tools to negotiate that environment. The correct workspace management software empowers your staff to choose the correct working style for them to be at their utmost productivity while giving leaders all the insights they need on how the space is being used.
Conclusion
Having the right workplace software is critical for improving efficiency, reducing real estate costs, and enhancing productivity.
In terms of optimizing your workplace, the correct workspace management solution provides insight into:
Rendezvous is the ideal workspace management tool for today’s hybrid organizations looking to create a productive and fulfilling working environment while maximizing ROI on your corporate real estate.
