As companies seek to bring stability to their businesses and workplaces, there are a myriad of new tools and technologies promising to enable the future of work. Many organizations continue to implement multiple solutions, some of which have overlapping features, mismatched data, and an assortment of conflicting best practices. Ensuring these tools are working together can enhance the employee experience by creating workplace connectivity for all.
While continuing to understand space needs, capacity management, and overall utilization; companies are typically trying to solve for their occupancy and space management needs. However, another need should be considered: creating connectivity across the organization. A connected workplace integrates various technology tools and includes a variety of workers enabling everyone to communicate and collaborate effectively. Creating connectivity can be accomplished by not only managing organizational space or reserving personal space, but by introducing one connected solution tool.
Managing Organizational Space
Managing an organization’s space starts with accurate floor plans, which are essential for a successful space management implementation. Having up-to-date floor plans labeled with room numbers, occupant names, space function, and organizational unit is just the start of what a true space management tool can do. Not only will a great space management tool assist with effective space planning, but it will also assist with tracking, growth, and overall strategic planning of the organization’s assets.
As space continues to be a prevalent topic in today’s workplace, organizations should consider how new ways of working might affect their space needs. Through our Global Workplace Surveys, Gensler surveyed nearly 10,000 office workers from the U.S., U.K., France, and Australia. In every country we studied, over half of workers said they would prefer a “hybrid model,” or a mix of working from the office and working from home during the workweek. The new hybrid workplace realities that today’s organizations are experiencing require more accurate space management and an understanding of the current capacities of the space.
Reserving Personal Space
Many organizations are adopting hybrid workplace models that offer the flexibility of remote work, paired with the ability to forge culture, collaboration, and connection within the office. As remote work continues to fill the headlines, Gensler’s Research Institute finds workers are beginning to spend time in the office again and they have compelling reasons for making an effort to get there. As Andy Cohen writes, workers are “coming back to access specific spaces, materials or resources that only the office can provide. They are coming back to meet with clients. They are coming back to maximize their personal productivity. And they are coming back to build professional relationships and make friends with co-workers.
Desk reservations enables the maximization of personal productivity by creating flexibility and by supporting free address neighborhoods, hoteling, check-ins, wayfinding, and the features needed for an evolving workplace strategy. Combining your hybrid, remote, assigned, and hoteling people on the same floor plans is critical to managing a dynamic workforce. The ability to track assigned employees to their seats and apply your business rules can help your organization provide a safe and flexible seating environment for your hybrid workforce.
Creating Connectivity for All
Combining space management software and desk reservation software into one connected solution is an ideal approach for streamlining operations, easing reporting, and addressing the most pressing workplace needs by creating connectivity for all. Joining your space management, desk reservations, space reporting, and floor plans into one comprehensive, intuitive solution can support a variety of working situations and locations while continuously enhancing flexibility by supporting free address, neighborhoods, hoteling, check-ins, wayfinding, and the features needed for an evolving workplace strategy.
For media inquiries, email media@gensler.com.