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Space Utilization - It`s about the People, not the Space! |
Many facilities managers use Space Management Systems (CAFM, IWMS, etc.) to track space inventory and define how each space is allocated. They use these systems to search for "vacant space", or rooms which may be allocated to a department, but not assigned to anyone.
However, today it is necessary but insufficient to know your inventory of space and how it is allocated. The new state-of-the-art in real estate management integrates building systems to systematically and accurately track seat assignments over time, and to measure the actual use of every workspace in the entire portfolio.
Facility managers understand the great value of systematically gathering accurate, ubiquitous, and continuous seat assignments and vacancies, and the exciting possibilities provided by the additional capability of exposing the actual use of space on a daily or even hourly basis But this also opens up a world of opportunity and increased productivity for your employees.
Think of the benefits your people will receive when you have the systems in place to continually measure actual use. Think of how this translates into opportunities for improved employee productivity. For example,
- Finding available space in a facility: When a mobile person needs a place to work, they can easily find an unused workspace (either shared or assigned) and secure it for use to avoid the wasted time it takes to look around for an available place to work.
- Avoiding unnecessary travel: When deciding, "Do I travel to the office today or stay at home?" a person can quickly find an available workspace and reserve it prior to making their commute avoiding the possiblity of traveling to work and not finding a workspace to use.
- Obtaining phone service in a shared workspace: When securing a shared workspace, a worker can have his telephone switched automatically to the workspace so that he does not have to remember a bunch of key codes.
- Finding team members: When an employee wants to work with someone, he can find an available space right nearby, avoiding the difficulty and frustration of trying to locate the actual physical workspace of teammates, even for future dates.
- Finding available conference rooms: When people book collaboration space and fail to use it, the system can automatically cancel the unused reservation making the space available to other groups, speeding the process of quickly obtaining group space and increasing employee productivity. are the same systems that promote increased employee productivity and satisfaction. These systems enable organizations to optimize the size of the work place, respond quickly to changing business conditions, allow them to attract and retain top talent, and be more competitive.
So how do you view space utilization? Do you wonder, "If the offices are empty, are my people really working?" Or, do you think, "If the offices are empty, does the space really work for my people?" Giving people actual use of space information makes your infrastucture work better so your people can be more productive...and isn`t that the purpose of the office in the first place?
