Last Updated on March 9, 2023 by Awais Aftab
Company spaces have changed dramatically in the past two years. Office layouts that were once set in stone now change according to employee needs and demands in the hybrid work model. Fixed desks have given way to dynamic, flexible working arrangements to promote collaboration, and meeting spaces have followed suit.
The reason? Companies have realized that their office spaces will be underused in a hybrid setup. Such underutilization will cost a lot of money.
Besides, employees will look for more effective ways of collaborating with in-office and remote coworkers. And offices need to facilitate this.
No doubt, manually managing the office space can solve all of these issues. But the process is more tedious in a dynamic hybrid work environment. This is why facility managers worldwide are turning to space management software for help.
Let us take a better look at why space management software is important for an office today.
1. To Manage Office Real-Estate
With fewer employees coming into the office in a hybrid workplace setup, old desks and meeting room arrangements are no longer optimal. They will run empty, given the lower office footfall, and you will be paying for unused space and utilities if you do not manage it.
Space management software helps you keep track of employee footfall and space usage trends and adjust your office footprint.
For instance, space management software can tell you if your larger meeting rooms are going unused in a hybrid setup. Additionally, it can also tell you when employees book such rooms, including the usual booking times.
With such granular space usage data from space management software, you can reorganize your office space to ensure maximum usage. For instance, you could convert your bigger unused meeting rooms to collaboration spaces if there is a greater demand for them. Or you could change the desk setup to improve collaboration too.
This way, space management software not only helps you get the most out of your office space but also helps you create spaces to boost employee productivity and collaboration.
2. To Manage Real-Estate Portfolio
Optimizing the office space usage is one thing but managing your organization’s real estate across locations is a different managerial responsibility altogether.
Facility managers must keep constant track of –
- space usage across office locations
- their ROIs on real-estate investment across locations
- lease payments
- opportunities for portfolio rebalancing, and much more.
Doing all this is much harder in a hybrid setup, given space usage changes dynamically. This is where space management software can help.
Space management software can provide regular updates about space usage trends, ROIs on investment, and lease dates to managers and reduce the time managers spend on these tasks. Moreover, since the tracking and updating process is automated with space management software, managers can be rest assured that the data collected is error-free.
3. To Boost Energy-Efficiency
A space management software transforms the utilization of office space from scheduled to need-based. And so, it helps lower energy costs too. Let us see how.
Space management helps you visualize which spaces are not being used optimally during office hours and reduce the energy consumption in these areas.
Thanks to space management software, companies do not have to employ people to oversee these operations. They can use the software to check space occupancy, and if the space is unused, the software can immediately turn off lights and air conditioning too.
4. To Improve Employee Productivity and Interaction
In a hybrid workplace, employees will come into the office to get work done quickly. So, the last thing they want is to waste time booking and asking for directions to find spaces, resources, or coworkers to get their jobs done. Space management software helps with it.
Employees can quickly access space management software through their smartphones to understand their office layout. They can get an overview of desk layouts, bookings, and available desks and parking spaces. They can then book desks according to their needs and in the vicinity of their coworkers.
What’s more, they can also use the interactive wayfinding feature and get step-by-step directions to locate individual desks, resources and coworkers.
Thus, space management software reduces employees’ time booking and locating resources and boosts their productivity. Moreover, since it allows employees to locate their coworkers, it also boosts social interaction in the workplace.
5. To Forecast and Plan Spaces
Planning office space in a dynamic hybrid work environment is crucial to ensure optimal space usage. And space usage analytics from space management software make such planning easier.
Suppose you wish to expand your employee base, you will need to reconfigure your office space to accommodate the new employees. You might need more desks, meeting rooms and collaborative spaces too.
Space management software helps you make space usage projections based on past trends. This helps you calculate the space usage after you hire new employees beforehand and make the necessary arrangements.
For instance, space management software can tell you how much space you need to accommodate the added employees or if you need a new space entirely.
Not just that. Space management software also allows managers like you to trial different office space plans virtually before implementing them. This way, you do not waste time changing space setups in the real world to find out which plan works. You can directly implement the plan that worked best virtually.
Over to You
Space management software can help facility managers track and manage an office space easily and efficiently in a dynamic hybrid workplace. It helps you reduce space usage costs and use your office to the fullest potential.
WorkInSync space management software not only optimizes office space usage but also streamlines a lot of other office functions like desks and room bookings, sanitization workflows, etc. Opt for a demo to learn more.
Read More: Everything to Consider When Choosing a Dental Office Space
What are the 3 components of a space management system?
A space management system is a set of procedures, tools, and techniques to efficiently manage physical space in different settings such as offices, warehouses, hospitals, and retail stores. The system is designed to optimize the use of space, improve workflow, and increase productivity. Generally, a space management system comprises three critical components: planning, allocation, and utilization.
Firstly, space planning is the initial stage of a space management system, which involves identifying the available space, analyzing its potential uses, and creating a plan to optimize the space for the intended purpose. This process includes taking measurements, determining the layout of the space, and considering factors such as lighting, ventilation, and safety regulations.
Secondly, space allocation involves assigning specific areas to different activities, departments, or individuals. This component is critical in ensuring that each user of the space has a designated area suitable for their needs, which can increase productivity and efficiency.
