In response to a growing interest from businesses that are searching for
strategies to reduce or optimize underutilized office space, as well as
businesses that are running lean on space and searching for efficient
ways to accommodate staff and manage demands, Asure
Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASUR), a leading provider of workplace
management software solutions, offers 10 tips to help business leaders
optimize office space.
“Research shows workspace utilization rates often are 40 percent or less
due to business travel, off-site meetings, vacations, leaves,
telecommuting, and other factors,” said Steven
Rodriguez, Asure Software Chief Operating Officer. “Through careful
analysis and planning, many organizations can reduce their excess real
estate or reconfigure existing space to improve workspace density
without negatively impacting staff members.” Asure’s team outlines the
following workspace planning tips:
1. Ask questions: Survey employees on their usage patterns and
preferences, and solicit their feedback for enhancements. Remember,
responses are subjective, and the information provided is anecdotal. It
does not have much meaning without being cross referenced with hard data.
2. Understand desk utilization: “Bed checks,” a common approach
to measuring workspace occupancy, only provide a snapshot of use. The
data can be inaccurate because it does not present the whole picture.
Automated presence detection sensors
at work stations provide more accurate data on when, how long and how
often workspaces are being used over periods of time, which helps to
account for natural variations such as holidays, peak vacation times,
business travel, etc.
3. Measure meeting room usage: Conference and meeting spaces
frequently are not used efficiently. Rooms in prime locations or with
better amenities may be in high demand while other spaces sit empty.
Automated presence detection sensor
systems can measure how, when, and to what extent meeting spaces are
being used.
4. Understand actual vs. planned utilization: Just because a
meeting or workspace was booked doesn’t mean it was actually used.
Combining reservation system and presence detection data can help to
determine actual space needs.
5. Hibernate under-utilized space: Using room scheduling software
to make space unavailable can help reduce energy costs required to light
and heat or cool the space.
6. Use data analysis for better decision-making: Workspace
utilization data is more valuable when combined with robust analysis
capabilities. A Business
Intelligence system that provides real-time, interactive dashboards
and drill-down functionality can provide more insight than static
spreadsheets to support better real estate decision making.
7. Consider variable workspace options: Organizations with
small satellite offices or those that have taken on additional real
estate as a result of acquisitions should consider their entire real
estate footprint and how those remote spaces are used. Selling or
sub-leasing underused spaces and moving to variable workspace options
such as co-working facilities can be a more cost-effective way to
accommodate staff in those locations.
8. Integrate workspace applications with IT: As technology
becomes a driving force behind workspace utilization systems, it is
essential to involve the organization’s IT staff to ensure proper system
integration and optimal deployment.
9. Consider the mobile workforce: Shared workspace models are
gaining traction as a more efficient and cost-effective alternative to
traditional assigned space designs. Workspace
and meeting
space scheduling technologies can help ensure mobile workers can
locate and reserve the space they need for meetings and drop-in work
time.
10. Communicate with employees: Any major workspace change –
whether it’s an expansion, reduction, reconfiguration, redesign, or new
approaches to how space will be booked or used – requires careful and
thorough communication with employees. Remember that employees’ views
may be influenced by the more anecdotal planning measures like
interviews and bed checks, so make sure to also share hard data that has
been collected. The numbers can help tell the story.
For more information on workspace and workforce trends, including free
white papers, briefings and webinars, visit www.asuresoftware.com.
About Asure Software
Asure
Software, Inc., (Nasdaq: ASUR) headquartered in Austin, Texas,
offers cloud-based time and labor management and workspace management
solutions that enable businesses to control their biggest costs – labor,
real estate and technology – and prepare for the workforce of the future
in a highly mobile, geographically disparate and technically wired work
environment. Asure serves approximately 6,000 clients worldwide and
currently offers two main product lines: AsureSpace™
workplace management solutions enable organizations to maximize the ROI
of their real estate, and AsureForce®
time and labor management solutions deliver efficient management of
human resource and payroll processes. For more information, please visit www.asuresoftware.com
Copyright Business Wire 2013