If your organization is considering a space management solution, you probably have a lot on your mind.
Is the software simple enough to use? How much time will the implementation take? Do you need to train employees to use the solution? Or worse, is a space management solution even worth the time and money?
When you are investing in new technology, such questions, concerns, and confusions are apparent and completely justified. This blog will talk about the pros and cons of getting a space management system.
What is a Space Management Solution?
A workplace management solution is a cloud-based technology that lets you manage your company's real estate portfolio. The ultimate target is to improve the usage of overall space effectively, and it’s like having a 360-degree view of your entire physical inventory at all times.
You can allocate desks and cubicles to employees coming to work on-site. And find the best possible seating arrangement to design the rotational shifts. Thus, helping you optimize workspace utilization and cost reduction.
It sounds like a dream for space management, doesn't it? But is using space management software the right choice for your workplace? Here are three pros and cons to help you decide.
Pros of a Space Management Solution
1. Accurate Space Utilization Data
In a traditional work model, facility managers can see when the office space is being used by looking at the working hours. This straightforward approach, however, doesn't work for hybrid work models.
For example, can you be sure about your employees' office timings when their working hours are flexible? Similarly, some of your teams may work remotely and spend more time traveling to meet clients than in the office.
A space management platform can eliminate this guesswork, giving you a more accurate picture of space allocations. It can help you understand how many people you need to accommodate on an average workday and prepare accordingly.
A scalable space management tool will provide accurate floor plans with occupancy data. This will allow you to know who to accommodate when.
By analyzing such accurate occupancy data, you can use the findings to:
- Manage space optimally
- Plan better employee experience
- Maximize space to save on utility bills
- Create a smoother workflow
2. Effective Desk Management
Your old seating arrangements might not be ideal for your new working hours and the need for social distancing in the workplace. But, knowing how and when your employees are using their desks can help you design a better arrangement.
By tracking and analyzing space use, you can implement solutions like hot-desking to save space and do away with permanent desking. And if you're already using a desk booking system, you can integrate it with your space management solution.
With accurate, data-driven desk utilization, you can enhance your desk management and avoid pitfalls such as duplicate seat assignments.
3. Meeting and Conference Room Management
Managing premium office facilities like meeting rooms and conference halls with hybrid work are often the biggest challenge.
Why? Well, if most teams meet remotely, you need not maintain a virtually unused meeting room. But at the same time, on-site workers may need to use the meeting rooms on specific days, so you need to make sure the timings don't clash.
Whatever the case may be, a space management solution can help you identify when your meeting rooms are being used and how.
By monitoring meeting room usage, you can identify problems such as under-utilization. Then, you can modify your booking systems to eliminate missed bookings, idle meeting rooms and replace unused large meeting rooms with smaller ones.
Cons of a Space Management Solution
1. Tedious and Time-consuming
Office space planning can be tedious, especially if you are transitioning to a hybrid work model. You will be juggling with quite a few challenges. You may not be able to effectively plan and implement an office space management solution due to time constraints.
It can also be time-consuming to keep track of large offices with high employee strength, diverse teams, and increasing workforce demands. Facility managers will have to allocate time from their busy schedules to ensure that everything is running smoothly in the office.
2. Expensive
To adopt a hybrid work model effectively, you might need professional services to plan and manage your new office space. So, instead of reducing costs, you may end up spending more out of pocket.
Moreover, every space management solution might not be scalable to your organization's growth. In which case, you might have to bear additional costs in the future. This is why facility managers must make the right choice of the space management system.
3. May Cause More Issues if Mismanaged
If the space management solution you are using does not suit your office's requirements, you can end up with more work on your hands.
You might not have a complete and accurate understanding of your company's future needs, anticipated on-site workforce, and projected employee strength yet.
At this point, if you implement a space management solution haphazardly, you can cause more damage than benefit. For example, if the number of new hires is expected to be more and sufficient space is not kept aside for them, you might have to deal with seating issues.
Final Thoughts
If you are ready to take the leap and adopt a hybrid work model, a sophisticated space management solution will surely help. Just make sure it is flexible, scalable, and can integrate with existing tools.
Also, before you select a space management solution, devote some time to understanding the unique needs of your office, employees, and remote and on-site teams. Since hybrid work models are here to stay, you must also consider your organization's future needs.
WorkInSync has gained popularity in the industry owing to its robust and comprehensive space management software. Not only does it help you to optimize your space, but the centralized dashboard ensures that you are updated with real-time data. You can opt for a demo and see WorkInSync in action.
