4 Reasons You Need a Workplace Management Software to Get Back to the Workplace, Safely

The world is in a constant state of change and, as you consider what the new reality means for you and your company, we want to be here to help. As you contemplate getting a workplace management system for your office, we want to tell you 4 very important reasons why now couldn’t be a better time!

FIRST: Get Back to the Office, Safely

When you start to think about getting your employees back to the office safely, you have to think through all the changes and new workplace processes that you will run in to. We created an in-depth guide to cover the planning, executing, measuring, and optimizing of your new office set-up. You can grab the guide here or you can start with our Back to the Workplace webpage.

This guide covers your challenges, your requirements, your solutions, how to measure & monitor your work, how to comply & optimize your office, plus, use cases. Implementing a workplace management software like Forum is the key. But I won’t give away all the details. Go grab your guide!

#1 Takeaway: Make the return to work a safe one with the resources and information found in this guide.

SECOND: Implement a Workplace Management System Before Employees Return

Not sure why you should implement Forum before people get back to the office?

Let’s discuss the pros of implementing a Workplace Management Software, now, before everyone returns to the office.

Many companies aren’t sure when they should implement, asking “Why do it now when not everyone is back in the office just yet?”

Think about this,

1.  Getting through the install process without interrupting the productivity of your employees sounds ideal. If you’ve made the decision to get a workplace management software but you aren’t sure when to install it because no one is back just yet, now is the time! You’ll have everything implemented and ready to go when employees return to the office and acclimate to the “new normal.”

2.  Implementing before you have full capacity allows some time for a small team to pilot the system. Once in place, you can work with a group of employees to start using the new software and help determine if your configuration meets your goals. Then you have it ready for a smooth transition when more employees are back in the office which makes expansion of the platform across your portfolio a breeze. Plus, now you have champions from your pilot group who can help their coworkers adapt to the new workplace experience.

#2 Takeaway: Now is the Perfect Time to Implement Your New Workplace Management Software

THIRD: See if you’re ready to downsize that underutilized office space and save money!

How much of your office space is being used? Have you considered downsizing your office space and your company’s footprint?

This McKinsey article dove into four ways office and work life may be reimagined after COVID-19. The fourth point brought up rethinking and resizing office footprints.

Now that many of your employees, if not all, are working from home, have you considered whether you need all the office space you currently have? The percentage of people working in the office is declining while the percentage of people working flexibly is increasing. When companies take into consideration everything that’s going, McKinsey says some could find a potential decrease in real-estate costs by 30%.

With uncertainty around how you will need to manage occupancy levels and social distancing in the future, now is the time to start gathering the data about how and where your employees are working, who needs to be or works best in the office, and peak and average utilization over the course of a day and a week.

(Hint: With many of your employees working from home, it is bound to be less than you might think).

All this information will help you determine if you need the real estate you currently lease or own. With the data to show and back up these findings, it is possible your company could find a smaller, more cost-friendly place for your office.

#3 Takeaway: You can save money on your unused real estate when you implement a workplace management software.

FOURTH: Gather Data You Can Use in Present and Future Decisions

Let’s talk about why it is critical to start collecting accurate presence and utilization data in order to create a safe workplace for your employees and to support ongoing space and real estate decisions.

When you get down to it, utilization and presence data is crucial for three important reasons right now:

1. Getting Employees Back to Work Safely
2. Understanding Employee Engagement and Productivity
3. Saving Money, Reducing Real Estate

Knowing who was in the office, where they sat, and with whom they collaborated is vital information when providing employees with a safe place to go to work.

In the unfortunate case one of your employees tests COVID positive, you’ll need to know the areas of the office that need a deep clean/to be avoided for a while and the employees that collaborated with them.

With our new Individual Asset Use & Presence Report, you see:

– when a person has been in the office,

– what workspaces and conference rooms they used,

– whether they were actually present in those workspaces,

– and other individuals who worked closely with them.

As flexible working becomes a part of your day-to-day, make sure your employees are thriving with their choices.

With your workplace reservation software, employees can indicate whether they are working in the office, from home, or at a coworking site. And you can see whether their choice of venue complements their productivity. You can show how your flexible workplace is working for your business.

With 50 million people working somewhere outside of the office a day, that is 50 million reasons why you need to be tracking and deciding whether the office space you have is necessary.

Each workspace costs an average of $15,000 a year. With offices at only 30-40% capacity a day, and less now because of COVID, that is a lot of money heading down the drain. But by measuring and monitoring your office’s capacity now, you can make the decision based on real-time data to downsize the next time your lease is up.

#4 Takeaway: Knowing your office utilization can make getting back to the workplace safer and can save you money.

Make your return to work a safe one and be sure you’re utilizing your space in a cost-effective manner. If you want to see a demo of how Forum can work for you, reach out. 

Comment below with other ways you are making getting back to the office safe.

If you’re in charge of the safe return, check out our back to the workplace page.

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