Guides for Workplace Strategy and Management
Issue link: https://resources.agilquest.com/i/878162
4 and are linked to the office by cell phone, laptop and/or email. To reap the full benefits of teleworking, organizations often implement office hoteling. • Office Hoteling is the practice of providing office assets to employees as a dynamic pool of reservable resources. When an organization "hotels", its mobile employees reserve workspaces and resources through a real-time reservation system. • Free Address/Free Range is the practice of choosing offices or workspaces on a first-come, first-serve basis. Similar to office hoteling, free address/free ranging normally lacks an organized reservation system. • Coworking Sites provide fully equipped work and collaboration space on a short-term lease basis. These are often used by the solopreneur, startups or even employees working in a different town from their main office. • Third Space is usually public space that can be used for work or collaboration, such as a coffee shop, library, or hotel lobby • Virtual Offices are offices that travel with mobile employees. Virtual office workers rarely require dedicated office space since their office is a network of communication devices, voice mailboxes, vehicles and hotel rooms. The average cost of accommodating an office worker typically runs between $10,000 and $15,000 per year per year. Flexibility in Action Many organizations have departments whose workers are out of the office 20% of the time or more. Instead of having dedicated workspaces, these employees reserve workspaces and other related resources thorough an automated reservation system. These workers typically make a reservation through a web site, a walk-up kiosk, a VoIP phone, or a concierge. The technology that supports the flexible office environment switches users` unique telephone extension from the voice mail system to the appropriate workspace, and then disconnects that extension once the worker leaves. Configurations vary, but the most successful solutions accommodate employees` needs and schedules. The earliest solutions were completely full-service initiatives run by concierges who managed reservations and set up workspaces for daily use. Today`s comprehensive solutions provide numerous reservation interfaces to create self-service environments, such as smart phone apps, walk-up kiosks, web sites, and VoIP phones.