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Covid has shaken up a number of habits in our daily lives, but also in our workplace.
In recent times, the massive implementation of teleworking, have made it possible to highlight a practice that was hitherto unknown: Flex Office. Between major upheavals for offices but also changes in habits for employees, what is flex office and how to implement this new organizational model in your company?
What is flex office?
To know everything about flex-office, we invite you to consult our dedicated article.
But in a nutshell, in recent years, working outside the workplace has become possible or even a norm, at least a few days a week.
This leads to new uses with, of course, the massive rise of videoconferencing, but it also raises questions about the organization of our offices. Indeed, with offices half occupied, arises the question of their optimization.
It is from this observation that the flex office was born, consisting of a flexible layout of offices. The latter are Shared between collaborators. The objective is to organize an intelligent rotation of employees in the office, in order to avoid empty, under-optimized offices, which generate frustration, untimely expenses, and energy waste - heating, etc...
However, this new way of organization raises many challenges. Historically, the office is the place for personalization, with photos, knick-knacks or others. A sharing logic requires employees to detach themselves from the individual office, and this transformation is accompanied.
The keys to successfully implementing flex office
“Since mid-2021, we have seen that companies want to change their working model structurally” Cynthia Labyod - marketing director at JLL.
A transition to flex office necessarily leads to a change in organization. Clearly, the layout of offices must be more thoughtful than during the classic “one employee, one office”.
“The number of positions per person is now 0.67 “, according to the commercial real estate consulting firm JLL. This number represents the expansion rate, corresponding to the ratio of offices per employee.
In this context, thinking ahead of time your new work organization is essential. Especially since some employees are reluctant to this new model which requires time to adapt.
Finally, it is very important that the company collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative feedback during the implementation of the flex office, in order to adapt the offices to the real uses of employees.
Discover data analysis in flex office with m-work
Rethink your offices to implement the flex office
Office real estate is the second largest item of corporate expenditure behind payroll.
And between meetings, vacations and teleworking, An office remains unoccupied more than 40% of the time. However, unused offices are a significant loss of money for a business.
“This type of layout should not only be considered as an opportunity to reduce structural costs, but should be designed in a qualitative environment that provides employees with a rich offer of spaces adapted to their uses,” warns Odile Duchenne.
Indeed, flex office does not consist in a simplistic division of offices in half.
Because who says coming to the office more occasionally, means adaptation of spaces to the uses of employees when they come on site : more meeting rooms and collaborative spaces, phonebooths, etc.
In addition, reductions in square meters do not always lead to cost savings. Because “many businesses are relocating more in the center of cities, closer to transport infrastructures and services. The reduction in the number of square meters finances a better environment for employees”, further assures the CEO of JLL.
Use the right tools to support the implementation of flex office
The flex office requires a much more rigorous organization than the traditional office.
In fact, employees need to be sure that they will have an office, and desire, with the hybrid work, to know Which colleagues they will meet on site.
JLL thus underlines the need to use adapted digital tools to manage its organization, and reassure employees when implementing this new mode of organization.
Read our article on the best flex office software
m-work supports the implementation of flex office
The solution M-Work was designed for facilitate the implementation of flex office within organizations.
Employees can enter their teleworking days on mobile or computer and book an office during their presence on site.
They can visualize the presence of their colleague and adapt their schedule accordingly.
You will finally be able to monitor all the associated indicators to adjust your flex office at any time. Flex office will no longer have any disadvantages with M-Work !
