It is an axiom on the business landscape that “the only constant is change”. Indeed, whether driven by shifting customer demand, disruptive technology, evolving marketplace dynamics and the list goes on, change is never a question of if: it is a question of when.
Yet, one aspect of the business landscape that has generally not kept up with the pace of change, is the approach to office space. That is, while many businesses understand that their product offerings, technology and even the composition of their workforce must constantly change, they tend to view their office space as a static, unchangeable component.
In truth, however, today’s office space should be a flexible, ever-changing environment that uses modular, easily re-configurable furniture and adjustable lighting. Below, we highlight the 3 key reasons why “change is good” when it comes to office space:
- Workflow Alignment
Workflows are constantly changing to reflect ongoing requirements, and especially, to drive efficiency. For example, for a high profile customer implementation project, it may be highly effective to co-located professional services teams with sales teams, so they can collaborate and ensure that they provide the customer with a seamless “omnichannel” experience. A flexible and changeable office re-design allows this to happen literally within a matter of hours (if not minutes). And when the project is finished, the previous layout can be reverted to as required or desired.
- Hybrid Teams
Many of today’s teams are hybrid teams”, in the sense that they work partially in the office, and partially elsewhere – such as a home office, a co-working space, on-site with a customer, and so on. A flexible and changeable office design supports these teams by giving them the space they need to be productive when they are scheduled to spend several days or weeks together in the office.
- Multi-Use Spaces
It is not uncommon for businesses to allocate –and waste -- a large amount of space to cubicles and workstations that are not used. Yet with flexible and changing office design, this same space can be easily and quickly re-purposed as, for example, a breakout space or open office environment.
The Bottom Line
We all know that the business landscape is ever-changing. Today’s office should align with this reality – because it makes employees more efficient and productive, and makes businesses more successful since they can get much more value out of their space!