Use four key considerations to select a workplace management solution. Collaborate with the right vendor for a successful hybrid office.
Organizations that use workplace management software take the guesswork out of running a hybrid office. Leveraging technology allows employers to better support the employee experience in the hybrid working model. There are plenty of workplace management solutions in the market, but they vary widely in terms of features offered, scale, and complexity.
So, how do you choose the best workplace management solution for your organization? Here are four key considerations:
Take note of the key features that the workplace management solution currently offers. If the solution fits your needs now, find out if the vendor is interested in improving functionalities and adding features over time. According to Verdantix, buyers need to “prioritize vendors with a long-term commitment to workplace innovation.” It’s crucial to understand the product roadmap to ensure that the solution will continue to serve your organization. Many workplaces plan to iterate on their hybrid work arrangement to better suit their employees. Ensure that the vendor will continue to adjust to the modern workplace, too.
In short: Sign up for the existing benefits, stay on for the long-term commitment to innovation.
Another important indicator of the best room booking software for you is its scalability. As you continue to grow your business, ensure that your digital workplace solution can evolve with you. Your real estate portfolio may shift over time – you may right-size your office space or expand to new regions. The single platform needs to be able to scale alongside your business needs.
Think about the implementation process – will you start with a pilot or trial location? Will you begin by offering desk booking, and add on space reservation? Can the solution take you from an initial phase to expand across multiple locations in your entire real estate portfolio? Ensure you understand how long it takes to configure a new office.
If you have multiple office locations, make sure that the software can incorporate different regional requirements. A healthy workforce starts with a healthy workplace. Items such as health screening questions, capacity limits, and vaccination requirements are constantly evolving and may vary by location. Your chosen solution should allow you to change these settings across various locations as needed.
Another crucial aspect of your workplace management system is its flexibility. Is it agile enough to meet the needs of your hybrid management structure? Managers may not be present in the physical space every day, so you must be able to effectively administer the solution remotely.
In short: Your solution needs to be able to evolve with your business needs – fast.
Ensure that the user experience is outstanding. Beyond the product being aesthetically pleasing and compatible with many types of devices, it must be simple to use. This is crucial to increase employee adoption of the hybrid work model. The technology required to work on site should not be a barrier to staff visiting the office.
You also want the solution to be easy for your management to administer. Minimize the number and length of training sessions for your leaders and any subsequent new hires. The implementation process should also be efficient and quick to get your hybrid office up and running as fast as possible.
In short: Reduce admin burden, make sure your solution is simple to use, and easy to deploy.
The workplace management solution should make insights available to help you understand key metrics about the office. Understand the effectiveness of your hybrid work policy by keeping track of space utilization and occupancy metrics. These metrics can help with space planning and redesigning as required. They also offer crucial data to identify trends about how your employees are using your physical space, and how often. This allows you to constantly iterate and improve upon your workplace experience.
In short: Make data-driven decisions using your space management tool.
Looking for the right solution that blends innovation, flexibility, ease of use, and analytics? Contact us to find out more about Nspace, our state-of-the-art workplace management solution.
