What Are The Benefits of IWMS Software In The Modern Workplace?

Technology like IWMS software has dramatically reshaped the workplace in recent years. Globalization and the influx of new workplace technologies enables many employees to work from anywhere, and they’ve come to expect greater flexibility. Employees feel less tied to a particular workplace and even less tied to a single employer with the “‘gig economy” becoming more prevalent. Attracting and retaining top talent has never been more important, so workplace leaders are turning their attention to enhancing the employee experience. And according to bestselling author Jacob Morgan, technology is one of the biggest factors contributing to the employee experience. 

Is your company keeping up with the evolution of technology in the workplace?

If you don’t have an integrated workplace management system, or IWMS software, you’re likely falling behind. Here are six ways IWMS software benefits the modern workplace.

Top IWMS Software Benefits

1. Increased Productivity for Workplace Leaders

Facility managers and workplace leaders have taken on greater responsibilities in recent years. They’re becoming more involved in business strategy and operations, and they’re increasingly tasked with managing people and technology in addition to buildings. This added workload means they have less time to spend putting out small fires — like managing service requests or rearranging work spaces to accommodate new employees. 

IWMS software puts all the functionalities a workplace leader needs into one integrated platform. And if they use a cloud-based IWMS, they can access it anywhere, including their mobile devices. This makes it much easier for them to manage smaller tasks so they can focus on bigger priorities. 

2. Greater Flexibility and Collaboration

In today’s workforce, 82 percent of millenials consider workplace flexibility as one of the top factors in evaluating employers. To accommodate this, many organizations have made the move to more flexible workplace strategies — an infrastructure that IWMS software helps support.

For instance, with IWMS software, workplace leaders can easily see which spaces are being used and which ones are available. When IWMS software is paired with a workplace app and other digital workplace solutions (such as wayfinding kiosks and IoT sensors) it’s even more powerful. With a few taps of their smartphone, an employee can find an available room to collaborate with her colleagues, reserve the room and have others receive instant notifications via Slack or their calendar app. When they’re done brainstorming, she can then find a quiet place to work on a presentation that incorporates all their feedback. This makes it easier for employees to work anywhere, even if they aren’t in the office every day and don’t have an assigned desk. 

3. More Data-Driven Decisions

Today’s workplace leaders are expected to make decisions that move their organization forward. And when it comes to making informed decisions, data is their best friend. With an IWMS that offers advanced reporting and dashboards, they can easily see critical facilities management metrics such as: 

• Occupancy and vacancy rates
• Which spaces are underutilized
• The cost of space per employee
• Total maintenance costs 
• The most common service requests…

…and much more. When it’s time to think about buying or leasing a new space, for instance, they can look at space utilization trends and be confident in their recommendation that it’s the right move (or not.) 

4. Improved Cost Management

Making more informed decisions about space utilization, maintenance and other aspects of facility management can have a dramatic impact on cost. For instance, workplace leaders can move several departments onto one floor to eliminate underutilized space. They can also see how often meeting rooms were used in any given week and adjust their maintenance schedule accordingly. 

5. Better Security

The security of company information can be severely compromised without the implementation of proper channels of technology and software. Just as savvy hackers are using technology to try to gain access to a businesses’ sensitive information, so should a company implement innovative technology as a safe haven against such breaches of security. Technology helps to make sure that information is accessible only to the right people, and makes it nearly impossible for pertinent company information to be leaked.

6. Increased Compliance

Companies of various sizes have to comply with a myriad of regulations, from health and safety to lease accounting. When you have to gather this data from multiple systems and devices, it can easily turn into a time-consuming task. An IWMS solves this issue by structuring data in a standardized system — one that simplifies compliance and reporting processes. 

Keep Up With Workplace Technology

IWMS software allows organizations to manage many aspects of the workplace through a single platform. They can manage space, streamline office moves, keep track of their assets and manage service requests, among other things. 

And when IWMS software is integrated with workplace apps through an interface like iOFFICE Hummingbird, there is a closed loop between employees and workplace managers. Employees can find people and spaces, reserve rooms, request service and receive visitors and mail no matter where they’re working. And workplace leaders have real-time visibility into how employees are actually using the space, so they can make more informed decisions about how to allocate spaces and assets. This makes employees and workplace leaders more productive while reducing costs, improving security and compliance.  

There’s no denying the incredible impact that technology has had on the traditional workplace. It’s up to workplace leaders to keep up with this ever-evolving trend in the most efficient way possible.

To learn more about the benefits of using iOFFICE Hummingbird along with an IWMS, schedule a free demo today. 

Note: This is an updated version of a post previously published in February 2015.