How Much Is Poor Space Utilization Costing You?

by James McDonald on April 4, 2018
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Every workspace should add value to an office design, whether it’s an area to collaborate or a quiet space to concentrate. But without the right systems in place, it’s a challenge for facilities managers to gauge how spaces are actually being used.

For this reason, many workplaces have unused real estate — an issue that has grown with greater mobility and remote employment opportunities. This not only ties up other spaces that could alleviate congested areas, but it also leads to significant increases in costs.

The Costs of Poor Space Utilization

Real estate has always been a big investment for organizations. Oftentimes, however businesses wind up with more space than they need—30 to 50 percent more, on average.

As real estate costs continue to increase, poor space utilization will place a larger dent in an organization’s budget. And with these overhead costs comes additional expenses.

Consider utilities, for instance. When you heat or cool unused areas, you are throwing away money that could be used for other investments. The same can be said for energy and lighting as well.

There’s also the maintenance factor. While employees might not actively use a space, it could fall under the same routine maintenance schedule as other popular workspaces. This can be a waste of the workforce’s time and resources.

The Benefits of Real-Time Space Utilization

Taking a few laps around the office regularly can provide some insight into space utilization. But what it doesn’t do is tell the story. While a conference room may be filled one day, facilities managers may not realize it’s the only time that week where the space has been occupied.

Space management software helps solve this issue by offering visual insight into real-time space utilization. Through stacking diagrams, facilities managers can view details about individual spaces on every floor including square footage, occupancy information and available assets. This not only portrays an accurate picture of how spatial assets are being used but it also increases productivity in space management.

Say you have a scenario where different departments are spread across multiple floors. To streamline collaborative efforts, you want to consolidate these segments and move the entire department to one area.

Stacking diagrams allow you to easily create a move scenario that aligns with this objective. As you initiate this layout change, the platform will populate a list of potential spaces based on what’s available. After you select the configuration of your choice, tickets are automatically created to trigger next steps in the move process. This increases overall efficiency in the move and also ensures that employees have the assets they need to be productive.

Businesses can use this same approach to move employees based on other factors as well. For example, you can create categories that separate employees by specific projects or personality types. Such flexibility enables you to seat employees in a format that is most beneficial to your workplace model.

Wasted space in the workplace comes with hefty costs. With space management software, you have the tools to visualize office space utilization in real time and make informed decisions that save on costs. The savings from these real estate costs can be reallocated to other areas of the workplace to better meet business goals.

To learn more about how our space management software can improve your work environment, request a free demo today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James McDonald

James McDonald is a sports enthusiast, brother in Christ and once swam in a tank with the infamous TV sharks.

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