In recent weeks, we’ve shared our thoughts on how desk booking can enhance accessibility in your office – but it goes beyond supporting those within your team.
Desk booking is also key to capacity management which, in turn, can significantly streamline your running costs and overall efficiency.
This will only grow in importance as the emphasis on flexible working and hot-desking grows.
According to a recent study by JLL, companies in the EMEA area are implementing hybrid working in a number of ways, with the majority choosing some form of hybridity, including:
- Employee choice – 13 per cent
- Fixed days – 12 per cent
- Flexible working – 21 per cent
- Function-driven – 29 per cent
Supporting different types of hybridity
As we can see from this data, employers are prioritising more than one type of hybrid working to meet their particular needs and those of their employees.
We have even seen some businesses employing more than one model within their operations to ensure all work is covered. For example, certain key client-facing staff may work to a function-driven hybrid schedule, while administrative team members choose their own days to work in the office.
This can make it particularly difficult for businesses – particularly those with limited space – to welcome all staff into the office on busier days.
As a result, they may not be operating at full capacity or spending weeks at a time with sections of the office sitting empty.
Desk booking can help to get around this by streamlining your understanding of space requirements.
The Summa solution
We’ve developed a solution which integrates into a number of practice management systems, delivering:
- Real-time booking
- Remote access
- Pre-booking options
- Multiple sites/office managed through one platform
- Linking with resource allocation, such as meeting rooms or equipment
- Block booking options
The aim is to provide an enhanced degree of control to firms over site capacity and deliver cost savings in ways that might not previously have been considered.
With the ability to add multiple sites from your business to the platform, you can easily navigate cost reduction across even large organisations.
Optimising costs through space utilisation
Using your commercial space, particularly office space, efficiently isn’t possible without proper capacity management – something a desk booking system can support.
With a desk booking system, you can manage who is in the office day to day to avoid oversubscription of space, but you can also use it for ongoing insights.
By tracking desk usage patterns, you can spot peak and trough times and use your space accordingly.
For example, you may find that on most days there are fewer staff in the office than you have capacity for, meaning you can afford to rearrange the office or reduce your utility bills through strategic use.
You may even be able to use this data to support the decision to decrease some of your office space. As hybrid and remote working has become more popular, businesses have noticeably prioritised smaller, high-quality spaces over space for every single staff member to be in the office every day.
This is a major cost-saver, particularly given that the cost of rented office space is now as much as £113 per sq ft for a new-build and £61 per sq ft for an older building in the capital.
Desk booking and staff retention
As a secondary cost reduction method, desk booking and its support of hybrid working can also reduce the cost of low staff retention and continued hiring.
A desk booking system offers flexibility for employees in a hybrid working environment. It allows them to reserve a desk on days when they choose to work from the office, ensuring that they have a designated workspace when needed.
This flexibility promotes employee satisfaction and productivity by providing them with the resources they need to work effectively, whether they are in the office or remote.
Beyond that, it shows staff that you care about their time and want to help them plan ahead, which can be a real feather in your cap.
Fancy a demo?
We understand the need to keep your business’ operating costs to a minimum, particularly as firms adapt to hybrid working as a permanent measure.
Our solution can show you how desks are being used in the office and whether you can afford to reduce the amount of space that you hold.
As one of the most significant costs facing businesses, particularly those in large cities, being able to reduce your commercial rent is key to streamlining your ongoing expenditure – giving you more resources to dedicate to what matters.
Let us reduce your running costs. Book a demo with us.