October 22nd, 2019 8:28 am
3 Must Have Technology Tools for Office Hoteling
Office hoteling is the future for business that want to attract a mobile workforce, reduce their carbon footprint, and save money by reducing the amount of office space they have. Many business focus on the space design, which is critical. But equally critical is the technology for office hoteling that will make the strategy work.
As we work with more and more companies that are moving to an office hoteling concept, there are three technology tools (or systems) we have found to be critical.
1. State of the Art Wireless
The benefits of a robust WiFi system go beyond office hoteling. They provide global accessibility that has completely transformed business.
With state of the art wireless systems, you can quickly install your technology anywhere in the facility and build a secure network that will support every employee. In the specific instance of office hoteling, WiFi lets the network take on additional users with existing equipment, unlike wired cables that require additional wiring and installation.
We’d wager to guess that anyone working in an office today expects state of the art WiFi.
But to have that, you need high-speed internet.
High-speed internet is not a given. We’ve seen office buildings that still only have DSL, which is not nearly fast enough to support office hoteling needs today. Without high-speed internet, it won’t matter how good your routers are.
Our advice: find out who the local internet service providers are so that you can forecast how much bandwidth you’ll need for your mobile workplace and whether your ISP can provide it.
2. Scalable Desk Reservation Software
Imagine there is an important deadline and it’s all hands on deck. And every mobile employee shows up to claim the same workspace.
Not good for productivity or morale.
You need to invest in desk reservation software that can scale with your business. The ability to reserve desks in advance is what makes the human logistics of office hoteling work. You will also need someone to monitor the system
Office Hoteling Software Key Features
- Multiple Interfaces for Booking Desks. This includes mobile phones, a web portal, and lobby kiosks.
- User Groups and “Neighborhoods” that let you control access to specific workspaces.
- Floor plans views that let users locate a Coworker.
- Integrations for HR systems, Building systems, Sensors, Badge Readers, and more
- Ability to manage different kinds of space (desks, phone booths, etc)
- Integrated workplace analytics and utilization reporting
Our advice: Identify someone who can serve as a coordinator and monitor this system, making sure everyone is following protocol and that desks and other areas are being reserved and used appropriately.
3. Reporting tools
Office hoteling can definitely be an effective way to reduce wasted space and support the flexibility that employees expect. However, it’s only successful if it’s being well used and maintained.
Underutilized space costs business millions of dollars every year. Moving to an office hoteling concept will help, but that only doesn’t mean everyone will use the space efficiently ,
You must have visibility into how your workspaces are being used. If you have selected a robust desk reservation system, the ability to run the reports you need should be integrated in.
Capturing and analyzing utilization information will let you make decisions based on the data, such as whether to build out more hoteling spaces, include more phone booths, take away some hoteling spaces and put in conference rooms.
Our advice: Watch the data and let it tell you how to build out and improve your space over time. If your desk reservation software does not have this capability, find a new solution. We can help you with that.
Let us help you move
We are experts in building out the technology side of mobile office workspaces. Our team can advise you on the software and cabling that will work best for your situation. Call today.
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