A recent study from KTH, the largest institution in Sweden for technical education and research, reveals that half of the organizations surveyed have office attendance rates below 40%*. This is a growing concern for companies, making it a top priority for leadership teams.
Here are five tips to help you gain control:
1. Structure your spaces
With attendance rates under 40%, office spaces must be flexible enough to meet the needs of both on-site and remote workers. Start by defining and standardizing the different types of spaces within your properties. Whether it’s an office, kitchen, or meeting room, agreeing on these definitions allows you to establish standards specific to your organization.
This will provide you with a better overview of all your facilities and enables you to calculate key metrics and optimize space utilization. Identifying which areas are for communal purposes—such as kitchens, restrooms, and corridors—versus individual workspaces is essential for effective optimization.
2. Allocate costs
Once you have standardized and categorized your different types of areas, you have the basis to allocate costs internally and externally.
Internal Cost Allocation: Distribution of costs between departments, business units, or faculties within the same organization. For example, if the finance department occupies five rooms, they should be charged accordingly. If their need then is reduced to three rooms, the cost should be adjusted. With accurate distribution of areas, the internal cost allocation can be managed quicker and easier.
External Cost Allocation: This applies to tenants renting areas in your properties, such as a convenience store or pharmacy on the ground floor. With valid data on rented areas and rental agreements accessible in your system, you can easily track and manage areas with external tenants.
Common areas like kitchens, restrooms, and corridors, you can establish standards for cost distribution, both internally and externally.
Space + Internal Cost Allocation = Space Optimization
3. Measure utilization to maximize the use of resources
Do you know which days have the highest office attendance? Or how to create a natural meeting place for remote workers?
Optimizing spaces involves maximizing resource utilization—both in terms of space and equipment. By tracking when and how different areas are used, property managers can ensure resources are deployed efficiently. For instance, if a specific property or floor is occupied at 100% on Mondays, you can prepare by ensuring ventilation, heating, cleaning, and even coffee machines are ready to support a productive environment.
4. Adapt spaces – design for every occasion
Flexible designs and layouts are crucial to meeting the diverse needs of your workforce. Modular furniture and adaptable layouts can transform a meeting room into a phone booth, a demo area, or a relaxed lounge space.
To optimize this, maintain an inventory of furniture and equipment so they can be repurposed as needed. Collaboration between Facility Management, HR and IT is vital for understanding the company’s evolving needs and goals, allowing you to create spaces that foster communication and collaboration.
5. Plan for continuous optimization
Adopt a forward-looking strategy to continuously optimize your office spaces. Work patterns and organizational needs will inevitably evolve. Are you prepared for another pandemic-like disruption? Has the way your teams collaborate changed? Do you need more project rooms?
As a property manager, staying flexible and responsive is key to creating a more efficient, adaptable, and sustainable workplace for all.
Many companies feel that they lack control in their space management. However, here is a way to gain insight and act.
Make your own calculation of underutilized spaces with our office calculator.
