Flexible work needs flexible workplaces,
kitted out with the right technology and furniture appropriate
to new workstyles. Sounds a simple principle, but how
often is it achieved?Integrated approaches to office design
for flexible working are still comparatively rare. At one
extreme of poor practice is the entirely property-driven project
which focuses on achieving property reduction - the design of
internal spaces and flexible work provision are either neglected
completely or tacked on behind as further cost-cutting
exercises. Performance and motivation necessarily suffer
under these circumstances.
At the other extreme are projects focusing on flexible
working practice that leave workplaces unchanged, under-utilised
and poorly provisioned for flexible work.
It is, however, often quite hard for managers to envisage the
whole spectrum of changes that are needed to maximise the
benefits from flexible working.
It is to address the need for integrated solutions that the
Worklife Centre was set up to help managers create environments
for flexible working and more efficient use of space.
Showcasing the new work life
The Centre provides a showcase where managers looking at
flexible work can come along and see the types of equipment and
technologies that are available - from fold-away home office
workstations, to flexible office desking and ergonomic seating
to laptop stands.
The solutions selected by the Worklife Centre are chosen with
the new technologies in mind and the need for versatility in the
use of office space.
The Centre also provides a consulting service to carry out
feasibility studies through Peoplespace Consulting. Halbyn
Rich, a founding partner of Worklife Centre, says that the key
is helping managers to understand how innovative design of
working environments can reduce operational costs as well as
improve productivity.
According to Halbyn, most organisations can significantly
reduce their operating costs by aligning their office design
with the new work styles and the technologies they use:
"Organisations we have worked with have achieved savings of
between £200 and £600 per workstation per year though new desk
designs - that's even before savings from flexible work are
factored in. Managers are often wary about spending
money on flat-screen monitors. But by using flat
screens, we can reduce average desk size. But it's not a
question of cramming more people in.
"Once the cumbersome old-style monitors and over-size desks
are out the way, we can use space much more intelligently.
People don't believe it until they see it, but we can increase
the number of workstations in the office and at the same time
create a greater sense of space."
Integrated solutions, that bring in new desk designs and
redesign offices for new flexible working practices, have
produced savings ranging from £680 to £4100 per
person/workstation per year.
Flexible office spaces
When staff are working flexibly, the last thing that's needed
in the office is inflexible ranks of workstations. The
workplace has to adapt to more mobile patterns of working.
The workplace needs to be redesigned to match the actual work
needs of staff when they are physically present.
The animation above, for example, shows how team or project
space can be used flexibly for different purposes.
Staff touching down for just a short part of the day need
areas where they can just plug in their laptop and work.
Staff surveys show that informal break-out areas and small
meeting rooms, plus areas for quiet concentrated work are also
highly valued.
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