Hoteling is defined as a flexible work arrangement whereby an employee already telecommuting does not have an assigned personal workspace but may reserve office space on an as needed basis, without permanently being assigned to a private office, cubicle or desk.
During 2003, the Department of the Treasury’s Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) employees formed a cross-functional team focused on expanding the telecommuting program to provide a positive cost benefit to TIGTA and reduce the amount of office space in offices with high concentration of employees participating in telecommuting more than two (2) days per week. It was believed that employees who did not report to the office on a routine basis did not need to have office workspace devoted solely to them. They could share office space with other employees assigned to the same office; thus “Hoteling” was born. This was the first time a project of this type had been attempted at TIGTA.
Hoteling allows TIGTA to reallocate workspace and accommodate a greater number of employees in a smaller amount of space, ultimately reducing real estate costs. It was looked at as a means to recoup some of the costs associated with implementing the telecommuting program. Employees would no longer be assigned to a specific workspace, but rather would have to make a reservation when they came into the office for the type of workspace they would require. Work areas were reconfigured to match particular work tasks and each work area was assigned a unique number.
The full participation of Management Services, Information Technology, and Audit ensured the success of this effort. TIGTA’s rent expenses were reduced by over $100,000 a year after implementation and they have developed a reasonable strategy for managing rent inventory and future rent costs. The success of the pilot resulted in TIGTA expanding hoteling to additional locations and realizing additional cost savings.
The team’s accomplishments include:
- Developing a methodology and criteria for hoteling site locations, including developing a Concepts of Operations document and a “Rules for the Road” document. These documents enable the organization to evaluate future hoteling sites, provide a policy framework for hoteling and provide guidelines for employees participating in a hoteling environment.
- Conducting market research to identify a reservation software package; the team selected a software package that TIGTA now uses for its workstation reservation system. The concierge function of the software was fully explored and developed during the program; this is a vital function that allows other employees outside a particular office to reserve workstation space as needed. The software also provided data to evaluate the usage of workstations and to make better, more informed real estate decisions for future locations, including an optimum ratio of employees to hoteling workstations.
For more information, contact Ms. Donna Leach on 202-927-5924, or by email at Donna.Leach@TIGTA.Treas.gov.
