In our research, the critical point we established was the shift towards collaboration space at the expense of the current status quo. And while no two organisations have the same needs, structure or culture, they will have to develop the right collaborative workspace for their specific set of circumstances. By 2020 we anticipate that around 70 per cent of office space will be collaborative, while the rest will support more individual methods of working — the exact opposite of today’s ratio. This may present challenges for companies in leased premises, but as the cost of collaborative technologies decreases, these challenges will fall away.
FM providers and collaboration space
Today, many FM providers help clients to integrate new technologies or sustainable ways of working, so this move to collaboration may become something of a standard FM product. I would envisage FM companies partnering with telecommunication providers and other providers of collaboration solutions to analyse a client’s needs, advise them of what to install and where to place it in the building, manage installation and then service it on a day-to-day basis. FM providers will have to demonstrate an understanding of the interplay between the client’s people, buildings, technologies and working practices.
Research results paint picture of a new collaboration age
Research for Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions (GWS) Collaboration 2020 project involved 1,700 white collar workers across the planet. It revealed a gap between the amount of teamwork that today’s workplace can support and how much workers expect to be using in 2020. Office workers expect to spend more time working in team spaces that incorporate collaborative technologies, such as interactive digital screens, touch surfaces and live video streaming.
The project was undertaken by Dr Marie Puybaraud, director of global workplace innovation, Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions and consulting strategist Dr Kjetil Kristensen, Kristensen Consulting.
The results suggest a trend towards virtual teams, with workers using a range of communication technologies, coupled with a decrease in the amount of time that office workers expect to spend at their desks, on the phone, or in traditional meeting rooms.
The report’s authors argue that collaboration between white—collar office workers is a principal driver of creativity, innovation and business advantage. Their response to the survey (results can be found on p.23) is that the collaborative style of working allows teams to become more than the sum of their parts — but that there is a gulf between future expectation and current reality. The research indicates that there is a gap between the amount of collaboration supported by today’s workplace and the amount that workers expect to be using in just under a decade’s time. Failure to invest in collaborative technologies and updated workspaces will hamper productivity.
The type of environment seen in the office is also likely to change. The frequent use of team spaces that incorporate collaborative technologies will increase from one fifth of people who currently report high usage to 52 per cent in 2020. However, people expect to be using traditional meeting rooms far less — 40 per cent said they currently use them regularly, compared to 27 per cent who expect to be regularly using them in 2020. The use of the desk phone is also set to decrease from the half of people who use them frequently today to just a third.
The research revealed that a one-size-fits-all workplace environment is less effective than one built for purpose. No two organisations are the same, so each one will need to customise its space to support its business model and culture. This drive toward mass collaboration will change the way companies think about the real estate they occupy. A higher proportion of company floor-space will be designed to support collaboration, requiring an understanding of the interplay between people, the real estate portfolio, technologies and working practices. The use of video communication and real-time technologies is also set to increase substantially. The number of people regularly using web conferencing is expected to triple from 19 per cent currently to 57 per cent.
Workers also expect to be using collaborative technologies that are still only at the developmental stage. For example, just under half (44 per cent ) expect to be using three-dimensional video conferencing in 2020, which would allow users to perceive depth on screen for a more realistic image.
Today, many collaborative technologies are regarded as expensive and complex, but this will change dramatically in the coming years. As collaboration becomes more widespread, the number of products coming to market will increase and their price will come down, particularly as a result of collaborative offerings becoming available as cost effective ‘collaboration as a service’ (CaaS) solutions empowered by cloud computing. The opportunity for FM providers will be to adapt their models to accommodate even those on shorter-term leases.
The impact on workplace design
A fundamental shift is happening in the way that the office is used. Ubiquitous technologies, such as broadband and mobile internet, mean that most employees can perform many of their daily tasks at home or elsewhere. The future purpose of the office will be to provide an environment that allows employees to collaborate, which will absolutely impact workplace design. This drive towards mass collaboration will change the way companies think about the buildings that they occupy.
Today, companies examine building occupancy and desk utilisation rates, so in the future it’s likely that many will occupy less floor space, but, significantly, a higher proportion of that space will be designed specifically to support collaboration, rather than individual working.
Designers have tended to allocate a workstation for each occupant, even if people spend the majority of their day collaborating. Most studies of the workplace show that the majority of workstations are unoccupied for large parts of the day, so this under-utilisation will need to be addressed in conjunction with the provision of collaborative spaces, if companies are going to derive value from the workplace.
The universal use of video conferencing will also have a significant impact on office design and equipment. Not only will there be dedicated, networked rooms for conferencing, but webcams will be standard equipment. However, as video conferencing evolves, it will become far different than the technologically complex, expensive and space constraining medium that we know today. In the future, it will be highly mobile (on your mobile phone and laptop), transportable (office, home or anywhere), easy to use and affordable, while simultaneously allowing a high level of interactive activity (share data, access review and amend data, and so on).
This will all impact on how an office is designed. There will be far more collaborative/common areas with integrated technologies and fewer traditional meeting rooms and individual workstations. The design of the workplace has a key role to play in supporting collaboration — i.e. the provision of the right physical spaces and technology that assists these virtual teams in achieving business objectives, making quality decisions and creating new innovations.
The future of space planning
Today’s office has around 30 per cent of space for collaborative working with 70 per cent reserved for individuals. The opposite will be true in 2020 — 70 per cent of workspace will be for collaboration, so there will be an important shift in how space is allocated and planned.
However, the challenge will be more to do with human behaviour and getting people to share information in remote teams, rather than simply one of collaborative technology and cost.
We know that people will work more in teams in the coming years, but they may not necessarily know how to do that effectively. An investment in technologies is required, but this must be coupled with training and education on effective collaboration.
Clearly, those people who can effectively work in teams using remote, collaborative technologies will be better equipped to thrive in tomorrow’s highly dynamic knowledge economy.
The impact on leased office space
The increase in dedicated collaborative meeting rooms will mean that FM service providers will have to support these technologies and working practices. FM providers will have to act in a consultative capacity, so they can advise companies on the right workspaces and technologies for their businesses. They will also have to adjust their FM service offering to support this new range of requirements, i.e. room booking, use of new technologies, access to space on demand and in real time, and the training of staff to use new equipment.
They will also have to have a far closer relationship with the client and users than before in order to support them appropriately.
Most employees will be able to perform many of their daily tasks at home or elsewhere, so the future purpose of the office will be to provide an environment that allows employees to add significant value through new business processes empowered by collaboration. This will have an enormous impact on the amount of space leased, as collaboration changes the way companies think about buildings.
The rise of flexible working and increased collaboration means that many companies will need less floor space, but, a higher proportion of it will be bespoke areas specifically for collaboration. Very soon the days of expecting employees to commute to simply sit at a computer will be seen as archaic.
Final thoughts
The way organisations anticipate deploying technology in the future will define their relationship with their FM supplier. FM suppliers will have to become more expert in how to use the technology. I expect to see more FM suppliers setting up long-term partnerships with telecoms companies as they prepare for the future.
So much of this is consumer driven. The trend towards a ‘bring-your-own’ approach to IT is going to grow quickly and employers will be faced with a lot of new equipment that they’ll have no choice but to deal with. FM providers will need to think about supporting this level of activity in the workplace because it’s going to be new for them.
We’ve seen a move towards nomadic, flexible and co-location, working — now we’re saying that in the future people will want to go to the office to meet, share and interact with colleagues.
We have a lot of clients that have embraced this shift already, and these businesses are predominantly in the technology and finance sectors. Others will need to be led. There’s an opportunity for FM providers to really consult on this issue.
We’re very quickly moving towards a time when we’ll all have a single piece of kit for collaborating. But ultimately, this new world of collaboration will be more about training and leadership than technology.
