Innovant is proud to announce the launch of its “Expert Series,” which will feature blog posts written by our very own industry experts. We’ve invited our sales team, engineers, and senior management to share their thoughts on all things related to workplace design.
Tune in each month for insights on the evolving workplace, product design, office tips, and more – all from Innovant’s team members at the forefront of workplace strategy and design.
First up is Julie May, Innovant’s Strategic Account Executive. Her first post will be published in two parts. As an introduction to her upcoming account of storage used as separation in the modern workplace, Julie describes the factors contributing to the evolving workplace. See her breakdown the common factors below:
Real Estate Efficiencies: Many companies are reducing their real estate portfolios and are looking at the most efficient practices for working with less space. Corporate real estate and facilities ask how they can give their employees the tools to be productive, collaborative and focused, while reducing their allotment of space per person. The average square foot per person has dropped from 225 sq ft in 2010 to 176 sq ft in 2012, with prediction of being reduced further to 100 sq ft per person by 2017. (*Data sourced from CoreNet Global.)
Sustainable and Corporate Responsibility Corporate Programs: In addition to space reductions, there has been a rise in corporate social responsibility initiatives, which include sustainability and LEED certification strategies. These often translate to open furniture plans, which have inherent sustainability benefits because they use fewer materials. Open furniture plans also minimize or eliminate such elements as panels, walls, and high storage that tend to obstruct lines of sight and access to natural light. As a result of these programs, more employees are sitting in the open environment, with senior management joining them outside their private offices.
Multiple Generations: “Collaboration” is a common word used in planning meetings to discuss strategies for boosting employee productivity. With multiple generations existing in a single workplace, studies have been conducted that show contradictory results: 1) Collaboration between multiple generations is effective in increasing productivity. 2) Younger generations like being in an open environment and older generations struggle to focus. 3) When done right and with the right worker types, the open plan can be productive and a successful platform for multiple generations to share information, develop mentorships, socialize and connect.
Workplace Tools: What works for me, as a salesperson, doesn’t necessarily work for, say, an engineer or accounting person. Each department and worker type has different requirements for work, which means that “one-size-fits-all” doesn’t necessarily work for every organization. Developing effective tools for different worker types is becoming more common and easier to manage for facilities.
Please check back next week for Julie’s insight into how “Storage as Separation” fits into these new work environments.