Desk sharing – Modern tool despite booking chaos.
Home office and hybrid working have become the norm at most companies with the result being that not all employees require a fixed place of work at the office. There’s also the fact that ongoing rules related to how many people can be in the same place at the same time mean that it simply isn’t possible for offices to be fully occupied at the moment. The shared desk concept isn’t anything new, however and those who have long been converts have enjoyed a multitude of benefits.
Written by
- Less office space is required and as rents rapidly rise, companies can save costs by renting out much smaller spaces. If a business constructs its own buildings, these can be made smaller and more affordable.
- Switching where employees work encourages collaboration. When people work with people they don’t normally, this helps boost the feeling of belonging as information is shared across teams which, in turn, broadens perspectives and drives creativity.
- Employees gain freedom. Thanks to modern workplace concepts, companies are better able to meet the needs of their employees by providing workplace that suit a range of working styles. This means a company can set up zones that allow for quiet working, while others are ideal for project teams to get together to discuss as a larger group or for one-one-one meetings.
Modern businesses are implementing well-thought-out workplace concepts that give their employees the flexibility and freedom they need to work to their absolute best abilities.
Why a desk sharing strategy is required.
So, all you have to do is share desks and that’s it? It’s not that easy. To fully enjoy the benefits of a shared desk concept, there needs to be some kind of strategy in place otherwise having to search for a free desk is sure to end in chaos.
It’s also a good idea to ensure structured Change Management is in place as doing away with fixed desks is a change for the employees—not only in the way they work, but also in their working day. The only way this project can be a success is by making sure everyone on the team is on board, understands the benefits and rules of hybrid working and expresses any concerns.
Digital tools help you take the right approach to the topic of desk sharing as employees can clearly see where there are free desks and Facility Management have less work, saving you time and money. But what are these tools for resource and desk management and how can businesses get the most out of them?
The right solution for your company? Desk-sharing systems.
Bechtle and HanseVision offer two solutions for digital workplace management—Bechtle’s own BELOS (Bechtle Event Logistic & Organisation System) standard software and Resource Central available from Add-On Products. Depending on your company’s needs, we can work with you to put together a solution that’s perfect for you.
How does it work? Your employees have an overview of where there are free desks and can book them quickly and easily using their company’s Outlook application, but also when on the go using a web or smartphone app designed especially for the job. There’s also the possibility of integrating displays or QR codes directly at the desks, allowing your team to scan them to see if that desk is actually free or not.
The aim of all these solutions is to allow your team to quickly access free workplace resources, however, simple workplace booking isn’t always the end of the story and below you’ll be able to see some of the other requirements of a desk sharing system:
- Technical setup. Employees have to know if the desk they are booking has the right docking station or several monitors.
- Multiple bookings. Many employees want to be in the office on a certain day or on consecutive days and, if possible, always sit at the same desk.
- Team bookings. In order to collaborate, a team may want to book desks next to each other.
- Anchor desks. Individual desks for people with key roles should be automatically allocated to them, but also made available to others when that person is working from home.
- Employee search. Staff would like to have the possibility to easily search for other team members.
With Bechtle and HanseVision’s modular solutions, all these wishes can be granted as we design a solution that’s perfectly tailored to your needs. The software can either be a full-featured resource management system integrated into your infrastructure, or a standalone solution used solely for booking desks.
Get in touch. Together, we’ll design your perfect solution so you can save time and money and ensure your desk sharing project is a success.
