The multifaceted nature of large corporations complicates many aspects of operations—perhaps none more than space planning and allocation. Where’s the best place for Sales? How many total desks does Marketing need? Every business line comes with its own demands for space, and there never seems to be enough to go around. Corporate workplace space planning becomes a mission-critical imperative, to ensure each business segment has the space it needs to do its job.
Without a coordinated approach to space planning, even more complexities would arise for corporations. Revenue falls short when sales teams don’t have enough space. Marketing campaigns flop when there’s no space to collaborate. Every segment of business that’s connected to the workplace needs a carefully orchestrated environment that supports the people working in it. This doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a clear and continuous focus on space planning.
Let’s explore why corporate workplace space planning is so vital to the company’s operations—and why more large corporate companies have begun to prioritize it as part of facility management.
What is corporate workplace space planning?
The concept behind corporate workplace space planning is simple: to create cohesion within the workplace. At the top level, it involves creating a floor plan that includes the different types of workspaces conducive to employees. In a more granular sense, it’s about making sure the proportion of space fits the demands of each business unit. Finally, space planning dictates the ebb and flow of the office, along with aspects of accessibility and security.
The difference between thoughtful space planning and a hodgepodge approach is immediately evident in how the workplace functions. Are employees working productively or “making do” with the space they have? Are they bumping elbows and crowding into certain areas or do they have enough space to work uninterrupted? Space planning helps corporations avoid the many problems that can arise if the workplace is uncoordinated.
Space planning requires a mindful approach to space allocation and delegation. The concept itself is simple. Understand the types of spaces employees need, proportion them for each business unit, and arrange them in a way that creates synergy. Then, make adjustments as the needs of employees change.
Benefits of space planning for the corporate workplace
Space planning serves many purposes and carries many benefits when approach with tact. In providing the space employees need to work productively and efficiently, the business reaps the benefits. Some of the benefits that quickly become apparent through space planning include:
- Small business facilities become more accessible
- Employees have the space they need to execute mission-critical tasks
- Reduction in the amount of space needed to conduct operations
- The cost to the company drops as facility efficiency lowers overhead expense
- Fewer overlaps and interruptions ensure smoother operations
- Enhanced safety, security, and privacy in well-orchestrated spaces
Space planning for corporate workplaces comes down to supporting staff. When companies give employees ample space to work and the right type of space to work efficiently, everyone benefits. The result is more efficient business operations, better use of space, and less friction within the workplace. These benefits and others snowball into facilities that pay for themselves.
How does corporate workplace space planning software help?
The sheer scale of many corporate workplaces can make it difficult to understand the needs of employees and the best allocation for space. That’s why software has become an imperative. Through corporate workplace space planning software administrators can easily create, iterate, and organize floor plans that heed the needs of the corporate workforce.
It’s not only the drag-and-drop nature of floor planning software that’s effective. As administrators build virtual floor plans, they can see real-time insights about space allocation—for example, that Marketing has 12 seats or HR space represents 18% of the total floor plan. This information folds over into other aspects of workplace architecting. It’s also essential in understanding cost allocation across business segments.
Space planning software also affords corporations additional benefits via integration. For example, it’s easy to assign seats to automatically populate a company directory or integrate the floor plan into a hoteling system. These features bring dynamic context to space planning and help administrators shape the workplace with agility.
Workplace space planning is imperative for corporations
Effective space planning takes no small amount of effort and forethought. It’s not enough to understand the needs of each business segment—corporations also need to establish them in context with one another. How can you allocate the right space to Sales and Marketing in a way that creates necessary synergy between them? Space planning is segment-specific and overarching.
Corporations that allocate resources and direct attention to space planning will put themselves in a position to support the many business units that drive the company forward. More than that, they’ll also create synergies that lead to efficiency, for exponential returns in the form of productivity, cost savings, and growth.
Keep reading: Corporate Workplace Stack Planning
By Jonathan Davis
Jonathan writes about asset management, maintenance software, and SaaS solutions in his role as a digital content creator at Eptura. He covers trends across industries, including fleet, manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality, with a focus on delivering thought leadership with actionable insights. Earlier in his career, he wrote textbooks, edited NPC dialogue for video games, and taught English as a foreign language. He holds a master's degree in journalism.
