Every workplace has goals. These goals might be financial, they might be customer-oriented, and they may be mission-driven. Whatever the goals of your organization, every department needs to work to achieve them. As a facilities manager, you need to make sure that your space forecasting strategy works in alignment with the strategic goals of your workplace.
What are the visions, plans, and goals of your workplace, and how can you contribute?
Plan for the future
In addition to the everyday tasks of purchasing and space planning, the manager of facilities must look ahead, examining current uses of the space, looking at demographic and workplace-related trends, and making plans for the uses of that space in the future.
You need to examine how past plans have changed and look at the actual utilization of space compared to the intended use of that space. Planning for the future helps you be more efficient in maintaining well-utilized spaces as workplace trends change.
Aligning with workplace goals
It’s beneficial to be a planner, but if those plans don’t intersect with the overall goals of your business, your planning won’t be as impactful as it could be. Your job is to determine how the vision, mission, or specific goals of your organization integrate with the facilities management strategy.
For example, you may have a goal that relates to efficiency. Your business wants to become 10% more productive without increasing staffing. As the facilities coordinator, how can you contribute to that goal?
You can make sure that employees have the space and variety they need to do the work easily and efficiently. In an open office environment, you might provide areas where people can work quietly and intensively on projects.
In a company with limited meeting spaces, you could use space management software to optimize the use of those meeting spaces so people can collaborate in a meaningful way.
Key questions to consider
As the facilities manager, your job is to ask considered questions to determine how your work can align with workplace visions and goals. These questions will help you shape your departmental goals and help you plan. Think of asking:
- What is the company’s vision, and how can my department contribute to each element of that vision?
- How can we contribute to the vision now, and how could this change in the future?
- What specific goals does the company have, and what is the time frame for achieving those goals?
- How do these goals relate to the facilities department, and how can we contribute to achieving them?
- What tools or support do we need to work toward this vision and these goals?
For example, your company may have a vision of becoming one of the most sustainable companies in the region in the next ten years. Your facilities department can realistically contribute to that vision, determining ways to reduce energy and materials use.
The company’s specific short-term goal might be to reduce energy use by 5% overall in the next year. As a facilities manager, you can contribute toward this goal by looking at new building design, retrofits of older buildings, and by helping employees change their habits.
You might discover that adding timers to lights and programmable thermostats to your heating system contributes to a desired reduction in energy use.
The importance of data analytics in space forecasting
Data analytics is a powerful tool for optimizing space utilization and ensuring alignment with company goals, and this is where integrated workplace management software (IWMS) is pivotal.
By analyzing data on factors such as occupancy rates, employee movement patterns, and resource usage, facilities managers can gain valuable insights into how space is being used and identify areas for improvement. For instance, data analytics can reveal underutilized spaces, inefficient workflows, and opportunities for consolidation.
Armed with this information, organizations can make data-driven decisions about space allocation, renovations, and expansions that directly support their strategic objectives. This proactive approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also supports strategic decision-making, allowing companies to allocate resources effectively, reduce overhead costs, and create work environments that foster collaboration and innovation.
Ultimately, IWMS empowers enterprises to create flexible, responsive workspaces that align with their long-term objectives and adapt to changing market demands.
Optimizing office space to cut costs: a success story
Vodafone Group, headquartered in Berkshire, England, is the world’s largest mobile telecommunications network company, operating in 25 countries and partnering in 42 more, with annual revenues of $121 billion.
Leadership wanted to boost profitability through cost reductions, particularly by optimizing the use of their extensive office space. Project goals included maintaining occupancy rates at set targets, accelerating space and employee audits, and enhancing data visualization.
Vodafone implemented Archibus by Eptura, empowering them to generate quarterly space and occupancy reports, integrate data with AutoCAD drawings, and manage individual and group moves efficiently.
Facility managers can now quickly overview their UK campus, monitor buildings with occupancy rates below 95%, and manage about 7,000 employee moves annually with ease.
The software solution has cut the cost of managing over 1.4 million square feet of office and telephone exchange sites, including the ability to conduct quarterly censuses across the UK in just one day — previously a weeks-long process.
Saving time saves money. The company optimized operational processes but also enhanced strategic decision-making, contributing to Vodafone’s goal of reducing overall management costs.
Achieving success through strategic space management
By integrating data analytics and strategic planning into your facilities management approach, you can create work environments that not only enhance productivity but also contribute to the company’s mission and vision.
As a facilities manager, your role is vital in ensuring that every square foot supports the goals of your organization, fostering a culture of efficiency and innovation. Embrace this opportunity to shape the future of your workplace and play an essential part in your company’s success story.
To discover tech solutions to optimize space and assist with your space forecasting, learn more about Eptura Workplace.
By Erin Sevitz
Erin has 15 years of experience, including 10 years in thought leadership on workplace management and the built environment. In her current role she oversees teams responsible for worktech insights and engaging Eptura’s 16,000 customers worldwide. Previously she led communications for the International Facility Management Association, a global industry nonprofit dedicated to professional development for workplace strategists, building managers, and corporate real estate.
