Corporate Offices
The agile revolution is sweeping across the global workplace and for good reason. Built on the bedrock principles of collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement, the agile office space is fast becoming the new standard for organizations that are serious about staying ahead of the curve. By encouraging employees to work in teams, share ideas, and collaborate on projects in a dynamic and interactive environment, agile workspaces are unlocking the full potential of today’s workforce.
And the numbers don’t lie: a recent Gallup study found that almost 47% of workers in the UK, France, Germany, and Spain consider their companies “agile” or “partly agile,” and firmly believe in their firms’ ability to quickly respond to opportunities and lead the competition. Are you ready to join the agile revolution and unleash your organization’s full potential?
What Exactly Is Agile Workspace?
Gone are the days of dull and drab office spaces with limited workstations and rigid schedules. Welcome to the world of agile offices, where flexibility, adaptability, and innovation reign supreme.
An agile office, also known as an agile workspace, is a modern office environment designed to meet the changing needs of employees and businesses. With open floor plans, flexible workstations, and collaborative spaces, agile office space is a dynamic and versatile space that empowers employees to work anywhere and anytime within the office.
Think of an agile office as a playground for creative minds, where employees are free to move around, experiment, and explore new ways of working. The technology infrastructure of an agile office further supports this, allowing employees to connect and collaborate seamlessly, regardless of their physical location.
Whether it’s a brainstorming session with a team or a quiet corner for focused work, an agile office has it all. With the freedom to work in a way that suits their needs, employees can achieve a better work-life balance and increase their job satisfaction. And with better job satisfaction comes improved productivity and employee retention rates..
Agile Workspace – The Perfect Driver of Employer Success
In today’s fast-paced business environment, success often comes down to how quickly and efficiently you can adapt to change. That’s where agile workspaces come in, providing a dynamic and versatile environment that empowers employees to work in new and innovative ways. But what are the key pillars that make an agile workspace truly successful? Let’s explore the three fundamental elements that underpin the agility of the modern workspace.
Speed and Efficiency:
The first pillar of an agile workspace is speed and efficiency. In a rapidly changing business landscape, being able to move quickly and make decisions fast is essential. Agile workspaces are designed to facilitate rapid communication, enabling teams to collaborate and make decisions quickly. This means that businesses can stay ahead of the curve, respond to customer needs faster, and remain competitive in a constantly evolving marketplace.
Thinking Beyond Boundaries:
The second pillar of an agile workspace is thinking beyond boundaries. An agile workspace encourages creativity, innovation, and experimentation, empowering employees to think outside the box and explore new ideas. This means breaking down traditional silos, embracing diversity of thought, and encouraging cross-functional collaboration. By fostering a culture of creativity and innovation, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and discover new opportunities for growth.
Strategic Synergy Through Collaboration:
The third pillar of an agile workspace is strategic synergy through collaboration. By creating a culture of collaboration, businesses can unlock the full potential of their workforce. Agile workspaces promote open communication and cross-functional collaboration, enabling teams to work together towards a common goal. This means that businesses can achieve strategic synergy, bringing together different skills, perspectives, and expertise to deliver better outcomes and drive growth.
Why Is an Agile Workplace the Way Forward?
Here are some benefits of an agile workplace and examples of how they can be implemented:
Empowered and Happy Employees
When employees have the flexibility to work in a way that suits them best, they are more likely to feel satisfied and fulfilled in their jobs. Whether it’s working remotely or choosing their own hours, an agile workplace empowers employees to take control of their work-life balance and find a work style that suits their needs.
Enhanced Productivity
An agile workplace can help boost productivity by providing an environment that supports employees’ preferred work styles. By providing amenities such as standing desks, quiet areas, and collaborative spaces, employees can work more efficiently and get things done faster.
Engaged Employees
An agile workplace promotes a culture of collaboration and open communication, leading to greater employee engagement. Using online collaboration tools such as Slack or Asana can help employees stay connected and engaged with their colleagues, even if they work remotely.
Faster Decision-Making
With an agile workplace, employees are empowered to take ownership of their work and make decisions quickly, leading to faster decision-making. Using a flat organizational structure or providing decision-making authority to employees can further speed up the decision-making process.
More Creativity and Innovation
An agile workplace fosters a culture of creativity and innovation by encouraging experimentation and risk-taking without fear of failure. Design thinking methodologies or brainstorming sessions can help stimulate creativity and innovation, leading to new ideas and solutions.
Cost Savings and Flexibility
An agile workplace can help organizations save money by providing a more flexible workspace. Fewer permanent desks and more flexible workstations that can be easily rearranged can help adjust the workspace according to current needs, reducing real estate costs.
Better Use of Space
Agile office space can help optimize the use of office space by using hot-desking, allowing employees to choose any available workstation instead of having assigned desks. By implementing hot-desking, companies can reduce the space needed for individual desks, using the saved space for other purposes like meeting rooms or collaborative spaces.
Accelerating Agile Culture: The Power of Location-Based Technology
Location-based technology such as Mapsted’s enterprise-grade patented solution is revolutionizing how we navigate and manage our workplaces, offering a host of benefits that can elevate both the employee experience and organizational efficiency. Here are six ways this technology can accelerate and refine your agile workplace model:
Blue-Dot Navigation
Employees can easily find their way around the office, with turn-by-turn directions to their booked desks, office, conference, and meeting rooms. The technology also allows for categories and searches for conference rooms to be pinned for quick accessibility, and routes that accommodate wheelchairs can be selected to include access to elevators or ramps.
Desk Booking
Employees can browse for and book their desks depending on who they are working with and on any given day and book an area where independent and group interactions flow smoothly.
Meeting Room Booking
Indoor mapping technology also improves meeting room booking by promoting efficient booking of meeting and conference rooms throughout the workday. Notification alerts can be set up for when a room goes from “available” to “unavailable,” ensuring that employees don’t waste time searching for an available room. When visitors are included in on-site meetings, an invitation can be sent with a link that will provide turn-by-turn directions to the meeting room once they enter the building.
Asset Management
Location-based technology also enhances security measures, providing managers with a clear view of office assets and potential vulnerabilities. Unsafe areas can be marked, and unauthorized access can trigger alerts for managers to take action. Additionally, indoor mapping can restrict access to certain areas or rooms, ensuring only authorized personnel can enter.
Maintenance & Custodial Alerts
Location technology simplifies maintenance issues by alerting employees of facilities closed for maintenance, and custodial workers can access real-time directions on their smart devices to quickly and efficiently complete repairs or service calls.
Optimized Space Planning
Optimizing space planning is another benefit of indoor mapping technology, as it allows managers to visualize empty desks, wasted spaces, and areas not in use. Heatmap analytics can provide insights into foot traffic patterns and traffic blocks, allowing managers to make data-driven decisions for future office builds.
Quick Access to Resources
The technology allows employers to identify and tag in-office points of interest such as printers, microwaves, bathrooms, and kitchens so employees can easily find what they need without delay. In addition, the technology provides blue-dot navigation directly to the location.
Space Management
Heatmaps can provide insights into how employees work together and where they spend the majority of their time during the day, helping managers make decisions on how to encourage a workplace culture that promotes collaboration. Capacity limits can be set, and employees can be notified when a room is at capacity. Additionally, indoor maps can clearly mark emergency exits and provide directions to the closest exit.
A One-Stop-Shop Solution for Agile Culture
With cutting-edge revolutionary technology, Mapsted can help transform your workplace into a hub of innovation and collaboration. With years of experience in elevating employee and visitor experience inside offices, Mapsted can help your business thrive in today’s competitive marketplace.
To learn more about Mapsted’s solution for corporate offices, check out this blog on How to Optimize Your Workplace with Location Technology and this short video on How to Maximize Operational Efficiencies and Employee Satisfaction With Location Based-Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is an agile workplace?
Ans. An agile workplace is a flexible and adaptable working environment that allows employees to work in a way that suits them best. It involves empowering employees to work autonomously, promoting collaboration and communication, and using technology to support work.
Q2. What are the benefits of an agile workplace?
Ans. An agile workplace has several benefits, including increased productivity, better collaboration and communication, improved employee engagement and job satisfaction, reduced costs, and increased flexibility.
Q3. How can I implement an agile workplace in my organization?
Ans. To implement an agile workplace, start by assessing your current work environment and identifying areas that need improvement. Then, involve your employees in the process and encourage them to share their ideas and suggestions. Finally, invest in the right technology and tools to support the agile work approach.
Q4. How can an agile workplace improve employee engagement?
Ans. An agile workplace can improve employee engagement by giving employees more control over their work and empowering them to work in a way that suits their needs. This approach can boost employee morale, increase job satisfaction, and create a sense of ownership and accountability among employees.
Q5. Can an agile workplace be implemented in all types of organizations?
Ans. Yes, an agile workplace can be implemented in all types of organizations, regardless of their size or industry. However, the approach may need to be customized based on the specific needs and challenges of each organization.
