by Shane Henson — December 30, 2011—Finding opportunities to reduce real-estate and energy costs will be a critical business focus during 2012, predicts PeopleCube. According to the provider of intelligent workplace management technology, to arrive at astute, accurate financial decisions, management teams will focus on increasing data acquisition so they can analyze workspace utilization trends down to a finite level. They will also place greater emphasis on leveraging flexible space and videoconferencing solutions, all in an attempt to maximize productivity without increasing costs.
Additional PeopleCube predictions:
Precision Management of Space Utilization and Energy Consumption: To gain a more detailed understanding of how space and energy is used, companies will extend occupancy detection beyond conference rooms and work areas down to individual workspaces, desks, and drop-in space. Monitoring space and energy at the granular level provides details needed to identify the necessary amount of real estate for efficient functions, while avoiding unnecessary expenditures on excess workspace. It also facilitates the reduction of energy consumption in underutilized areas.
From Energy Monitoring to Active Energy Management: PeopleCube sees companies moving from energy monitoring to active energy management, primarily by implementing automated energy control systems that can track, measure, adjust, and then repeat the process. Companies will tie energy-efficient workspace reservation systems into building management systems to automatically control the heating and cooling of real estate based on how and when it will be used.
Hibernation Is Not Only for Bears: Tying together systems for managing space utilization and energy consumption will enable companies to hibernate underutilized space; for example, rendering overflow workspace unavailable for booking until other areas are fully occupied, says PeopleCube. Another example is consolidating bookings of sequential similarly sized meetings into a single meeting room, rather than allowing reservations to be made for rooms located on various floors, thus minimizing climatization needs.
Business Intelligence Sheds Light on Both Trends and Details: Another business trend that PeopleCube foresees for 2012 is the evolution of interactive reporting. Instead of producing copious static reports to get a handle on real-estate utilization trends, companies will rely on comprehensive business intelligence systems. Dashboards and interactive visualizations will ease the process of identifying trends and inefficiencies, both companywide and at individual locations.
Multisystem Videoconferencing Integration for Greater Collaboration and Reduced Costs: Organizations are increasingly leveraging videoconferencing and telepresence technology to accommodate mobile workers and reduce travel expenses. As more mergers and acquisitions take place, companies are trying to manage multiple videoconferencing systems that lack interoperability. Emphasis will therefore be placed on videoconferencing management technology that both ensures the optimal utilization of these assets and provides multisystem integration.
Increased Use of Variable Workspace: As companies strive to use their facilities as efficiently as possible and, perhaps, to reduce their overall real-estate portfolio, they will make use of variable workspace offered by outside vendors as an alternative to real-estate expansion and to accommodate occasional spatial overflows. PeopleCube believes companies will also use variable workspace to eliminate locations such as underutilized satellite offices, so they will pay for space only when they need it.
