- Workplace app for hybrid flexibility based on live sensor data
- Smart use of square footage when office occupancy fluctuates
- Supports safe return to the office
by Brianna Crandall — April 12, 2021 — Spacewell, a global provider of workplace software solutions, has just launched its new Workplace app. The app uses live sensor data to help employees navigate the complexities of the hybrid office in an easy way, including booking a free desk or room, locating a coworker, or requesting and tracking facilities or IT services in an IWMS (integrated workplace management system).
The Workplace app supports a safe return to the office and enables smart use of square footage when office occupancy fluctuates. Image courtesy Spacewell
Recent research by Gartner indicates that about half of knowledge workers will continue to work remotely at least partially post-Covid; before the pandemic this was about 30%. KPMG also presented a comprehensive international survey showing 82% of companies leave the choice to employees whether to work in the office. The potential waste of space is substantial, because office occupancy will vary more widely and assigned desks will be empty more often, points out Spacewell.
Organizations will, therefore, increasingly embrace workplace flexibility — including around seating. With its intuitive interface, and start tiles that users can personalize, Spacewell’s new Workplace app helps employees enjoy a frictionless hybrid workplace experience. The app shows real-time floor plans and occupancy of different rooms and workstations across different floors.
From their smartphone, employees can:
- Find a free spot quickly
- Locate team members
- See live how busy it is in a particular room or on a particular floor
In addition to occupancy, employees can also check the temperature and air quality at their chosen locations, book the desk or space, and order catering and equipment, and request and track facilities or IT (information technology) services as structured tickets in an IWMS (complete with explanatory photos), all in one go.
Gilles Ghyssaert, Global Solution consultant at Spacewell, stated:
I’m very excited about this release. Employees will love the new Workplace app for its intuitive interface design and its ability to make the workplace fully transparent. In the post-Covid era, there will be a shift away from assigned seating to shared spaces and flexible seating arrangements. In such an agile environment, the workplace app really comes into its own.
Janine Kleverwal, senior facility expert at international energy supplier Essent, explained the company’s use of the app:
Our office in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands normally employs around 2,000 people. We feel it is very important that they can return to a safe and productive working environment as soon as possible. Therefore, we equipped our 1,000 workstations with motion sensors that detect occupancy and the 100 meeting rooms with head count sensors for monitoring utilization. With the Workplace app, we make that data available to all our employees in real time. The app shows the information from the sensors on digital floor plans. This allows our employees to remotely see office occupancy and then easily and safely book a free space.
Susan Clarke, research director — Smart Buildings at Verdantix, commented:
As firms transition to new ways of working, they will need an enhanced set of digital tools for workplace management. Spacewell’s new Workplace app is a good fit for firms looking to bring real-time data into the hands of employees to improve their experience of agile and flexible workplaces.
Learn more about the new Workplace app on the product page and in this video. Spacewell is a global supplier of IWMS software and smart building solutions. Using real-time Internet of Things (IoT) data analytics and smart apps, it supports real estate, workplace and facilities managers to improve the lifecycle performance of building portfolios, the productivity and well-being of the people using these buildings, and the quality of the services delivered to them.
