Office Space Consultancy
Are you aware you need to make changes to your office, but wary about the constant changes in how people work? Do you feel that because of this constant change, you can't make long-term workspace decisions?
Huge changes in how people work have left many offices obsolete. Many companies are reluctant to update their office. This is because they’re wary that further changes will make their updates obsolete. This would waste their investment. However, not improving your office means that it is certain to be obsolete. As a result, you face reduced productivity, collaboration, and culture.
A workspace consultant can provide expertise and data to help inform your real estate strategy and office design. However, how do they actually bring value to your company?
In this article, we’ll go through the 5 main ways that a workspace consultant can help improve your company. This will cover cost & risk reductions, as well as performance improvements. By the end, you’ll know if a workspace consultant is relevant to your situation. You’ll be in a much better position to decide if you need a workspace consultant or not.
Increase Office Space Efficiency
A key benefit a workspace consultant can provide is to improve the efficiency of your office. Leasing office space is expensive, especially in large cities such as London. However, most office designs have 30-40% wasted space!
A consultant can use surveys and tracking software to understand how your people use your office. They will be able to suggest improvements to make your office more space efficient. Common improvements are to reduce the number of desks and private offices.
Once your office space plan is much more efficient, you will need less office space. You could use the extra space to enable headcount growth without having to move office. You could sublet it to bring in extra revenue. Alternatively, you could move to a smaller office.
Improve Productivity
Productivity is a crucial component of a successful company. However, in recent years, most companies have seen a 3-6% decline in labour productivity. Improving productivity is the most common and beneficial improvement that workspace consultants provide.
Through surveys and interviews, your consultant will be able to understand how your people work. They can then recommend changes to your office that will improve staff productivity by creating a space that meets their needs. Often, this involves improving the quality of workspace technology. Another common improvement is adding collaboration and focussed working areas.
Any improvement in productivity will quickly show itself in improved profitability. Companies with highly productive staff are 30-50% more profitable than their average competitors. If your consultant can improve the productivity of your staff in any way, they will prove a worthwhile investment.
Increase Collaboration
Effective collaboration is crucial to your business performance. Your office design will either be helping or hindering communication. Unfortunately, it seems as though most offices hinder collaboration. 86% of staff cite a lack of collaboration or communication for workplace failures.
Using surveys and observation sessions, a consultant can understand how your people collaborate. They will then be able to work with your designer to improve collaboration in your office.
The benefits of improved collaboration to company performance are significant. Collaboration improves teamwork, alignment, and problem-solving. This quickly translates into bottom-line improvements. Collaborative teams are 21% more profitable than average.
Enhance Engagement
Because staff engagement is difficult to measure it is often overlooked. However, the benefits of high staff engagement are huge. Staff engagement is how emotionally and intellectually investment your people are. It's how committed they are to your company. Studies have reported that as much as 87% of the world's workforce is not engaged.
Through interviews and surveys, a consultant will gather data on how engaged your staff are. They can then use that data and their experience to suggest improvements to your office. This often involves improving your office's brand identity and increasing informal communication.
Engaged staff are far more effective. Highly engaged staff are 200% more productive than satisfied staff. Companies with engaged workers have 23% higher profit than those with workers who felt “miserable”. Additionally, teams with thriving workers see lower absenteeism, turnover and accidents. They also see higher customer loyalty.
Provide Confidence
While not a direct improvement to the performance of your company, arguably the greatest benefit a workspace consultant proves is confidence. With all the turmoil in recent years, many companies are reluctant to make long-term real estate decisions. However, delaying your decision will only make your problems worse.
Workspace consultants are experienced experts. They work with many companies and likely have experience of similar situations. Their data and recommendations give you the confidence you need to take action. You will feel much more comfortable if your choice is approved by an expert.
Delaying making real estate strategy decisions could be very damaging for your company. You could be prolonging low productivity, high real estate costs, and disconnected staff. By giving you the confidence you need to make the changes now, a consultant will help you avoid these painful consequences.
Improving Your Business With Office Space Consultancy
Now that you know the 5 most common and impactful ways that an office consultant can bring value to your company. You’re in a much better decision to decide if workspace consultancy is relevant for you.
If you are struggling with any of the above issues, then a workspace consultant will almost certainly be a worthwhile investment. They can help you reduce real estate costs and risks whilst improving performance. As a result, you will have the confidence to make the needed changes to your office. They will help you to maximise the performance of your company through your office.
For further help deciding if workspace consultancy would be beneficial, read Do I Need a Workspace Consultant? There, we’ll use our 15 years of experience in the industry to walk you through the most common reasons companies like you engage a workspace consultant.
If you want to know more about the benefits an office consultant can provide, read How Workspace Consultancy Can Help Your Business. We’ll cover the 9 major benefits of engaging with a specialist workspace consultant.
