The Rise of Hybrid Working
Working from home during the pandemic only accelerated something that was already happening – the rise of hybrid working. Hybrid working is a new model that blends remote work with office work, allowing employees to work from home or the office, or a combination of both. It offers more flexibility for employees and employers alike, and allows for a better work-life balance. With advancements in technology and the changing attitudes towards work, hybrid working has become more feasible and desirable for many organizations. While some have embraced it fully, others are still adapting to this new way of working, but it seems that hybrid working is here to stay as more and more companies are adopting it as a permanent arrangement.
A Trend That has “Stuck”
Although London and the UK have largely returned to pre-pandemic practices, a significant structural shift in people's private lives has emerged, with many now preferring to work from home on Mondays and Fridays. This trend appears to have become entrenched and shows no signs of dissipating anytime soon.
Contextual Background
Considering the current trend of hybrid working and the influence of the following three contextual drivers, a pilot has been planned for a WSP client with a specific inquiry: How can we make use of the low occupancy days to reduce our carbon footprint and save on operational costs?
Social Impact and Environmental Concerns
The use of technology to measure and monitor environmental resource usage has become increasingly important, especially with the rising costs of energy and the impact of wars in Europe. By better understanding what is happening, building operators can operate their buildings more efficiently, which has become a focal point in WSP’s client conversations.
Advancements of Technology
A second driver is the cost efficiency of deploying technology at scale, which enables the combination of data to generate useful insights and target greater efficiency across various areas.
Changed User Requirements
The third driver is the changing user expectations, as they increasingly expect to access and control all services in their lives digitally, including the buildings in which they work.
The Pilot
A WSP client is currently renovating an office in central London, and a mechanical system design with two zones that offers flexibility and efficiency was suggested by the WSP engineering team. The suggested design allows the client to use only half of the floor space during days when there are less people present in the office. To test the feasibility of this idea, WSP designed a pilot experiment to run for over a months’ time to see how it works in practice. The experiment aims to reduce energy consumption by 25% during low occupancy days, without affecting user comfort.
During the pilot, the heating will be kept on as normal in one zone while allowing the temperature to vary a little in the other zone. A map has been created to illustrate this. The active area of the floor is highlighted in orange, and it is possible to see how the temperature gradually cools as you move away from it. However, the temperature will only differ by 3-4 degrees, and it is expected that it won't be too hot or too cold in the cooled-off zone.
Engaged and Comfortable Staff
To ensure that the staff remains engaged and comfortable, it's important to consider how to educate the employees about the low occupancy days and keep the space welcoming. Luckily, the client is using Flowscape to book desks, which allows the operations team to display only the active zones for users to book and trigger the automatic reopening of the second zone once 80% of the seats are booked.
Fully Accessible Premises
Importantly, the building remains fully accessible, and the active zone is equipped with amenities like meeting rooms, collaboration spaces, and privacy booths necessary for a productive workday. The pilot is planned to run on Fridays but may also consider other low occupancy days such as those during London railway strikes or around Christmas.
Human Centered Design
The Pilot Experience
To ensure a smooth and well-managed start, a 6-week pilot experiment will be conducted with careful supervision. The staff will be communicated with in advance, and service teams will be coordinated with accordingly. Close collaboration with stakeholders will be maintained to consider the implications of the experiment. Furthermore, opportunities to use technologies in other areas and make necessary adjustments to facilities, such as lights etc. will be explored.
User Engagement
Ensuring user engagement is a significant consideration for the client. To accomplish this, they will carefully craft their communication strategy, emphasizing that the office is open and welcoming. Engaging with users and gathering feedback before, during, and after the move will be a priority. The client has already received some observations, such as teams that use the office every day. They will ensure that these teams are situated in the active zone. Additionally, if someone requires a modified desk or chair for medical reasons, the organization will ensure that it is located in the active zone. Paying attention to small details like this can help address individual needs and improve the overall user experience. By speaking with people, the client can better understand their needs and take them into account.
Model and Test the Experience
Modeling and testing the user experience is crucial to ensure a positive outcome. It involves taking the perspective of the user and simulating their journey to identify any potential issues or unintended consequences. These simulations have been effective in revealing areas that need improvement. The client has collaborated extensively with the operations team to make this happen. As the process becomes more familiar during the pilot phase, the hope is that even greater benefits can be realized in terms of cost and energy savings. Depending on the success of the pilot, there may be opportunities to expand this approach further.
Technology from the Management Team's Perspective and Experience
In the FlowAnalytics tool which is an integrated part of the Flowscape portal, management can see a complete overview of how their entire space is being used, and decide which days it makes more sense to close certain zones. This process will be done monthly to ensure up-to-date data. The technology currently grants the possibility to close down full or half buildings and even half-floors. To gather the necessary information, four different types of sensors will be installed throughout the office.
Room Presence Sensors
Room presence sensors, are used for small meeting rooms. These wireless sensors are battery-operated and can determine if the room is being utilized or not.
Zone Sensors
Zone sensors are used for larger meeting rooms and soft seating areas, to analyze how many people are present in each zone.
USB Desk Sensors
For ergonomic desks with monitors, USB desk sensors will be used to measure if someone is at the desk or not.
Wireless Sensors
For other types of desks without monitors, wireless sensors will be used.
“The key message here is that to get a complete picture of office utilization, several sensor types need to be used to cover the entire office.” Peter Reigo CEO and Founder of Flowscape
By doing so, more accurate data can be obtained that can help decision makers to optimize the use of office space and improve productivity.
Technology from the End User's Perspective and Experience
To plan their week together at the office, the employees can use the tool called Flowplanner. This allows them to mark which days they want to come into the office and management can also designate anchor days where specific teams are required to be present.
Seating arrangement can be planned together, with each person getting an invitation to mark which days they will be sitting in the office. If any desks are not booked 24 hours in advance, they will be released for anyone to book.
Once employees arrive at the office, they will receive a reminder of the day for which the desk booking was made. Furthermore, employees can easily navigate to their designated desk using the Flowscape Wayfinding tool. When the employee arrives at their desk, they can plug in their computer using a USB desk dongle, which automatically checks each employee into the designated desk without the need for any additional steps such as scanning a QR code.
Throughout the day, USB desk sensors can be used to check if other colleagues are present at their desks, and it is also possible to search for colleagues with certain skills, such as first aiders etc. Additionally, employees, receive reminders and Wayfinding instructions for scheduled meetings, making the experience at the office more streamlined and organized.
Technical implementation & integrations
All obtained data can be integrated into the building management system (BMS) so that when certain areas are closed down, it's automatically fed into the BMS. This allows for the fans, evac, and other systems to operate at a slower level which is being control through the Flowscape system. Other integrations have also been considered, such as room booking through Outlook and ensuring that all aid equipment in the meeting rooms work properly.
Common Concerns – Are Employees Being Monitored?
One common concern regarding the use of sensors to track employee presence is whether employees feel like they are being monitored. However, it's important to note that the sensors only track whether someone is present in the building, or whether the desk they have booked for the day have been utilized, not what they are doing; typing away on their keyboard or stopping to gossip with their colleagues. Concerns of this nature can be applied to all smart technologies - while some may find the capabilities of certain technologies unsettling, responsible usage of tools at hand and the benefits obtained should be successful in outweighing these concerns.
What to Expect Next?
The next stage in improving the user experience is to introduce additional features, such as visitor management, door access, food-to-work options, and event management. Currently, the focus is on how to entice people back into the office and plan their work week effectively. Many larger companies have already adopted workplace experience apps, and we expect this trend to expand to other organizations in the future. This all-in-one app is the future of the workplace, providing users with a comprehensive tool for managing their work environment.