Workplace

Enterprise workplace management platform

Workplaces are facing challenges with office mandates, hybrid policies, and remote work. While data is showing a flexible hybrid approach is best, the implementation is complex and unique to every organization. 

Even high level questions are complex:

• What is the purpose of the physical space?
• How do we coordinate everyone if they’re not in the office as much and at different times?
• How do we maintain work culture?
• How can I get the most out of my office while keeping costs at a minimum?

Office workplace challenges

Low utilization & unused office space

People are working from home 28% of the time, with an average workplace utilization of 35%, down from 65% pre-pandemic. Businesses are looking for ways to repurpose the unused space but face significant challenges when it comes to implementing such a solution and tackling utilization. HVAC systems are responsible for 40% of energy consumption in commercial real estate buildings.

Real estate costs & expiring commercial leases

Low utilization is putting pressure on workplaces to reevaluate their real estate portfolio. A third of all office leases are expiring by 2026. This is forcing organizations to decide whether to  renew their leases or downsize their real estate footprint.

Workplace experience

Friction in buildings makes workplaces less appealing to employees. Businesses must offer something unique that employees can’t get at home. The challenge is the disconnection between the tools used and the spaces occupied. Technology often operates in silos, complicating work environment integration.

Uncoordinated office time

Uncoordinated office schedules challenge collaboration. Employees prefer knowing when colleagues will be in the office to avoid commuting alone. Different policies have varying impacts: mandating office days can affect retention, hybrid policies with set days keep real estate costs high, flexible days complicate coordination, and fully remote work lacks in-person connection. The office still holds value, so finding the right policy is crucial.

Energy mandates & sustainability targets

Commercial buildings consume 40% of global energy. New regulations are emerging worldwide. In the UK, landlords cannot lease buildings rated E or lower, risking $93 billion in real estate. New York’s Local Law 97 imposes penalties on buildings that fail to meet energy standards. Reducing energy use is critical.

Connecting the workplace

PlaceOS integrates with calendar software, IoT, network systems, building systems, endpoints, and collaborative tools. By connecting these elements, we bridge the gap between the tools you use for work and the building systems that support you.

Other workplace applications are limited by their hard-coded solutions. Our flexibility lies in our integrations. Meaning you’re not tied down to specific hardware providers or if something is missing, we can integrate with it.

Improve workplace utilization

Improving workplace utilization needs multiple sources of data to gain a better understanding. We have hundreds of integrations that provide rich, contextual data. Access control tracks badge swipes for daily counts, while Wi-Fi triangulates devices for real-time data without extra hardware. Camera tracking and sensors offer detailed occupancy monitoring, though sensors require upfront costs. Calendar data helps identify space usage by team or department. Normalizing this data is key for analysis, with survey data providing insights into usage patterns and potential issues.

Create a dynamic workplace

Low office utilization calls for a dynamic approach. We use occupancy data and automate workflows to make this happen. If only 20% of your team is in, limit them to 20% of the workspace and power down the rest to save energy and prevent isolation. This adjusts daily to accommodate your quietest and busiest days.

Office Space Optimization

• Limit desk bookings to ground floor.

• Limit access to floors above level 2.

• Turn HVAC & Lighting on floors above level 2.

• Occupancy + BMS (HVAC)

Right-size your office space

Analyze your office spaces, including meeting rooms, desks, and collaborative areas. Understand how and why people are using them by connecting to occupancy data and conducting surveys. This helps identify preferences and optimize space utilization.

Repurpose unused space

Unused space can be transformed for events, mixed-use, coworking, wellness, or hospitality businesses. Using Power over Ethernet (PoE) makes this easy. PoE can power devices, lighting, kiosks, sensors, cameras, and USB-C laptops. It’s easier to install and cheaper to run than AC power, provides more data and control, and is future-proof. Floor boxes offer easy access to power and network connections, allowing flexible furniture arrangements for events, seminars, internal workshops, or functions.

Reduce your real estate costs

Unused space can be transformed for events, mixed-use, coworking, wellness, or hospitality businesses. Charge out space to other vendors, businsesses or events through bookings and track of revenue.

Improve workplace experience

Remove friction around the workplace. We use the premise: Occupancy + Action. This can be as granular as individual profile settings that follow you around the building, creating a uniform experience throughout your workday. Automatically adjust desk height, meeting room lighting, climate, AV presets, and more. Expand this concept to make spaces dynamic and highly available, ensuring they are ready when people need them.

How to coordinate people

Coordinating people involves knowing when and where they are working. Work location status can be updated by individuals to indicate if they’re away, working from home, or in the office. However, people often forget to update it. To cross-reference, we use access control to check if they’ve swiped in or if they’re connected to the office network. This helps improve office attendance coordination.

Reduce energy consumption

Enhance energy efficiency through automation. Control lighting, HVAC, and in-room devices remotely, set alerts for unusual energy consumption, and use occupancy or scheduling data to automate control of lighting, HVAC, and more.