The worldwide pandemic has changed everything about how we work; a dynamic outlook is more essential than ever before and business managers that have a fixed view on workspace management are being left behind.
Thankfully, over the past 18 months, it has been proven that adaptability is a common asset.
The business world’s decision makers have recognised that the uptake in remote working and other flexible working conditions is here to stay and isn’t a lockdown-era fad.
Recent research from Ámarach echoed this sentiment. It indicated that employees have gotten a taste for a more flexible working life and there is no great desire to go back to the more rigid workspace days of yesteryear.
Not What It Was
Of course, in the future, when the pandemic is just a memory, we will still need workspaces. However, to put it simply, the office is not what it was.
In the future, more of us will arrive at the workspace for individual tasks or events. We will have different schedules and manage our working life in a way that is far more flexible.
Actually, we already are. This future is already here.
The days of predicting who will be in the office on any given week are gone. The pandemic has shown us that there are other ways to work, and those ways don’t necessarily have to involve a 9-5, Monday-to-Friday, office.
Traditional Workspace Management Software
AIn a survey conducted in October 2020 by Pew Research Center, employed American adults who were working from home were at 70%, compared to only 20% before the coronavirus outbreak.
As the traditional workspace gets shown the door, so do traditional workspace management systems.
Afterall, much of it is designed for the problems of 2019, not the workspace problems of March 2020 onwards.
A one stop shop may have worked in the past, but these general workspace management systems do not, and cannot, adapt to the specific needs of a dynamic post-pandemic workspace.
Get Specific, Get Better
With this in mind, what software are smart business managers and owners using now?
As stated in previous articles, there are four different elements that need to be managed in most workspaces.
These are as follows:
- Workspace
- Parking
- Experience
- Visitors
Of course, there are operators that offer to cover all four of these elements.
However, it should be noted than many of these vendors set-up their systems in a pre-covid world and as with most ‘Jack-of-all-trade’ businesses, their focus on individual elements can vary.
In our experience, utilising experience, and expertise with a focussed provider in each area often provides better results.
Also, workspace management providers who specify in particular areas are completely focussed on the problems that have arisen in their areas over the past 18 months.
Think about it; if you have four unconnected riddles to solve, your focus will be spread, and you may not come to a conclusion for any of them.
However, if you’re completely fixated on one problem, all of your energy will go into finding a solution there.
It’s the same with workspace management systems; businesses that focus in on one area are often able to anticipate and solve the problems associated with that area.
Those that spread their concentration, often end up narrowing in on gaining leads, rather than solving problems.
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Get a DemoNow, we have touched on the decision-making process. Allow us to look at each element…
Workspace Management Software
Traditionally this could be broken down into ‘who has what booked, when and what is the capacity of the area?’.
However, post-pandemic, there are new problems being solved.
For instance, software providers are looking at innovative ways to employ contact tracing.
With many businesses looking towards different ways to bring staff back on-site, if you’re on the hunt for this type of software, you should also look towards getting software that shares optimum attendance statistics.
When sourcing this for your business, you should also ensure that you go with a provider that can sync with your display screens onsite and one that shows real-time availability for all your rooms and desks.
In a covid world, you don’t want staff double or over booking desks. Hell, even pre-covid, that was quite annoying!
Parking Management Software
How many commuters arrive at work on any given day is no longer a predictable thing.
For instance, one-week employees may be taking advantage of remote working opportunities. The next, they may have to be in the office for an essential meeting.
Virtually all of the catch-all workspace management solutions are working off a pre-pandemic workbook and it just doesn’t work anymore. Employee’s parking habits have changed, so it makes sense that how employee parking is managed should also change.
Now, more than ever, it has become essential for business to look for new parking solutions that include real-time availability, an efficient booking system with digitized entry and exit and efficient violation management.
If you’re looking for a top-notch parking management system, then employing a system designed by the same folks who do desk booking software is not the answer.
Managing a person in the wrong place isn’t the same as managing a car that’s sitting in an allocated space in a full car park.
Of course, we are biased, but we are also proud to say that Wayleadr.com is the market leader in this instance. If you don’t believe us, just look at who uses our software; employers like eBay, Sanofi & L’Oreal.
Employee Experience
An employee experience app is more important for bigger businesses than their smaller counterparts. That being said, when this is ran manually, it can become messy. Afterall, you don’t want to be caught blindsided by that one event you completely forgot about!
These apps should help you schedule, plan, and manage the following: catering services, events & community notices, local service offerings and energy awareness
Visitor Management Software
Keeping track of guests has never been more important.
In this instance, providers have had to totally adapt their offering to cater for a post-pandemic world, with businesses now looking at vaccination status and contact tracing. These elements weren’t previously on the agenda.
That being said, age old services, such as turnstile management and integration, visual verification, automated arrival alerts and unique access codes should still be on the list for businesses looking to purchase this kind of software.
Choosing The Right Services
The world has dramatically changed over the past 18 months, but the need to employ the best in the business to manage your workspace hasn’t.
Choosing an option that gives you a taste of good service in each area, isn’t the same as employing a dedicated and focussed software solution that is dedicated to solving each and every management issue for that given problem.
A robust parking management system is more important now than ever before- with the changing commuting landscape and high need for flexible workspace solutions as we go back to the workplace.
Join industry leaders from companies like Sanofi, Indeed.com & CBRE, schedule a demo with Wayleadr.com today and solve your parking problems in the click of a button.
