In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the benefits of ABW and provide some tips on how to create an environment that works for your company. We’ll also introduce ONES, an all-in-one smart office system that can help you implement and manage your ABW environment.

Understanding Activity-Based Working

Activity-based working is a work philosophy that focuses on the idea that employees should be free to work wherever and however they choose, depending on the task at hand.

Activity-based working environments are becoming increasingly popular among businesses of all sizes. This approach to work is centered around the idea that employees should have a choice in where and how they work.

Rather than being assigned to a specific desk or workspace, workers are given the flexibility to move around and work from a variety of spaces. This can include open-plan areas, private offices, collaborative spaces, and more.

Multinational companies like Microsoft, PwC, and Cisco have embraced activity-based working environments. These companies recognize the benefits of providing employees with a variety of workspaces to choose from, as it can increase creativity and productivity.

1. Microsoft

According to an article published on Microsoft’s website, the company has been using activity-based working since the 1990s. The approach is designed to encourage more collaboration and flexibility in the workplace, with employees able to choose the type of space that best suits their needs.

Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington, has implemented an activity-based working environment, with spaces designated for different tasks such as quiet work, group work, and brainstorming. Employees can choose where to work based on their current tasks and preferences, and the office design is intended to foster creativity and innovation.

Microsoft has found the activity-based working approach to be beneficial in several ways, including increased productivity, improved collaboration, and better use of space. The company has also found that employees are more engaged and satisfied with their work, which has helped with retention and recruitment efforts.

2. PwC

PwC is another multinational company that has adopted activity-based working. The company has implemented this approach in its new Sydney office, which was designed to create a more collaborative and flexible work environment.

The office has a variety of workspaces, including open workstations, private offices, and meeting rooms. Each employee has access to a mobile device that allows them to reserve a workspace or a conference room.

The main goal of this approach is to give employees the freedom to choose where and how they work. By doing so, PwC has found that it can create a more engaging and productive work environment. Employees are able to work in spaces that are designed to meet their specific needs, which can lead to better work outcomes.

PwC has also found that this approach can improve employee satisfaction and retention rates, as employees appreciate the flexibility and autonomy that activity-based working provides.

How ONES Can Help?

Overall, both Microsoft and PwC have implemented activity-based working in their offices to create more flexible, collaborative, and engaging work environments. This approach allows employees to choose where they work and who they work with, which can lead to better work outcomes and new ideas.

However, implementing an ABW can be a challenge for many other organizations, as it requires significant changes to the physical layout of the workspace. This is where ONES comes in.

ONES is an all-in-one smart office system that makes it easy to implement an ABW. The system is designed to help businesses optimize their workspace, making it easier for employees to find available spaces and work more efficiently.

With ONES, you can monitor room usage and desk occupancy in real-time, and make data-driven decisions to improve your office layout.

One of the biggest benefits of ONES is its ability to improve collaboration among employees. With the system’s smart scheduling capabilities, employees can easily book conference rooms, huddle spaces, and other collaborative workspaces. This makes it easier for teams to work together and share ideas, which can lead to increased creativity and productivity.

Another benefit of ONES is its ability to provide employees with a more personalized work experience. With the system’s desk booking feature, employees can easily find and book a desk that meets their specific needs.

This can include desks that are closer to windows, located in a quieter area of the office, or equipped with special features like ergonomic chairs or adjustable desks.

ONES is also designed to help businesses save money on their office space. By monitoring room usage and desk occupancy, businesses can identify areas that are being underutilized and adjust their space accordingly.

This can lead to significant cost savings over time, as businesses can avoid the expense of leasing more space than they actually need.

Upgrade your activity-based workplace with ONES today

In conclusion, ONES is the perfect solution for businesses looking to implement an activity-based working environment. The system is designed to help businesses optimize their workspace, increase collaboration among employees, provide a more personalized work experience, and save money on office space.

With ONES, businesses can enjoy the benefits of an ABW without the hassle of managing the implementation themselves.

Contact us: hello@ones.software, or visit ONES Software official website for more information: https://ones.software/. 

The post How to Create an Activity-Based Working Environment That Works for Your Company? first appeared on ONEs Blog.

As we learn to negotiate the current economy’s additional challenges, leaders must remain sympathetic and rely on proper technology in the right setting to allow open communication with their staff, and meeting spaces are no exception.

Activity-based working is about…

Activity-based working is a recent popular working model that gives your workers a variety of venues for a number of activities. Individuals can select their favorite location for the day’s activities, such as a hot desk, conference room, quiet car, huddle room, or brainstorm room.

For example, LEGO Group’s “Activity-based working” strategy for hybrid working has been recognized as a model for other businesses to imitate.

The strategy taken by the LEGO Group differs in that it appears to take into account the types of work that its workers are performing and provides them with the optimum setting for completing specific roles or tasks.

Each neighborhood has a variety of areas for “activity-based working” ranging from workstations and personal “phone booths” for each employee to various sizes of larger rooms to allow both large and small gatherings.

So how do you know if you have the right tools in the right places for your employees?

In the following sections, we have listed out some of the most common working environments and provided a thorough list of the technologies you need to make that area function for your business.

Meeting room

Meeting rooms are the most common part for most of the offices with the highest usage.

However, these rooms should differ in design depending on different purposes and people who used them: from a place that allows employees to hold informal catch-up meetings, to a venue that is installed with high technology to impress your guests.

Nowadays, meeting rooms normally should provide office facilities such as room booking panels, Wi-Fi, power outlets, and IoT devices for daily use with a meeting room booking system and video conferencing software.

Occupancy sensors can help you determine your real estate needs, eliminate misusage due to no-shows, and identify a better management solution for managing the layout available for meetings.

Boardroom

A board room is a room that is designated for a group of individuals, usually those elected by shareholders to administer a corporation, to have meetings. This is a place where the company’s most important concerns are discussed and decisions are made.

Apart from the facilities that mentioned above for a normal meeting room, boardrooms should have a large enough table and enough seats to accommodate everyone in attendance, as well as be situated in a private area.

Ensure your boardrooms are equipped with a meeting room booking system that allows secretaries to reserve the board room for their bosses in everywhere, and reserve tea service, catering, and car parking facilities for different guests. Also, a virtual board meetings service is now a must for cross-location board meetings.

We also recommend that a 3D floor plan is helpful for guest to easily find their way to the correct location on the floor display.

Quiet car/ Huddle room

Quiet car and huddle room are both office places for individual ad-hoc usage.

A quiet car is for employees who need to tune out and focus on their job without being distracted by a crowded workplace environment, while a huddle room is for individuals who may meet quickly and effortlessly.

Having a hot desk booking system with mobile capability makes these areas more accessible, and having check-in with various methods such as RFID card capability makes them more readily available, forming a relaxed place that your informal use.

You should also provide Wi-Fi, charging stations for mobile devices, a simple lighting device, and easily accessible power output ports.

Brainstorm room/Collaboration space

A brainstorming room encourages collaboration and innovation and is also known as a project room or battle room. Sofas, cushions, and armchairs are frequently used to help staff feel more relaxed.

Residents are typically equipped with more informal furniture to make them at ease. It is mainly used for both big projects and smaller sprints that require additional board space or other office resources. Whiteboards for taking notes, and also whiteboard markers with enough ink are no doubt a must.

Using a desk booking system with mobile functionality allows your employees to book on the fly, which is critical for a location that is unlikely to be filled weeks in advance.

And again, make sure you have provided high-functioning Wi-Fi, charging stations for mobile devices, and a power outlet for supporting your staff in having enough power!

Learn more about how to overcome productivity paranoia with new tools in Microsoft Viva on Teams and ONES.

Contact us: hello@ones.software, or visit ONES Software official website for implementation of your own room booking system: https://ones.software/. 

The post What do you need for your meeting room? first appeared on ONEs Blog.