A Facility Manager’s Guide to Planning and Managing Office Space During COVID-19

As people all over the world endeavor to adjust to the uncertainties of COVID-19, office space planning, control, and supervision have become a crucial part of effective business management. Here is a complete space management guide for facility managers to help them embrace the ‘new normal’ in light of the pandemic-induced challenges.

How COVID-19 Has Changed the Need and Management of Office Space

The onset of the pandemic compelled many companies to switch to remote work options that have now become the staple of the modern work culture. Prior to the pandemic, work from home was often a perk offered to attract and retain the best talent. But now, with more than 2/3rd of the companies worldwide planning to reopen their offices this summer, hybrid onsite and remote work may become routine, resulting in a need to re-think your existing space management strategies.

Why Space Management Matters?

Being a perfect facility manager is not an easy task in today’s competitive business world, where your company or organization is trying to achieve the maximum results with the optimal utilization of the available resources.

Whether it is office space planning or complete infrastructure control, a greater degree of accuracy is required at all levels for efficient space and workplace management. An advanced facility management software solution can help facility managers bring space planning, utilization, workplace operations, and other facility processes together, making it easier to optimize available resources and improve operational efficiency.

What Is Space Management?

Space management can be defined as a practice where an organization manages its physical space inventory by tracking, controlling, planning, and supervising the utilization of the available space.

Whether it is a business enterprise, retail chain, industrial factory, financial institution, educational hub, or even a government facility, every organization relies upon its physical space to support its core functions and ensure a smooth workflow. Even though they may implement different techniques and strategies to manage their workspace, the effectiveness of the same depends on the tools used for implementation.

Expert facility managers can use advanced space management software to manage their organization’s infrastructure, monitor utilization, plan space allocation, and make better decisions about available workplace resources. When space management is connected with broader facility management software, organizations can gain a more centralized view of workplace operations and improve the efficiency of their facilities.

What Are the Essential Components of Space Management Planning?

The four crucial components of space management planning are:

1. Insight DataThe first component of space management is the availability of insight data about space management, planning, and utilization. It includes insights into space costs, usage, and other capital investments into space utilization.
2. Real-time RecordsThe second component focuses on the availability of real-time space data and records for quick move management and efficient tracking of space utilization in an organization.
3. Space Utilization and OptimizationThis is one of the most crucial aspects of space management planning. Ensuring an efficient space utilization is only possible with a solid space optimization plan.
4. Reducing CostsThis is a basic need of any space management plan. Reducing capital investment on expanding space availability and focusing more on optimizing the current space inventory is the basic component of a space management plan.

What Are the Three Basic Elements of Space Management?

The three basic elements of efficient space management are:

1. Strategic PlanningIt is a well-known fact that space and workflow management is an important part of your business planning and strategy, as both of these are closely interlinked. Business organizations need an efficient system to track their physical space inventory as a part of resource planning. Space management gives them an in-depth insight into when their existing facilities can support their workflow, and when they need to expand. Space management supports your business’ strategic future planning.
2. Resource OptimizationAny business organization’s workflow plan is incomplete without an effective resource optimization plan. Any available resource must be optimized for its best utilization to ensure that the organization gets the best output of its investments. This is a basic element of a space management plan. Any guide to facility management will focus on an efficient resource optimization plan.
3. Workflow AutomationWorkflow automation is the need of the hour! Managing space and workplace is a tedious task, which further engages manual resources. A well-planned space and workplace management strategy will automate various day-to-day processes, which require time and resource engagement. A space management solution will help you automate your space and workplace management practices.

Planning and Managing Your Office Space During COVID-19

• Assess your needsWith the emergence of hybrid workplace culture, you need to assess your spacing needs in light of the COVID-19 guidelines to ensure employee protection and a safe work environment.
• Create a strategic planOnce you have assessed your needs, create a strategic plan to make the most of your available resources, thus saving on costs. You can use desk booking software and similar software solutions to ensure a flexible, easily reconfigurable, and safe working space.
• Manage your existing spaceRegardless of the size of your enterprise, your financial resources will always be limited. Instead of having a specific seat assigned to each employee, invest in seat-booking systems that allow your employees to reserve their seats in advance. This way, you will have the right mix of spaces, avoiding unnecessary maintenance costs for unused spaces.

What Is the Purpose of Facility Management?

The primary purpose of facility management is to ensure an efficient work environment by integrating people, objects, processes, and technologies for maximum results. The word ‘facility’ encompasses the physical working space and everything around it, including people, objects, and resources. It is the facility manager’s responsibility to ensure strategic office space planning and optimum utilization for the smooth functioning of the business organization.

Choosing the Right Space Management Solution

As a facility manager, you need to choose the right space management solution for your organization. At QuickFMS, we offer advanced facility management software that allows you to manage your organization’s physical space inventory with ease. Our cloud-based software can be integrated with ERP, HR, or CRM systems, allowing you to track space utilization in real time and make faster space movement and allocation decisions.

By connecting space management with other facility operations, organizations can gain greater visibility into workplace resources, improve utilization, reduce unnecessary costs, and create more efficient work environments.

For more information, schedule a free, personalized demo with us today!

Amit Prasad

Amit Prasad is the founder and managing director of SatNav Technologies and has business interests in a wide range of IT products. SatNav Technologies is an IT products company focusing on cloud based map data products and a pioneer in GPS, FMS & LBS Technologies. The product suite includes SatTracx in-the-field location based solutions and A-mantra in-the-office facilities management solutions. QuickFMS from a-mantra is a cloud based facility management Software which enhances organization’s efficiency.