Taking the Guesswork Out of Workplace Planning

CHICAGO—Offices throughout the US and around the globe are undergoing profound changes as more firms ditch traditional notions of space utilization. In addition, suburban firms increasingly want to move into downtown neighborhoods that younger employees find more appealing. But transforming an office or moving into a new space can be arduous, and many companies don’t have the many types of expertise needed. However, the power of big data now makes it possible to streamline all that decision making.

JLL has just unveiled a service called JLL InSite, which brings workplace design, planning and budgeting into one package. As reported in GlobeSt.com, the Chicago-based company recently released its 2018 US and Canada Office Fit Out Guide, a report that compares build out costs for a range of office styles in 59 top markets. InSite leverages that data and allows clients to also envision potential new spaces with 3D walk-through visualizations. As a result, companies can quickly choose how their new office will look, a process used to take weeks or even months.

“We’ve shrunk all that down to a matter of days,” Megan Mackinson, vice president of occupancy planning at JLL, tells GlobeSt.com. InSite even tells clients, whether they plan to move or stay put, how to integrate code-compliant egress plans, fire escapes, stairwells, restrooms and other standardizations into overall office plans. And even before any site tours happen, clients receive a full market analysis of their chosen location.

This type of work “used to be more piecemeal,” she adds, but “we’re bringing it all together.” And InSite does more than speed up the initial decisions. After completing the program, clients can present their architects and designers with finished layouts complete with design elements. “They are able to hit the ground running,” Mackinson says, “and that definitely shortens that process as well.”

The level of details that InSite can access also helps avoid unforeseen costs and other unpleasant surprises. A client can take into account the price of concrete in whatever city or region they choose to locate, for example, and if needed, select less expensive materials. “We’re giving them information from all angles so they can make informed decisions,” Mackinson says.

JLL has been providing many of these services for several years, but six months ago it tied them all together in one offering. InSite was then tested in a select group of key markets.

“The biggest lesson we learned was how to make sure it was truly customizable for each client,” she adds. “We also wanted to make sure the turnaround time was within five days,” no matter what size office was needed.

But the tests are over. In one week in April, JLL helped a group of clients with a total of around one million square feet of space. “So far, we’ve had incredibly satisfactory feedback.”