In an atmosphere in which the pandemic keeps rising and ebbing, there's broad agreement that how work happens is due for a major overhaul. Rather than expecting everyone to be in the office all the time, many companies have learned that working remotely can be an effective way to retain talent. And yet, they don't want to give up on shared culture, mentoring and training, and collaboration. Flex office seems like an important part of an answer.

And that raises the question of what the flex office actually is. According to John Arenas, CEO and chairman of Serendipity Labs Inc., on one level, these flexible arrangements for workspaces without a lease can be customized by company and their unique needs. On another, the idea has morphed into an extended view of how companies can use office space as a tool to manage uncertainty. It's almost as though flex office is software that makes a business better.