Key Strategies to Maximizing Office in a Hybrid Environment

Without question, the pandemic upended the way we work. Three years later, only half of US workers have returned to the office, and most companies operate with some kind of hybrid model. The rapid transition has left both corporate heads and office stakeholders with an ever-evolving set of workplace strategies to better reflect the way that people want to work.

According to Latesa Hughes, senior director of demand generation at smart access system provider Brivo, the right solution will require learning from data on how employees are accessing buildings and facilities to create a cost- and culturally effective workplace strategy.

Learning From the Data

Mobile credentials are typically used for building security. They allow workers seamless access to the property and give temporary access to workers or other visitors while creating a tightly secure facility. However, the access gained through mobile entry systems is equally as valuable as its function. “The industry can learn a lot with the data that is available to them,” says Hughes. “Access data is solving a lot of real-world business problems.”

Hughes has seen a number of recent case studies where both the HR and corporate real estate teams have used access data to gain a better understanding of occupancy and building usage. “Using real-time occupancy data is allowing people to understand how spaces are being used,” says Hughes. Owners can then leverage that data to create policy, meet compliance requirements and make facility investment decisions.

Property management teams in particular are benefitting from mobile credentials, because it is providing a solution to building access along with data to inform strategy. “Being able to manage and optimize the use of your workspace while providing secure access control, that is a win-win,” says Hughes.

Making the Best Use of Space

While office stakeholders understand the need to transition unused space, many simply don’t have a deep understanding into the true usage and occupancy of a property. Access data is filling that gap, giving owners the opportunity to conserve space that is providing value to the organization and shed space that is not.

“Companies need a more efficient and effective plan to organize employees. When someone is present in the office, they need to be able to use resources,” says Hughes, adding that business owners also need an opportunity to monetize underutilized spaces.

Armed with Brivo access data, owners and occupiers can make more informed investment and real estate strategy decisions. This might include subletting a portion of a building or portfolio, or transitioning vacant or unused parts of the office into an alternative use, like co-working space.

“Owners are understanding how to extract the most value from their investments”, says Hughes. “The data is really helping create a smarter office.”

For more stories in the Brivo thought leadership series, click here.