Alternative Officing Goes to Work
Going to work doesn't always mean going to a traditional office, according to results from a national survey conducted by Haworth, Inc. and the International Facility Management Association (IFMA). Changing lifestyles and increased real estate costs are driving companies to seek non-traditional methods for getting the job done. Today, more than 80 percent of companies use some form of alternative officing, from telecommuting and satellite offices to project team environments and activity settings, according to the study.
"Most people are familiar with telecommuting, but a variety of other alternative officing strategies exist in which leading-edge companies are investing," said Gary Ottenjan, Haworth's manager of facility management programs. "Whether at corporate headquarters, satellite offices or at home, alternative officing is clearly emerging as a cost-effective means for companies to stay competitive in today's global economy."
The Haworth/IFMA study surveyed 4,000 facility managers across North America. Alternative officing is a collective term used to describe different workplace strategies which have altered the design of the workplace as well as how, when and where people work.
Alternative officing in general is not limited to a single industry, but its use is definitely more prevalent within certain industries and positions. For example, manufacturing and service companies are more likely to use alternative officing than those in government and educational sectors, the study found. And, not surprisingly, most businesses indicated that sales positions are the most appropriate for alternative officing.
The study also revealed that by the year 2000, nearly 95 percent of all companies will participate in alternative officing in some manner. In fact, companies are forecasting that telecommuting will have the greatest impact of any workplace issue in the next five years.
Highlights of the study include:
- For eight out of 10 companies, increased worker morale was the number one reason for using a flexible work schedule.
- Seven out of ten companies reported that the primary reason they turned to team environmentals was to boost productivity.
- Cost savings is often a driving force behind alternative officing. For example, 76 percent of companies surveyed reported they turned to hoteling to save money, especially if they have larger facilities.
- In addition to hoteling, potential cost savings was the key reason companies implemented both free address (71 percent) and shared space (74 percent).
- Five in 10 companies reported actual cost reductions as a result of implementing alternative officing strategies, especially in the service industry.
The following costs were most often reduced by alternative officing strategies: rent/lease/ property (48 percent), furnishings (34 percent) and utilities (28 percent).
Some of the potential drawbacks to the use of alternative officing options underscored by the study include:
- Nearly 20 percent of companies reported that costs increased due to alternative officing practices, especially in the government/education sector, with information technology, equipment and supplies providing 52 percent of the cost increases.
- Companies found that loss of individuality and employee territorialism is the primary drawback to implementing the following alternative officing strategies: shared space (75 percent), hoteling (52 percent) and free addressing (48 percent).
- The most often reported barriers to implementing project team environments were the existing building (43 percent) and the organizational culture (40 percent).
- Organizational culture (56 percent), as well as resistance from upper management (46 percent) and middle management (39 percent) were the most common barriers encountered when implementing a telecommuting program.
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