In a previous installment of this series, we identified five questions pertaining to your existing workforce that you should carefully study before embarking on a project to lease or purchase new office space. In addition to looking at your employees, it's also important to look at your company's relationship to technology since how you use it can have a significant impact on the type and configuration of your space.
6. What technologies will you be deploying in the near term and on a longer five-year horizon in your office space?
Developing a near and short term technology plan will help you to focus on spaces that can accommodate you for whatever comes. For instance, if you know that you will be upgrading your conference rooms to offer telepresence technology and other advanced video tools, you may want to look for buildings with high-bandwidth fiber connections instead of traditional Internet. A plan to move to a fully wireless office would require a space that has relatively few impediments to radio signals. As another example, if you know that you will be adding more digital whiteboards, you may choose to look for spaces that have large flat walls that can accommodate them.
7. What tools do your workers use to communicate -- video conferencing, instant messaging, traditional online messages or real-life meetings?
Knowing what tools your workers use allows you to better design your space to accommodate them. If you do a great deal of desk based video conferencing, private offices might be useful. Conversely, if most of your meetings are either live or sent out via video, you could need office space that offers more conference, team and meeting rooms at the potential expense of private spaces.
8. What office equipment do your employees use -- printers, scanners, copiers? How many do they need? How often do they use them? And what confidentiality concerns do you have?
While the paperless office is still a buzzword, many companies still spend an inordinate amount of time creating, duplicating and storing paper documents. The way that you do these tasks can influence whether you need large work rooms, multiple convenient printer workstations or individual work spaces that are large enough to also accommodate personal printers.
9. Where do your workers use technology?
A desk-based culture has a different set of requirements than one where employees are using technology tools throughout your office space. When technology gets used anywhere, you need to have ample power connections, good wireless signals and workstations that are conducive for doing real work away from a traditional office or cubicle.
Check out Part 3 here
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