The Future Chances Workplace and Challenges

25.2.2012

Changing organisations

Public administration in transition

The government is reorganising its activities: functions are being integrated, regionalised, centralised. An attempt is being made to improve productivity by renewing the regional government, third level education network and research activities alike. These changes will affect facilities, too.

Need for agility

Agencies facing a number of organisational changes need to be agile. In a period of transition, facilities need to be flexible, too.

New technologies

Work is moving into networksKnowledge is scattered across virtual networks. Work is being carried out and knowledge shared in cross-border virtual teams and networks. New technologies and social media are changing our work practices, communications and information management.

Work in multiple placesWork has become multi-locational. It is more and more frequently done in the customers' premises, while travelling and in "third locations": cafés, hotels, parks and airports. Studies indicate that a knowledge worker may work in up to 30 different physical locations.

Mobile work increasingMobile technology has liberated work from being tied to a certain time and location. Mobile and teleworking are increasing - work has also entered homes. As many as 66% of wage-earners are engaged in mobile work. Telework done at home is most common in public sector, where one out of five civil servants do telework.

Renewing customer serviceJoint customer service points of different agencies are becoming more common. Technology also plays a role in changing customer service: e-services and virtual channels are replacing face-to-face encounters. Services are offered on multiple channels and independently of location.

New ways of working

25.2.2012

Knowledge work In today's information society, we produce not goods but knowledge. Knowledge work refers to demanding conceptual work done by experts, in which information is processed to generate complex intellectual and material outcomes.

Growing need for cooperation Demanding and complex issues demand multiple skills and multi-professional, cross-border cooperation of the employees. Knowledge is also sought in networks. The need for spaces supporting interaction is increasing.

Many forms of work Typical feature of today's work is ”multitasking”, processing several issues simultaneously in multi-project and multi-team environments. The workday also comprises of a number of different work phases. Studies indicate that one half of knowledge work is carried out solo, one half in teams.

Desk occupancy going downAs a result of increasing mobility and cooperation, dedicated offices are used less and less. Studies indicate that employees no longer spend more than 40% of their workday at their desks: the greatest part of the day, these offices are vacant.

Changing workforce

Four generations in worklifeUp to four generations may take part in worklife at the same time, each with different needs, expectations and competencies. In addition, a new generation is entering worklife, for whom virtual reality is a second home.

Generation YFuture generations will be "digital natives" used to working independently, with great variety of tools. Digital natives are environmentally aware, they congregate on line and produce knowledge in a community. They value team work and an open, comfortable work environment.

Ageing populationRetirements of the large age classes will leave government agencies empty. In years to come, thousands of public administration jobs will be gone. The need for space will also be reduced.

Competition for skilled labourThe number of people in working age is going down by 17,000 annually. Competition for skills and future employees will get tougher.

Shrinking economy

Efficient space use

As the economy shrinks, agencies and institutions will find their appropriations being cut: cost savings need to be found in facilities too. The government aims to improve not the efficiency only but the flexibility of spaces too.

Workplace costs

The fixed costs of an organisation consist of staff, facilities and technology. The payroll costs are many times higher than those arising from facilities. This is why facilities should support the wellbeing and productivity of the most important resource, the staff.

Climate change

Environmental load from buildings

The real estate and building sector consumes 30% of the primary energy and produces 40% of CO2 emissions in Finland. Buildings thus offer major scope for reducing emissions. The greatest challenge is improving the energy efficiency of existing building stock.

Carbon footprint of facilities

Facilities may be responsible for up to 70% of the total climate impact of an individual organisation. Each built square metre exposes the climate to an additional load: one essential question thus is how much space we really need. The environmental load is also affected by business travel and consumption of paper and equipment.

Workplace development

Integrated approachThe workplace consists of physical, virtual and social factors. This is why operations, facilities and technology alike should be taken into consideration in workplace development. The aim is to come up with space solution that support operations and strategy.

User involvementClients and staff are involved in planning. Co-creation and learning together help to generate ideas and shared semantic content and support employee buy-in and empowerment. The planning is facilitated by various tools and methods, and the change is managed.

Workplace managementWorkplaces are developed and managed by multi-professional teams with experts of different fields: CRE, HR, ICT and sustainable development.

Novel space concepts

Space diversity A variety of spaces is needed for knowledge work. Cell offices will be replaced by hybrid solutions including places for meetings and projects, solo work and informal interaction, brainstorming and breaks. The space is selected by task at hand.

Networks of placesMobile work is supported by networks of places - the work is done wherever it makes most sense. In addition to head offices, there will be satellite offices and shared innovation hubs. Telework centers and office hotels will spring up, meeting places will be built for customers. Virtual space will bring people together.

From own office to hotdeskingWith increasing mobility, dedicated desks are no longer required for everyone. Mobile solutions and desk sharing are becoming more common. The workplace becomes a meeting place, a platform for innovations and interaction.

National conceptsReproducible workplace concepts will be developed for agencies with a number of branches. The ideal model is created through co-creation, experiences gathered by pilot projects, and the concept can then be reproduced over the entire network of branch offices. Space and service will be uniform - so will customer experiences.

Physical and virtual spaces integrating

Virtual workplace

Physical and virtual spaces are being integrated. You can check your own computer for the locations of your colleagues, their work mode and their availability. Video conferencing will become more wide-spread, as will virtual meetings between colleagues and teams. Meetings are moving into virtual worlds: you join them as an avatar, from your own computer, wherever you are.

New themes

ExperiencesThe role of the visual image is increasing. The workplace is designed to reflect the brand of the organisation, both the internal and external message will be carefully considered. Premises will stand out to attract skilled employees, and customer experience is stressed.

WellbeingThe workforce is ageing. Workplaces promoting physical, mental and social wellbeing are being developed. All senses will be taken into consideration: workplace will inspire and relax, facilitate serendipity and activate employees to move around. The design will focus on ergonomics and flexible working, too.

Creativity Innovations are a competitive advantage, and space concepts supporting creative processes are becoming more common. Informal break oases, team rooms with different atmospheres and project walls visualizing immaterial knowledge work will be built. Playfulness is allowed, teams design their own spaces.

FunctionalityOld-fashioned space cultures based on hierarchies will recede. Workplaces will be tailored to the needs of various work profiles, taking employee mobility, nature of the work and preferences into account. The space supports functions, not status.

Sustainable building

Buildings produce energyExperimental construction and plus-energy houses are becoming more wide-spread: buildings produce even more energy as they consume.

Less new constructionBefore building new facilities, existing ones will be put to a better use. Innovative space concepts can be created inside the old shell. Space is used intelligently, resources are shared.

Carbon footprint management Organisations will measure their carbon footprint. Eco-efficient workplaces will take spaces, technology and travel into account: virtual conferences will become more common, unnecessary travel is avoided.

Sustainable city planningThe carbon footprint of various land use models will be measured, and cities will gauge their emissions. Low-carbon districts and ecological lifestyles will grow in number: sustainable and viable cities are created by mixing housing, work and services, taking green transport into account.

Changing design practices

Multi-professional teams Due to the workplace transformation and environmental issues, design agencies are required to have multiple skills and to network with experts and researchers of various fields. Multi-professional assignments and design competitions will proliferate.

Evolving tools

Computer-aided design has replaced manual drawing. 3D visualisations are used to illustrate spaces. In project management, building information models are used, which bring together the contributions of all designers: the models will simulate constructability, usability and indoor conditions.

Päivi Hietanen 2011 Photos: Senate Properties