The modern working world has changed significantly compared to earlier decades. There used to be two basic types of office: the functional individual office and the open-plan office. Both have their justification, of course, but also disadvantages. The reality of work in modern business requires efficient and agile working.
New Work is not only characterised by innovative work processes. It also needs the ideal setting. That is why there is a whole range of workspaces that are replacing the classic office models. The be-all and end-all is that the spaces used also fit the respective companies. The layout must also be implemented according to needs. Then the spaces are a valuable factor for efficiency and competitiveness. The rooms that are important for New Work are described below.
The idea behind Open Space is easy to understand. If our workplace has limits, so do our performance and our creativity. Being flexible - also spatially - creates an alert mind, which is the basic prerequisite for efficient and successful work.
Open space is characterised by a spacious, free office area with numerous desks where everyone can book a free workstation. A typical feature is the constant change, the so-called hot desking. There are no claims of ownership for certain seats.
The success of New Work also has a lot to do with teamwork. And that in turn means that these teams need a suitable framework to work optimally with each other. Collaboration / communication and project areas form the perfect backdrop for teamwork from which companies (and also their customers) sustainably benefit.
Collaboration spaces make agile working possible - especially when needs-based equipment (tables & chairs, technology, flipchart & co.) as well as flexible occupancy is realised. Team areas are ideal for project work, especially when creative processes are also involved.
Meetings are the order of the day in companies of all sizes and in all sectors. But in many companies, they are still held wherever there is space. But if the size of the room does not match the number of participants, if the necessary technology has to be installed first or if all participants of the meeting have to be informed first where it is taking place, the conditions are of course not exactly ideal. A room booking system and digital door signs are therefore mandatory.
Fixed meeting rooms are therefore a must-have for ambitious companies. In them, telephone and video conferences should also be smart and safe.
There are activities that require an undisturbed space. And there are also employees who need quiet when working.
That is why New Work always includes spaces for concentrated work (deep working). This applies to both individuals and teams. They work particularly effectively in their respective areas (home zones). A classic feature of New Work is the free choice of space within the framework of modern desk sharing.
The telephone booths are a small area that serves for longer or also confidential telephone calls. Company telephone booths are booked when (planned) calls are involved that cannot be ideally carried out from the classic desk in Open Space.
Every company should offer its employees lounges - secluded, rather cosy and stylishly designed areas that are places for informal exchange. These have many functions. Among other things, they serve team-building, regeneration, interdepartmental cooperation or simply a chat for a good working atmosphere.
Corona has impressively documented that working at home can also offer the best efficiency and also a perfect work-life balance. This applies to working alone, but also to telephone and video conferences.
This part of New Work means pure flexibility for the employee. They can work from anywhere and even from their holidays.
Many employees. Many activities. Many rooms. All of this must be well coordinated so that it can be used with a high degree of comfort and efficiency. Valuable support in this context is provided by the right software product: through the programme, the occupancy plan and organisation are controlled professionally and individually.
With just a few clicks, the user can find out which rooms are still available and which employees are currently working in which rooms. This makes the venue management software a perfect basis for cleverly structured and clear room utilisation and the operational processes associated with it - and thus, of course, also a solid foundation for all types of New Work.
New Work has some basic prerequisites to be able to work optimally. This includes a boss and a staff that appreciate these structures and their effects, but also the right space concept. When integrating New Work into your company, start with a list of relevant activities and then assign the appropriate rooms to them.
Then you implement a needs-based space concept in your company and ensure optimal occupancy for hybrid working. Now you can start anew with your team: with New Work to more efficiency and more success. Employee satisfaction included, of course!