The Leader - January/February 2009 - (Page 27)

MeASURing the SpACe YoU ACtUAllY USe: hewlett pACkARd FindS A ReliABle Method with heRMAn MilleR WINNER After move-in, though, the space seemed lightly used, and HP began suspecting there might be a big difference between what the engineers said they needed and what they really needed. Consequently, HP resolved to use Herman Miller’s Space Utilization Service to pinpoint usage patterns and possibly discover ways to reconfigure the space for greater efficiency. The study involved placing motes on every chair the two groups used – about 300 seats in all, including those in individual and free-address workstations, conference rooms, and project rooms. After analyzing the occupancy data, Herman Miller found that HP had an overall utilization rate of just 38 percent for dedicated workspaces at the study site. Meanwhile, conference rooms were underused by 70 percent and free-address spaces were being used just 10 percent of the time. Consequently, Herman Miller suggested that HP re-evaluate its criteria for assigning dedicated workspaces, reduce the number and size of conference rooms, in response to better understanding of meeting sizes and demand, and eliminate some free-address workstations that weren’t being used much. If all recommendations are implemented, the potential space reduction is about 50 percent, which could save upwards of $500,000 per year. age utilization rates at a glance. Here, HP learned what percentage of dedicated spaces are frequently used, rarely used, or occasionally used. For instance, 29 percent of dedicated spaces in the study area were occupied less than 10 percent of the time during the study period. false impression of scarcity. Despite employee claims to the contrary, HP found it had more than enough conference rooms after the Herman Miller report showed a disconnect between reservations and usage. The real issue was casual use of the reservation system. About the Authors Average Space Utilization Dedicated spaces: Figure 1 shows how much and how often space is used. The results indicated 45 percent of the dedicated workspace in the study, were used 30 percent or less, during the study period. This is a significant amount of real estate sitting idle and may suggest these work functions can be removed from the dedicated spaces and moved into unassigned space category. FI G U R E 1 AvE R AG E Sp ACE U t I l I z At I o n ( D E D I CAT E D SP ACE S) Chris Hood is the Program Manager for the HP Workplace transformation. An Architect by training, he has been a student, inventor and implementer of Alternative Workplace Strategies for over 25 years, and has learned his skills through direct involvement in projects in more than 20 countries. Debra Cesaro has more than 25 years experience in workplace strategies and design. Currently, she leads the sales and marketing team for consulting services at Herman Miller, Inc. Her work included developing workspace strategies realizing a 65 percent reduction in move, adds and change costs, developing mobile workspace within a campus environment and creating alternative places to work in previously underutilized real estate. 60% UtIlIzAtIon 22% SpACES 10% UtIlIzAtIon 29% SpACES 31-60% UtIlIzAtIon 32% SpACES 10-30% UtIlIzAtIon 16% SpACES Space Utilization Service vs. Manual Bed Check For comparison, HP conducted a daily “bed check” concurrently with the Space Utilization Service – and found a sharp discrepancy between them. Whereas the bed check estimated an average occupancy rate of 67 percent, Herman Miller’s electronic system quantified actual occupancy at just 38 percent. Conclusion: A manual bed check that monitors occupancy once in a while is nowhere near as reliable as an electronic system that monitors it constantly. Dedicated Spaces: Average Utilization. Space Utilization Service reports show aver- Conference Room Utilization Analysis Sensors on conference room chairs tracked occupancy all day long, every day of the workweek. HP learned that in one conference room just 3 of 18 seats were used at any one time on average (and never more than 10). Conference Room: Scheduled vs. Used. Not enough conference rooms? The problem may be that conference rooms are being reserved, but not actually used, creating a For more information on this topic, go to CoreNet Global’s Knowledge Center Online. Evaluating Workplace Strategies using Activity-Space Research www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/ kcoAsset?assetInode=4304789 Change by Design: Supporting Culture and Improving Efficiency in the Workplace www2.corenetglobal.org/ dotCMS/kcoAsset?assetInode=4304756 2 0 0 9 th e le Ade R 27 JAnUARY / FeBRUARY http://www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/kcoAsset?assetInode=4304789 http://www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/kcoAsset?assetInode=4304756 http://www2.corenetglobal.org/dotCMS/kcoAsset?assetInode=4304756

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leader - January/February 2009

The Leader - January/February 2009 Contents Leadership Message from the CEO Real Estate in the News Mergers and Aquisitions Assessing Green Building Performance Measuring Space You Actually Use Global Trends in Sustainable Real Estate Whirlpool’s Lee Utke Northmarq’s Kevin Farrell Plastics: Hoping for Resiliency in Resins Regional Profile: Heartland Holding Strong Industry Profile: Ascendas Brings New Age Business Space to Asia-Pac Industry Tracker From the Applied Research Center Discovery Forum Findings Capital Corner Career Development Young Leader Economic Development in the News Learning Spotlight Connect With CoreNet Global Index of Advertisers A Look Ahead In our Next Issue Calendar of Seminars

The Leader - January/February 2009

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