Enabling the Hybrid Workplace • Hot-desking

VLogic Hot-desking Solution

Now that we have laid out the challenges, what should you be looking for in a solution? Based on the requirements we’ve outlined above, the solution needs to have the following properties: Future-ready tools that are reliable, secure, and user-friendly Innovative infrastructures that are secure and rely on ubiquitous client technology The following section describes how the VLogicFM Scheduling module can be used to meet these hot-desking requirements.

Future-ready Tools

Platform Advantage. More than just a stand-alone hot-desking software application, the VLogicFM Scheduling module is part of the overall VLogicFM, cloud-based, integrated workspace management software (IWMS) platform. The platform provides hot-desking capabilities AND general facilities management and space utilization modules. Rather than rely on a bare-bones scheduling app, VLogic’s IWMS platform lets you draw from a rich source of related information from other VLogicFM modules. For example, the Scheduling module fetches:

• • employee name, address, contact information from the Employee module
  •  accurate floor plan drawings from the Space and As-built modules
  •  real-time feedback about whether certain desks are occupied from the Tracking module—for facilities that install our wireless IoT (internet-of-things) sensors and gateways.

Solving the Hybrid Workplace Tools Challenge. VLogicFM is more than a match for the hybrid workplace tools challenge. First, to meet complex hybrid work schedules, VLogicFM’s scheduling function anticipates users may want to search for available hot-desk seats by work shift or by a time range. Once the user identifies a time requirement, the only thing left to do is select where you want to sit; which is a simple pull-down affair: by site, building, and floor. The search result shows you the number of seats available, based on your search parameters, and lets you list the available seats or see the seats on a floor plan drawing. The entire process is simple and intuitive. Second, to accommodate the fact that multiple employees may want to book the same hot-desk seats, VLogicFM has a robust check-in/check-out process that is synched in real-time, across the cloud-based application. Everyone’s seat bookings are in synch, regardless of whether users access the system from work, from home, or anywhere in-between. And, to ensure fairness, VLogicFM gives customer admins the ability to set how long the system will hold a booking, before and after the scheduled start time. This automates the process of freeing up an existing booking if the user does not check in within the designated window of time. Finally, VLogicFM gives you flexible approval management options. You can enable a fully automated, self-service approval process, or a roles-based approval process involving specific “approvers.” The self-service model is completely automated, where a booking is auto-approved as long as the user checks in within the allotted window of time. On the other hand, VLogicFM’s role-based model allows you to interject human managers into the approval process, by letting you give them approval privileges based on their role in the company. Friendly Onboarding. Deploying the VLogic hot-desking solution follows a straightforward five-step onboarding process, of which only two require input from customers—VLogic provides a terrific in-house team that can hand-hold the customer through the customer’s two requirements:

1. 1. The customer provides floor plans of hot-desk areas, hybrid employees and hot-desks information, and approval process preferences
   2. VLogic prepares customer information for migration to VLogicFM
   3. VLogic configures user and employer accounts and all hot-desk seat booking attributes
   4.  Customer reviews deployment and approves activation
   5. VLogic trains customer’s users and administrators

A successful deployment requires a methodical approach to all five steps, to ensure accurate data and smooth migration / processing. It also helps to have a transparent communication channel between VLogic and customer stakeholders. As already mentioned, the onboarding process is significantly lightened for customers by VLogic’s friendly in-house team of project managers, drafters, and engineers.

Innovative Infrastructure

VLogicFM pioneered the use of cloud technologies to host and serve workspace management functionality to customers in both government and commercial markets. It also includes native CAD viewing technology to remove the need for third-party licenses. The entire platform is accessible without the need to install any software applications on networks at work or home. Users only need a web browser or smart Apple / Android device to login and use the VLogicFM hot-desking solution. This solves the challenge of giving access to users without requiring installation of client technologies that users don’t already have. Furthermore, users are already familiar with web browsing and navigating their favorite mobile device, which significantly reduces the learning curve. Finally, because the system is in the cloud, all user transactions are automatically synched across the system, 24/7, 365 days a year.

Bottom-line benefits

The obvious customer benefit of deploying VLogic’s hot-desking solution is that the customer ends up with arobust IWMS platformthat will deliver reliable hot-desking scheduling tools and infrastructure to efficiently and fairly allocate hot-desk seats, across the enterprise, with efficiency and ease. What is not so obvious is the potential impact this deployment may have on the customer’s operational bottom line.For instance, let’s run a hypothetical scenario involving an enterprise matching the following parameters:

• • 1,000 hybrid employees
  • 151 sqft used by each employee at the office
  • 151,000 sq ft used by all hybrid employees

At a cost of $30.00 per sq ft per year, the annual cost for 151k sq ft of office space is around $4.5 million per year. If the workforce works from home 50% of the time and the employer implements shared hot-desks, the employer could reduce total office square footage by about 75.5K sq ft. This renders a potential savings of around $2.3 million per year! That is a huge boost to the bottom line.

Final Take Away

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the hybrid workplace movement is here to stay. Deploying VLogic’s hot-desking solution should be strategically assessed from two angles:

1. 1. Productivity. A means of streamlining the management of the hybrid workforce; AND
   2. Operational Savings. A mechanism for reducing one of the most expensive line items in the budget: office facility costs.

Regardless of either angle, it is a win-win for both companies and their employees.