What Happened During 365 Days of Workplace Evolution

In the ever-evolving landscape of their industry, our customer has become well-versed in navigating dynamic changes. Yet, one hurdle persisted: aligning their physical environment with the ever-changing needs of their employees. How could they effectively respond to the fluid demands while operating within the confines of a static office space? Seeking a solution to this challenge, they turned to the expertise of both spaciv and NORNORM, aiming to create a workplace that embraces adaptability, continual user needs assessments, and flexible adaptations as the new norm in modern work environments.

First iteration (3 months after moving in)

After embarking on the evolutionary journey with our customer, it was time to assess the performance of the working environment and determine if it fulfilled the needs of its users. To accomplish this, employee feedback was collected through a survey integrated with the spaciv platform to ensure a near real-time experience. Within the platform, this process is referred to as “crowd review.” The initial iteration, conducted three months after the move-in, revealed that employees desired more informal meeting spaces and were not utilising the focus pods as anticipated. These insights made it apparent that the focus pods needed to be replaced with informal meeting spaces. NORNORM promptly implemented the changes by removing the unnecessary focus pods and replacing them with furniture that would facilitate informal meetings.

The initial analysis revealed the underutilisation of focus pods and the need for more informal meeting spaces. (left image) Prompt changes to the space mix improved user satisfaction significantly. (right image)

Second iteration (6 months after moving in)

After approximately six months, our customer successfully secured a major new client, prompting a significant increase in their workforce. This, in turn, necessitated rapidly adapting their office space to accommodate the heightened demand. Fortunately, our customer had foreseen this possibility and incorporated future growth scenarios into their planning process, leveraging the spaciv forecasting tool to include buffer space into their new office environment. Thanks to the flexible furniture subscription with NORNORM, our customer could respond swiftly and upscale their furniture solution effectively. NORNORM promptly delivered additional workstations, and adjustments were made to optimise the density of the office space. By optimising the use of the existing space, the customer postponed a costly move to a larger office space while still catering for the needs of the employees.

Due to increasing demand, the held buffer space could efficiently be utilised as additional workplaces, postponing the need for an even larger office.

Third Iteration (8 months after moving in)

Following a significant change in team size and work activities, the dynamics of our customer’s work environment underwent a marked shift. In response, another spaciv crowd review was conducted to evaluate the current performance and changing needs of employees. The review revealed a noticeable change in activity profiles, leading to increasing dissatisfaction as the office space failed to meet the needs of the new work activities. Through densification, the spaciv crowd review provided valuable insights, highlighting the problem of noise and insufficient focus zones. Our customer was keen to respond rapidly to the declining satisfaction levels and ordered single focus pods to address the issue. However, thanks to the insights provided by the spaciv platform, which additionally demonstrated the need for space for small meetings without disturbing colleagues, NORNORM recommended switching to a two-person chatbox. This solution met both requirements simultaneously, saving the customer money and space.

Changing user activity profiles and needs lead to a shift in demand for quieter and more focus-oriented spaces.

Fourth Iteration (12 months after moving in)

Following a significant change in team size and work activities, the dynamics of our customer’s work environment underwent a marked shift. In response, the workplace team conducted an update to the spaciv review to evaluate the employees’ current performance and changing needs. The review revealed a noticeable change in activity profiles, leading to increasing dissatisfaction as the office space failed to meet the needs of the new work activities. In addition, data collected through the spaciv crowd review revealed a noise problem and insufficient focus zones following the densification. Our customer was keen to respond rapidly to the declining satisfaction levels and ordered single-focus pods to address the issue. However, thanks to the insights provided by the spaciv platform, which demonstrated the need for space for small meetings without disturbing colleagues, NORNORM recommended switching to a two-person chatbox. This solution met both requirements simultaneously, saving the customer money and space.

Summary

After a year-long journey with our customer, we’re excited to confirm that the vision of spaciv and NORNORM is highly complementary. Our partnership has created an easy, sustainable and cost-efficient process that drives employee satisfaction and increases organisational effectiveness. With spaciv’s platform providing the essential insights to develop effective strategies in addition to NORNORM’s expertise in workplace planning and flexible furniture subscription models, our customers and we are continuously striving to improve workplaces, being ahead of change by combining two powerful visions.