Global Space Technology
How a leading space technology and intelligence leader turned to FM:Systems all-in-one platform to enable hybrid and flex work experiences, consolidate workplace utilization data across multiple corporate sites, and gain powerful insights to confidently respond to evolving needs.
The Client
This leading space technology and intelligence company helps more than 50 governments and innovative businesses monitor global change, deliver broadband communications and advance space operations with capabilities in Space Infrastructure and Earth Intelligence.
The Challenge
In just five years, the organization was experiencing rapid growth with no signs of slowing down. Due to a recent strategic acquisition, the facilities team was tasked with making sense of an expanded real estate footprint using space utilization data from multiple inherited manual systems and sources. The lack of a centralized system made it both cumbersome and difficult to understand exactly how each corporate site was being used, let alone provide reliable information on how to best optimize each.
At the same time, the organization was also shifting to hybrid and flexible work arrangements following the Covid-19 pandemic. It was clear a key part of their return to work strategy would need to involve a simple way to ensure employees had guaranteed workspaces and optimal in-office experiences.
“From a facilities perspective, our main priority will always be how to best use real estate and how we can best optimize spending,” said the Senior Facilities Project Manager. “And, while the pandemic proved many positions could be done completely remote, over time we knew this would impact the overall employee experience and culture in some ways. Using spreadsheets to track utilization and improve employee experience wasn’t going to give us the level of accurate data needed to do this right – especially with how fast we were growing. We needed a true facilities management system that could support a hybrid and flex workforce; and automate workplace utilization data to confidently make space-related decisions now and several years down the line.”
-Senior Facilities Project Manager, at Leading Space Technology and Intelligence Company.
The Solution
The Facilities Project Manager was pleased to learn FM:Systems all-in-one digital workplace platform was chosen just before he joined the company in August 2020. “I was familiar with FM:Systems and knew it would allow us to put up some guardrails on how we wanted to grow, with the flexibility to adjust to future challenges,”.
First, the organization rolled out the FMS:Employee advanced room and desk booking solution to enable two new types of work arrangements: “flex employees,” who needed the same desk to use whenever they came in; and “hybrid employees,” who could use any workspace. Matt recalls, “unlike other vendors that were more like digital receptionists and didn’t offer much more than email notifications, FMS:Employee offered the most robust functionality and flexibility. Our flex and hybrid employees would be able to use it to easily plan a productive in-office work day knowing they had a guaranteed desk and the right type of workspace needed before heading in.”
Next, the organization focused on aggregating all workplace utilization and occupancy data onto the FMS:Workplace solution. This would create a centralized system for the company to more efficiently examine quality, automated data for identifying real estate right-sizing and cost reduction opportunities. Having real-time visibility into these corporate sites also would help the company determine the right mix of desks and types of workspaces to match the needs of its hybrid and flex workers.
“Unlike other vendors that were more like digital receptionists and didn’t offer much more than email notifications, FMS:Employee offered the most robust functionality and flexibility. Our flex and hybrid employees could use it to easily plan a productive in-office work day knowing they had a guaranteed desk and the right type of workspace needed before heading in.”
– Senior Facilities Project Manager, at Leading Space Technology and Intelligence Company.
The Results & What’s Next
Trustworthy data on a single platform
By consolidating all utilization and occupancy data onto a single platform, FMS:Workplace has provided the organization with reliable visibility into their entire real estate portfolio required to accurately uncover underused workspaces and identify opportunities for rationalizing or optimizing properties. And by also leveraging FM:Systems workplace analytics solution overtime, the company expects major reductions in real estate costs.
Improved strategic planning + strengthened role of facilities teams
The ability to mine and report quality data at any given moment has also put the facilities team in a far more strategic position. “Traditionally in facilities management, there isn’t an EVP,” said the Facilities Project Manager. “We’re always a support organization. With FM:Systems, we’re no longer sharing anecdotal and error-prone data. Instead, we’re now able to share exactly what is happening across any building, floor, or workspace to the executive leadership team to make smart decisions that can translate into offsetting costs.”
Enabled smooth transition to new work models
With an intuitive yet robust booking system in place, this Global Space Technology organization has successfully been able to enable new work models for its employees, splitting their time between the office and working remotely. Now, employees can quickly and easily find a meeting room, collaboration station, huddle rooms or hot desk to ensure their time spent at the office is both productive and offers the greatest opportunity for work that is often challenging to achieve when working apart remotely. In combination with FMS:Workplace, FMS:Employee also reinforces workplace utilization data and performance by providing reports on location, department, and employee trends and preferences.
Highly customizable employee experience solution
When the team solicits feedback on FMS:Employee, the main message he receives is how easy it is to use. “FMS:Employee’s booking system is the most intuitive, easiest interface that makes it quick to jump into and start using right away,” said the Facility Project Manager. “There is so much possibility with this tool for companies to customize it for their unique needs.”
For the Facility Project Manager, that meant creating a digital locker system on the platform so employees could safely leave their big items in their reserved locker at the office, rather than commute with them each time. “If it’s reservable, it should be on FMS:Employee! I’m excited about how far we can take this.”
