As technology continues to improve, workers are able to be more efficient and do more with less. In the name of efficiency, new technology changes things, including the office layout. "Hoteling" is the latest office trend in workplace efficiency, and with the right technology, you can organize your office in this new way and gain maximum collaboration out of your team!
Combining Flexibility and Efficiency
Flexibility is the key to hoteling, and once you've considered this new model it will be difficult to look at your traditional and inflexible office setup and not be bothered by its inefficiency. What makes the traditional office layout with its assigned cubicles and office rooms inflexible and inefficient is that the worker is tied down by wires and workstations.
When the office manager arranges the placement of the employees' workspaces, they do so with efficiency in mind. This is why employees are typically placed next to workers from the same department. In theory, organizing an office this way is a good idea, but it's not a perfect setup because of how frequently projects call for collaboration from team members belonging to other departments. Often times, these different departments may be on the opposite side of the office building, making face-to-face collaboration difficult.
Because the workload of a business is constantly changing, it's virtually impossible to arrange an office dependant upon workstations in such a way as to efficiently place workers from different teams next to each other as called for by the project at hand. With hoteling, workstations are removed from the equation and every employee has their own assigned (or even personal) device that they use instead. These mobile devices connect wirelessly to the intranet and the Internet which gives an office staff unparalleled flexibility!
Tear Down Walls and Personal Decorations
With the hotelling model, walls are removed and the company office is essentially one big open room. Tables and chairs are available, but even these pieces of furniture can be easily moved to accommodate the needs of the employees. The idea of a hotel is that you temporarily stay in a rented room. No matter how many personal decorations one hangs up in their hotel room, it's never really "their space."
In the hoteling office model, a worker doesn't have an assigned space in the big room, and they're constantly working in different spots that places them closer to team members that are working on the same project. As far as team collaboration goes, this the best way to make sure that peer-to-peer communication is achieved on a company-wide scale. Hoteling can also increase office harmony as employees won't have to be stuck for long next to coworkers with problem personalities.
Mobile Technology is the Key to Hoteling
Technologies like cloud computing and VoIP make new team collaboration methods like hoteling possible. With company data stored in the cloud, team members will be able to use their mobile devices to access the needed files, communicate with team members, and even collaborate on projects in real time.
This level of collaboration can be achieved anywhere in the office that the device can pick up a wireless Internet signal, as well as anywhere outside of the office where an Internet connection can be made, which includes an employee's home or even at a scenic vacation spot like the beach! Business Solutions & Software Group can help equip your business with new mobile technology so that you can achieve this level of team collaboration. Call us at (954) 575-3992 to find out more.
What do you think about this hoteling office model? Transitioning from a traditional office setup to the modern and more efficient hoteling model is a big change for any office to make, but the payoff your business would gain with improved team collaboration could be significant. Are you willing to try out this hoteling model with your company, or is this too drastic of a change for you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
