Demands of the

Modern Workplace
BY PEGGY MOORE

For many businesses, maintaining a fully operational workplace is the second highest
expense, following employee costs. With so much invested, proper utilization of the
space has always been critical. Space utilization has historically been focused on
FMJ ensuring employees have operational workspaces and maintaining favorable working
EXTRA conditions. Facility managers have long been tasked with the planning, execution and
CLICK TO maintenance of the workplace.
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Knowledge Library
Podcast Ep. 48: The
Future of Work &
Workplace Evolution
Now, perhaps more than ever before, businesses are faced with a wealth of new
external and internal drivers that force facility managers to provide a workplace that
supports business objectives while providing employees with an environment where
they want to work and that will allow them to be at their most productive. It has
become a balance of financial and human capital objectives.

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Employers are starting to see a
real benefit to matching work
environments with how employees
prefer to work, as they discover
workplace design impacts employees’
productivity as well as the bottom line.
With a range of generations in
the workforce and an even larger
range of work environment
preferences, change is the new
normal. Workspaces that used to
be fixed, where few changes were
needed over the course of several
years, are evolving at a much
faster pace. Facility managers are
being challenged to think about
how people work and how they
accommodate all the changes
departments are making, while being
mindful of the bottom line.
EXTERNAL DRIVERS IN
THE WORKPLACE
Generational preferences aren’t the
only considerations facility managers
must consider in designing modern
workspaces. Workplace research has
identified other trends driving change.
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Open vs. Closed Spaces
One of the biggest trends in office
environments has been the move to
open spaces, but many are finding
a balance of open and closed best
accommodates the ever-fluctuating
work preferences of different
departments and employees. Finding
the right balance is almost an art form
and is hard to get right the first time.
Transition service providers report
seeing more demand for multi-purpose
furnishings in a blend of open and
closed work environments with the
flexibility of rental services to make
changes when needed.
A space currently used as a conference
room may need to be repurposed to
house several employees when they
form a collaborative team. Or, an open
area may need to be divided to allow
for heads-down work.
Employee Well-being
Employers are designing workplaces
for the well-being of their employees,
both mentally and physically. Studies
show that designing for well-being
encourages employee mobility and
engagement, relieves stress and
increases productivity.
Standing desks are one key
manifestation of this trend. Employees
are looking for sit-to-stand options
and the availability of privacy panels
as needed throughout their work day.
Company Culture
Companies are also realizing the work
environment is not only about creating
a cool and productive workspace,
but design is also a reflection of
the brand and its company culture.
Companies are thinking about how to
make the office aesthetically appealing
by incorporating brand colors and
graphics. They are also bringing in
the amenities that people want, from
espresso machines and refreshment
areas, to think tanks and lounge
spaces. There is an increasing trend
to bring in what was traditionally
known as residential furniture into
the workplace, such as sofas and
comfortable chairs.
Multi-Purpose Furniture
In a time when flexibility is key, multi-
purpose furniture can be a blessing. A
bench is no longer just a bench. With
storage inside and proper placement
to help divide space, a bench can serve
three functions — storage, seating
and space division — while taking up
minimum precious floor space. By
extension, a desk is no longer just a
desk. With a wardrobe built into one
side, a sit-to-stand option, the addition
of mobile casters, and extra seating
available to accommodate a meeting
with two to three people, a desk can
serve a variety of functions while
requiring a smaller office floorplan.
Powered Up
Finally, more power options and
connectivity built into furniture can
be of tremendous assistance when
maximizing space. Power strips
incorporated into gathering tables
create a collaborative environment
for informal meetings that continue
past a laptop’s battery life. Cozy
nooks with powered chairs provide
an alternative and practical closed
working environment. With the
ability to apply power to any work
surface, people are no longer
restricted to where the outlets are,
allowing for greater movement and
use of space. Power can be added to
any place in the office.
USING ALL THE ASSETS
IN A MODERN FACILITY
MANAGER’S TOOLBOX
With design taking on a greater
importance for facility managers
— from recognizing the external
workforce factors at play to
interpreting them and incorporating
trends into facilty design to keep up
with demand — facility managers
have an increased need for help in
this area.
New tools are available to help
facility managers and stakeholders
visualize how a space will function.
Interior design technology, such
as 3D design tools, allow facility
managers to view and access
dimensions, floor space and work
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flow. Soon, virtual reality will
provide a whole new perspective,
giving an almost real-life view of
what’s possible.
New research techniques are
becoming available to help facility
managers capture data to help
determine space utilization, and
from there, how to best provision
the workplace.
Transition services help facility
managers keep up with the latest
trends while maintaining flexibility
using the latest workplace planning
technologies. What’s needed today is
not what’s going to be needed three
years from now, maybe not even six
months from now.
Furniture on demand is one
component of these transition
services that lends itself to flexibility.
Facility managers can work with
furniture rental companies to design
a particular test area and see if
employees will gravitate to the space.
They can also measure the adoption
rate of sit-to-stand desks and
even add connectivity to any piece
of furniture.
As modern businesses continue to
evolve at an ever-increasing speed,
these tools and services can help
facility managers put a fresh spin
on work environments. Whether
the facility hosts one large business
with numerous departments, a wide
variety of small businesses, or even
one or two small businesses, facility
managers will continue to be nimble
and identify the right design and
furnishing solutions to meet their
customers’ workplace needs. FMJ
PEGGY MOORE has
been in the workplace
furnishings industry
for 26 years in sales
and operations,
regionally and nationally. She has held
the positions of Sales Manager,
District General Manager, National
Account Executive, Director of
Government Sales and Vice President,
Workplace. Helping businesses and
government manage change in the
workplace has been the foundation of
her career. Peggy works at the
Chantilly, VA Headquarters of CORT
Business Services, a Berkshire
Hathaway company.