While facility managers are experts at wearing multiple hats, sometimes the best way to work smarter is to lean on the workplace management software technology that supports your work. But what about when it comes to keeping employees safe?
Workplace management software—like integrated facilities management (IFM) and integrated workplace management system technology (IWMS)— is a foundational tool for facility professionals to understand what’s happening within their spaces at all times, so safety is never a question. Facility professionals can use this technology to create high-performing workspaces and build a safety protocol that evolves with the changing workplace environment.
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Let’s look at the features the best workplace management software should include to keep employees safe in a post-COVID-19 workplace.
Interactive floor plans give facility managers the ability to understand their workspace as it currently stands in real-time. Interactive floor plans like OfficeSpace’s Visual Directory help employees navigate the updated workspace and reduce the need to come into contact with more people than necessary.
Plus, if employees know where important office resources are prior to an emergency, the better.
This feature helps facility managers keep employees safe by:
Interactive floor plans are also an excellent tool for onboarding new employees. Starting a new job can be overwhelming, but having a real-time map of the office layout can help new employees learn the lay of the land faster.
Space management is the management of office space from top to bottom. Software that caters to space management enables facility managers to oversee their space all from one dashboard.
With space management software, facility managers can carry out actions like:
When thinking about employee safety, space management software is a core part of any successful safety plan. This software ensures facility managers have a firm grasp on office functionality and operations from multiple perspectives. Think of it as a bird’s-eye view of the office.
There’s no question that any kind of move—whether you’re moving up a floor or moving to a different location altogether—is tricky.
Many variables go into a move, like space optimization, floor plans, seating charts, furniture configurations, and more. Workplace management software with a move management feature streamlines this task and ensures facility managers don’t forget any crucial elements to the move.
A move management feature helps ensure the safety of your team by:
Moves don’t have to be a headache if you have the right tools on your side working in the ways you need them most.
Desk booking is a tool that allows employees to browse available desks and spaces and book them ahead of time. No more seating conflicts or questions of, “Where should I sit?” again.
This tool offers several benefits like:
So how can desk booking technology keep employees safe?
By allowing employees to book their workspaces ahead of time, employees know where they’re working during their time in the office, which offers peace of mind. Using desk booking software is also a great way to help the cleaning team know which desks to pay special attention to for sanitizing purposes.
But one of the most important functions of desk booking technology in the hybrid workspace is that it ensures there aren’t too many employees in the office at a time. With desk booking software, you can be sure the right number of people are safely working in your space.
Figuring out just how to space your furniture and desks to create a safe work environment doesn’t have to be a headache. A distancing planner tool helps facility managers generate floor plans and layouts that comply with physical distancing practices.
With a tool like OfficeSpace’s Distancing Planner, facility professionals can:
Distancing Planner takes the guesswork out of planning a floor plan reconfiguration to meet the right physical distancing requirements. With it, facility managers can ensure employees are safely spaced and make sure there aren’t too many people in the office at once. This feature is particularly useful if you’re adopting a 50/50 remote/in-office hybrid model to your back-to-office transition plan.
Keeping employees safe starts before they enter the office. With OfficeSpace Safeguard, facility managers can build safety precautions and methods right into their workplace culture and processes.
Safeguard offers several features like:
A tool like OfficeSpace Safeguard is the ultimate way to monitor employee health and prevent potential outbreaks or risk factors from permeating the office. Safeguard helps facilitate health screenings and make sure employees who have been potentially exposed do not enter the building.
This tool is also great for monitoring your employees’ mental health in addition to their physical health, so you can work with the necessary teams to combat company-wide burnout.
Having a pulse on every aspect of your building is important for optimization and proper management. That’s why comprehensive reporting and analytics functions are a critical part of facilities management and keeping your employees safe.
Robust reports and analytics capabilities from a platform like OfficeSpace give facility professionals the ability to see how their space is being used in real-time and how they could make their space even better.
When figuring out how best to keep employees safe, a report and analytics tool is an integral part of that planning process. This tool helps you determine how many employees you can realistically (and safely!) have in your office at a time. It can also assist in better decision-making about your space, leading to a safer, more productive work environment for all.
Like desk booking, room booking software enables employees to view available meeting rooms and reserve one from their phone, computer, or tablet. OfficeSpace users can book rooms from popular workplace communication tools like Slack, Google Calendar, and Office 365.
With room booking software, employees can confidently book meeting rooms and shared spaces without worrying about double-bookings and safety concerns (assuming each shared room is cleaned after each use).
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Facility teams have their hands full, especially with the new challenges a post-COVID-19 workplace brings. Workplace management software streamlines many of the challenges facilities managers often face while making it easier to make the right decisions for your company.
Photos: Mimi Thian, Amy Hirschi, OSS