Free Addressing And Sensors: Transforming Flexible Work

Free addressing is an effective flexible workplace strategy that helps companies optimize their space while boosting employee engagement and productivity. Particularly in the age of COVID-19, the use of sensors to manage the free address workplace protects the health and safety of employees, all without compromising on flexibility.

What is free addressing?

Free addressing is the practice of providing unassigned or shared workspaces, offering employees flexibility and choice of where they work. With the use of sensors—an increasingly popular Internet of Things (IoT) technology—the status of free address workstations can be updated in real time. This allows employees to see which desks are available at any given moment.

There are various ways to manage and arrange the free address space, with office hoteling, activity-based working, and office neighborhoods proving popular options to optimize this flexible work strategy.

What is the difference between hot desking and free addressing?

Hot desking and free addressing are similar concepts. Both offer unassigned seating for employees to pick and choose where they work. Hot desking typically refers to the traditional practice of offering shared desks on a first-come, first-served basis.

By contrast, free address desks can have a wireless sensor installed. This tracks when they’re occupied or empty, making it much easier to see what’s available and what’s in use. In a hot desking scenario, an employee must look around the space to figure out which desks might be free. If the space is large, this can take time.

With free addressing and sensors—especially when integrated with an effective integrated workplace management system (IWMS)—employees can quickly and easily review the space to see which desks are available, without having to physically roam the whole office.

How does free addressing work?

An ideal free addressing system integrates sensor technology with an interactive floor plan. Employees can view the floor plan and see the status of each seat displayed in real time:

• ​Available (green): seat is available and ready to use
• ​Standby (yellow): seat is currently in use, but the employee is not physically at the desk
• ​Occupied (red): seat is in use and the employee is sitting at the desk

If a sensor detects that a desk hasn’t been in use for a while, it can automatically free up the desk based on a time limit, which can be pre-defined by the facility manager. The facility manager can also manage settings and preferences to keep desks showing as unavailable after they’ve been vacated, for purposes such as cleaning, maintenance, and managing capacity.

What are the benefits of free addressing and live occupancy data?

More companies are recognizing hybrid work models as the future of work. As a result, facility managers are using free addressing and live occupancy analytics to make data-driven decisions with significant operational and strategic impact. The benefits include:

Enhanced health, safety, and wellness

In pre-pandemic times, facility managers might have considered potential turf battles or challenging noise levels to be the biggest drawbacks of hot desking or the free-address office. Now, there’s a focus on safety implications, such as employees occupying the same desk someone just vacated, especially in close proximity to others.

Sensors can help maintain workplace distancing and implement targeted desk sanitization. Desks that have just been vacated can be marked as off-limits on the floor plan until they’re cleaned. Similarly, desks can be marked as unavailable once a space is close to capacity, based on live occupancy data from sensors. This automation of safety protocols takes pressure off the facility manager and enhances employee wellness by offering peace of mind.

Free addressing also generally improves employee health and wellness, since it offers greater flexibility for remote and hybrid work options, and removes the potential stress of having to find a desk that sometimes comes with traditional hot desking.

Improved employee engagement and productivity

Free addressing enhances the employee experience and boosts productivity due to the choice and flexibility it affords. When integrated with office neighborhoods, free addressing offers employees a choice of work setting so they can match the environment to their needs and mood.

Managing free addressing through an IWMS further enhances productivity and engagement by giving employees easy-to-use tools for viewing and booking their workspace. Employees can quickly use their mobile devices to view available workspaces and make their selection, contributing to a positive overall experience.

Evidence-based decisions about real estate

The partnership of free addressing and sensors offers facility managers and CEOs evidence-based insights to effectively manage their space and real estate. Knowing exactly how many desks are occupied at one time can help companies decide whether to stay in an existing space or expand to a new location.

For companies embracing hybrid work, precise analytics about how and when desks are used can help them move away from traditional cubicles and private offices and implement free addressing effectively. This can help manage capacity and avoid taking on more real estate before it’s truly needed. Companies might also be able to sublet some of their space, based on occupancy data.

Effective space and occupancy management

Real-time data generated by sensors removes the guesswork for facility managers, especially when managing a space without assigned seating. Sensor analytics can help facility managers reconfigure the existing space for maximum efficiency and productivity. They can choose furniture styles, layouts, interior design, and positioning of supplies and facilities based on observed employee preferences. Underutilized open office areas can be identified and improved. Sensors can also help minimize vacant or wasted space by canceling “no-show” bookings on workstations and meeting rooms, freeing up space for others.

Improved sustainability and energy efficiency

With sensors at the forefront of the evolution of FM software, companies are finding a variety of applications beyond space utilization. Facility managers can leverage workplace sensor technology to help manage many aspects of the work environment related to energy efficiency and sustainability. Different types of sensors can control office lighting and adjust temperature based on occupancy and location. The technology can also help monitor maintenance tasks and stock supplies, ensuring a building only consumes what is needed. Improved sustainability and energy efficiency generate cost savings and can make a company more attractive to prospective employees seeking a “green” employer.

Free addressing and sensors optimize the flexible workspace

From automation of flexible space booking, to making evidence-based decisions about real estate, to enhancing the employee experience—free addressing and sensors are an increasingly popular approach to flexible working in the modern workplace.