How workplace management software can help maintain a safe workplace

While facility managers are experts at wearing multiple hats, sometimes the best way to work smarter is to lean on 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.

Help keep employees safe with these workplace management software features

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

Interactive floor plans give facility managers the ability to understand their workspace as it currently stands in real-time. Interactive floor plans help employees navigate the updated workspace and reduce the need to come into contact with more people than necessary.

If employees know where important office resources are prior to an emergency, the better.

This feature helps facility managers keep employees safe by:

• ​Making it easier for facility managers to see where everyone is sitting and make adjustments if needed
• ​Arranging desks to appropriate physical distancing protocol
• ​Helping employees see where company resources are, like medical equipment, hand sanitizing stations, etc.
• ​Helping the cleaning crew know where to allocate additional cleaning time/effort based on where employees are sitting

Interactive floor plans are also an excellent tool for onboarding new employees. Having a real-time map of the office layout can help new employees learn the lay of the land faster.

Space management

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:

• ​Visualize occupancy and space utilization on real-time floor plan views
• ​Make informed space utilization decisions with real-time reports customized to your needs
• ​Leverage “scenarios” and plan complex moves in detail
• ​Maintain the quality of your seating data with editable management reports

Space management software is a core part of any successful safety plan. It ensures facility managers have a firm grasp on office functionality and operations from multiple perspectives—a bird’s-eye view of the office.

Move management

Any kind of move—whether moving up a floor or to a different location—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.

A move management feature helps ensure the safety of your team by:

• ​Keeping employees informed with the correct details released at the right time
• ​Helping facility managers visualize the new floor plan configuration so employees are appropriately and safely seated
• ​Simplifying seating requests and conflicts with a few clicks

Desk booking

Desk booking is a tool that allows employees to browse available desks and spaces and book them ahead of time. This tool offers several benefits:

• ​Search and book desks on any device (mobile, tablet, desktop, touchscreen kiosk, and iOS app)
• ​Allow employees the flexibility of booking desks days before they go into the office or the day of
• ​Permit employees to book desks themselves or “by request”
• ​Understand desk use adoption rates and track seating trends in reports and analytics
• ​Implement desk booking in stages and optimize as you go
• ​Integrate desk booking with other workplace apps and platforms via API

Desk booking technology keeps employees safe by allowing them to book their workspaces ahead of time, providing peace of mind. It also helps the cleaning team know which desks to pay special attention to for sanitizing purposes. Importantly, it ensures there aren’t too many employees in the office at a time.

Distancing planner

A distancing planner tool helps facility managers generate floor plans and layouts that comply with physical distancing practices.

With a distancing planner, facility professionals can:

• ​Use AI to develop a seating plan optimized for capacity while maintaining appropriate physical distancing
• ​Visualize the physical distancing radius around seats and determine which desks to close off
• ​Track seating capacity in real-time
• ​Understand the impact of different spacing configurations
• ​Take action on safe selected seats, like converting them into bookable desks

Distancing Planner takes the guesswork out of planning a floor plan reconfiguration to meet physical distancing requirements. It is particularly useful for hybrid models, such as a 50/50 remote/in-office transition plan.

Safeguard

Keeping employees safe starts before they enter the office. With a Safeguard feature, facility managers can build safety precautions and methods right into their workplace culture and processes.

Safeguard offers features like:

• ​Preventing employees from checking into their desk bookings until they pass their Safeguard check
• ​Protecting employee privacy by only storing pass/fail results accessible to select administrators
• ​Instant notification of employees who fail their Safeguard check
• ​Reporting on who has completed their Safeguard form and identifying non-compliant employees

A tool like Safeguard is a way to monitor employee health and prevent potential outbreaks or risk factors from entering the office. It helps facilitate health screenings and ensures employees who have been potentially exposed do not enter the building. It can also be used to monitor employees’ mental health, helping to combat company-wide burnout.

Reports and analytics

Comprehensive reporting and analytics functions are a critical part of facilities management and keeping employees safe. Robust reports and analytics capabilities 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.

A report and analytics tool helps determine how many employees can realistically and safely be in the office at a time. It assists in better decision-making about your space, leading to a safer, more productive work environment for all.

Room booking

Like desk booking, room booking software enables employees to view available meeting rooms and reserve one from their phone, computer, or tablet. Employees 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.

Safety is simplified with workplace management software

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.