More liquidity thanks to intelligent desk sharing

Sharing a workstation? The desk sharing model has long been normal in other countries and is increasingly finding favour in German companies too. And rightly so, because the advantages are convincing. Sharing workstations not only improves liquidity, it also brings further benefits alongside growing efficiency.

Higher liquidity thanks to shared workstations

In many companies there are often more employees than workstations. Moving to larger premises is frequently the only, and costly, way out. But with clever, innovative planning and a new allocation of workstations, that need not be the case.

Desk sharing is the name of the efficiency idea that holds a great deal of savings potential and can increase liquidity. Companies can offer their employees flexible workstations and working time arrangements, and in doing so save a lot of money.

With innovative desk sharing software, a workstation can be booked conveniently from anywhere. Anyone who wants to work in the office rather than at home, for example, books a workstation at short notice. A win-win situation for the company and its employees. The fixed work model no longer applies, so employees can decide for themselves when they work in the office. The newly gained flexibility strengthens the sense of belonging and makes people much more satisfied, as surveys show that the model of switching workstations is becoming ever more popular.

Cutting costs without having to cut back on performance

Companies that opt for the innovative desk sharing model can reduce their costs without any loss of performance. Employees working from home are becoming ever more common. The consequence: the workstation actually reserved for them in the company remains unused and is nothing but a cost factor.

Many companies would like to exploit their growth potential and hire more employees, but they often lack the workspace required. Thanks to flexible desk use, everyone can book a workstation in advance or work from home if they prefer. With the same amount of space, more performance can be drawn from employees.

More efficiency through planning tools

Many premises are not occupied 24/7. Employees have (fixed) break times, for example. During these periods the work areas remain unused and are, in theory, dead capital. Implementing a planning tool can create more efficiency here as well.

Team meetings or conference calls often do not take long at all. Making a room permanently available is therefore unnecessary. Clever use of the free premises means even the smallest time slots can be used efficiently.

Smart sharing and working models attract motivated specialists

When it comes to a company’s future, extensive liquidity planning is not the only thing needed. It is also about the specialists who are decisive for future success. Experts agree: generations X, Y and Z are becoming ever more demanding when it comes to choosing their future workplace. For them, unlike often for their parents and grandparents, flexibility and work-life balance are the focus.

Companies that present themselves on the market with desk sharing can often come out on top in the hunt for specialists. Those specialists prefer flexible working time solutions and want to be able to switch between workplaces. With an innovative tool for desk management, companies deliver exactly that. Industry 4.0 is advancing relentlessly, and anyone preparing for it now gains a head start in expertise.

Sharing is “in”

Sharing has long since become a real movement, because more and more people no longer want to own things but rather to use them. Sharing also makes sense from a business point of view, because expensive purchase costs for additional desks and office supplies are avoided. For young companies in particular, this is a real opportunity to grow efficiently and fast.

The growing demand for connected processes and cloud services shows just how popular sharing offerings are. Decentralised working and the use of autonomous, innovative systems have long been on the rise. The dynamic advantages of desk sharing fit right in, because every employee can decide for themselves where they want to work from.

What does successful desk sharing require?

To implement the flexible allocation of workstations successfully, more than the right corporate culture is needed. Innovative organisation and planning tools are far more important. Anyone who has no overview of which workstations are occupied or still free, and who cannot give employees flexible access to them, will struggle to make use of the efficiency benefits.

Above all, acceptance among employees is important, because not everyone actually wants to share their workstation. Many German employees still regard it as an individual little treasure, furnished with personal items (including photos of friends and family). The idea of sharing a personal workstation with another employee is therefore often hard to accept. Discussion rounds can help to reduce scepticism towards the new workstation concept.

Disadvantages of desk sharing

Desk sharing combines many benefits, but it can also bring disadvantages. Competition among employees increases, for example, when they compete for the best possible workstation. This can equally cause resentment, for instance when no workstations are free at the desired time.

Some employees may also feel stressed and monitored by the flexible allocation of workstations. After all, the plan now shows which hours they spend at their desk. A further disadvantage is the lack of team cohesion. Because workstations are allocated flexibly, employees repeatedly find themselves sitting opposite new colleagues. Fixed routines and a team structure are therefore not possible. On the other hand, the constant change demands creativity, which can lead to considerably more productivity, especially in creative working environments.

Preparing the constantly changing working environment can cost valuable time

Whenever employees arrive at their new workstation, they first have to set themselves up. In the worst case that means: unpacking and connecting the laptop, organising the desk and adjusting the office chair. This takes up valuable working time and can become expensive.

Clever organisational solutions are called for here. If the desks are equipped with simple plug connections that allow plug-and-play with laptops and the like, for example, getting started is much faster. Some companies rely on mobile pedestals in which employees can lock away personal and other items and move them easily to each new workstation.

Shelving systems with lockable compartments can also serve as a good complement to the flexible workstation. Here employees can safely lock away personal items and do not have to keep and watch over them at their workstation.

Images

Figure 1: pixabay.com @ StartupStockPhotos (CC0 Creative Commons)

Figure 2: pixabay.com @ StockSnap (CC0 Creative Commons)