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Activity Based Working Model

Activity Based Working Model: the workplace that puts the individual at the centre

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The workforce seeks autonomy and freedom of choice. The solution is the Activity Based Working Model: flexible and diversified workspaces according to the needs of workers

ACTIVITY BASED WORKING MODEL IS THE FUTURE OF OPEN SPACE

The open space office seems to have failed: considered for years as the new frontier of workplace design, the open office layout now shows all its flaws.

Born to promote camaraderie and encourage collaboration between colleagues after decades of segregation in cramped cubicles, open space seemed the perfect solution to increase productivity and reduce business costs. Barrier-free spaces where everyone works shoulder to shoulder on shared tables: a less alienating way of working for employees and definitely economical for companies – maximum satisfaction at minimal cost. Unfortunately, reality does not live up to expectations. According to a recent study conducted by Harvard Business School, working in open space reduces face-to-face interactions between colleagues by 70%, increases their sense of isolation and hinders productivity. And that’s not all: noise, constant distractions and total lack of privacy make employees less motivated and more stressed.

Doubts arise spontaneously: is the era of open offices coming to an end? Is it time to return to the dividing walls and hierarchies of traditional offices? The answer is no. Recognizing the problems of open space can be the first step towards its rebirth: open design must not be abandoned, but must be radically rethought to meet the needs of individuals and teams, offering a mix of spaces for concentration and collaboration. The solution exists and is called Activity Based Working.

EVERY JOB HAS ITS OWN SPACE. AND THE EMPLOYEE CHOOSES

The Activity Based Working Model aims to redesign the workspaces so that the layout fits perfectly to the activities performed by the employees: a flexible and dynamic approach based on the idea that workers will be more productive when they have the right spaces for their needs. Dealing with billing or drafting documents, for example, requires maximum concentration. Developing projects involves collaboration and exchange of ideas. By creating optimal circumstances for each task, ABW gives each person the freedom to choose their own workspace based on the specific task they are about to perform. The focus is on what you do, while where it becomes related to the specific activity: comfortable lounges for informal meetings, areas of collaboration with writing surfaces for brainstorming, isolated environments to manage phone calls… It is the employee who chooses from time to time the most suitable solution. By fostering the creation of a culture of connection, responsibility and trust, this approach allows individuals and teams to express themselves to their full potential. Transforming the workplace into a conscious and flexible individual choice, rather than a fixed place imposed from the outside.

ACTIVITY BASED WORKING MODEL: BENEFITS FOR WORKERS AND COMPANIES

Adopting the model of the activity based working model brings enormous benefits to the companies:

  • Increase employee engagement and productivity

Allowing employees to choose the working environment that best suits their needs increases their levels of motivation, creativity and concentration, with positive implications for individual and team productivity. This is demonstrated by a global study conducted by Steelcase: 88% of the most productive and involved employees believe they have control over their work experience, having the freedom to choose where and how to work according to the activities to be performed.

  • Space optimization cuts costs

The traditional layout of individual cubicle workplaces imposes high construction and outfitting costs on employers – just think of desks, furniture and equipment for each individual member of staff. The ABW approach makes it possible to rethink work environments by incorporating diversified elements: hot desking, breakout areas, collaboration spaces and social spaces reduce the amount of space dedicated to individual offices with considerable savings for companies. The insurance company dutch Interpolis, for example, has recorded a reduction of 24% in occupancy cost after having carried out the transition to the activity based working. And not only that: the optimization of the spaces has allowed to reduce the used surface by 45%, eliminating all redundant and inefficient environments.

  • Grow employee retention and talent attraction

Implementing a modern and innovative work concept such as ABW has a strong impact on corporate reputation. It helps to show itself as a flexible and attentive reality to the well-being of its employees, fundamental characteristics to strengthen the employee retention and attract new talents. Flexibility in work is indeed a priority for new generations: according to the Millenial Survey conducted by Deloitte in 2017, millennials working in highly flexible companies report higher levels of loyalty and engagement

  • Collaboration and interaction between departments stimulated

The Activity Based Working Model approach allows employees to relate to a multitude of individuals, even outside of their team or department. The decentralized layout offers them continuous opportunities to move and interact, encouraging socialization and exchange between individuals belonging to different groups: this stimulates collaboration and the creation of social bonds, strengthening the community and emotional health of employees.

GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNING AN ABW SPACE

But how to design workspaces to effectively implement the ABW model? The goal is to make the workplace a flexible and diverse space, a mix of different environments capable of responding to the needs of employees. There is no instruction booklet to follow suitable for every business reality, but some guidelines can be useful. Stephanie Allen, associate interior designer at the Cooper Carry Office Workplace Studio, recommends asking yourself these questions:

  • Is there a silent space where employees can focus on complex work that requires attention to detail?
  • A lounge environment where they can entertain themselves in a more intimate and informal way?
  • Spaces for impromptu stand-up meetings where you can quickly distribute work projects and collaborate immediately?
  • Huddle rooms where important and delicate conversations can enjoy more privacy?
  • An area expressly dedicated to innovation in which to confront and put down new ideas?
  • Wi-Fi everywhere, both inside and outside the structure, so that people can easily work regardless of the type of space in which they are located?

If the answer is yes, there are all the conditions to successfully adopt the ABW approach: getting the right balance between social and private spaces, traditional workspaces and shared desks, the open office layout can be a winner.

ABW IN PRACTICE: BUSINESS CASES

The effectiveness of a model is always seen by its real application. The ABW model spaces of Unispace and Microsoft are emblematic to see concretely the potential of the activity based working fully exploited.

  1. Unispace

Unispace, a global design company highly specialized in workplace design, knows something about workspaces. And he immediately saw the potential of activity based working, implementing it himself. Since 2014, the Unispace headquarters in Seattle has transformed into a compact and optimized ABW space, where employees have the freedom to choose every day the work area that best meets their needs. The workplace is structured in ten distinct environments designed to host formal meetings, moments of impromptu collaboration, individual focus work and teamwork: from soundproof telephone capsules to small closed meeting rooms, each area fits a different style of work. In addition, in the middle of the office stands a huge shared table with built-in desktop technology that, according to Unispace, “allows teams to determine their daily work parameters” and “switch between positions according to the needs of their projects”. The ABW design adopted by Unispace, compared to the traditional office layout, has increased the available dedicated workspace by 33% and the shared space by 20%.

  1. Microsoft

One of the greatest examples of the Activity Based Working Model design is the Microsoft headquarters in Amsterdam, designed by Sevil Peach. “Microsoft wanted to encourage social interaction and collaboration by actively demonstrating the flexibility of the company’s software within the workplace,” says the project brief. The entire building has been designed to encourage communication and interaction, supported by sophisticated technology that allows employees to communicate instantly from anywhere. On the first floor there are common workspaces and individual cells, meeting rooms and two audiorium. There is also a café, indoor and outdoor dining rooms, living rooms and capsules to sleep in. The other five floors have a mix of open and closed spaces including employees constantly moving according to their needs. And the results are: the transition to ABW has resulted in a 25% increase in productivity and a 30% reduction in property costs.

Activity-based working gives employees flexibility and choice, supports individual and group work, and inspires innovation, creativity and team collaboration. So as to meet the needs of employees and business. ABW is not just a new trend: it is the way of working of the future.

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