The Covid-19 outbreak has been an opportunity for entrepreneurs in the office space sector to rethink their products, offerings, and strategies. The corporate real estate market in India is evolving and therefore, the dynamics of the industry are changing rapidly post pandemic.
Corporate occupiers are now re-evaluating their investment in fixed real estate assets. One of the ways of doing so is exploring flexible and cost-efficient workplace solutions while complying with today’s social and safety needs.
Managed workspace is the latest trend within the larger co-working ambit that has reimagined what the segment has to offer. Equipped with 360-degree services and an opportunity for brands to establish a unique identity while working with other organisations, the business model works on tailor-made office solutions for modern professionals. Hence, it is expected that large corporates, startups, and freelancers will organically soar towards agile workspaces.
According to a JLL report, 30 percent of all office space will be consumed by managed and flexible office spaces by 2030. Occupiers are encouraged by flexible leases and low upfront capital expenditure, making this as a lucrative option for a workspace. Needless to say, the concept of managed office space will revolutionise the way organisations perceive workspaces.
What is a managed office?
A managed office is a 360-degree outsourced workspace solution. From finding the perfect location, to building a fully customised office space and taking care of all the nitty-gritty aspects of office management; managed office space is breaking the conventional norms of building business infrastructure.
By minimising the accumulated costs of CAPEX, low costs, and peripheral costs, managed office operators foster a mutually beneficial relationship with enterprises where they co-create value with them as their outsourced partner.
With the new normal settling in and organisations re-evaluating their office original space requirements, it has been observed that a managed office is set to gain greater significance with its holistic package of services.
Cost effectiveness
Managed offices provide seamless way to scale up or down the office space while reducing on heavy rentals, long-term leases and saving overhead costs on administration and maintenance.
Not only this, office space, operational expenses, and all bills are covered by one single routine payment which is completely hassle-free, and this works out to be more cost-effective. Organisations can utilise their capital funds for expansion and innovation instead of keeping it jammed in real estate.
Scalability
As the impact on the enterprises continues to change due to the evolving situation of COVID-19, workspace requirements are also changing. Thus, enterprises have the authority to be what they want to be – expand or consolidate.
The managed offices are fully customised to reflect the ethos and pathos of the company. Scalability as an option is what organisations would not be able to get in a conventional office setup.
Premium locations
The location of an office is more crucial than what most enterprises believe. A well-connected location can substantially improve a company’s long-term performance and growth.
Managed offices are built in strategically selected commercial areas which offer the benefit of networking, good connectivity, and competitive advantage.
Connected amenities
The office space will be maintained and managed by the service provider, reducing the company’s liability and enabling them to focus on core business. Managed office workspaces are equipped with ergonomically efficient designs, leading edge technology, lounge areas, cafeteria, IT support, administration, and maintenance services so that the enterprise can direct their focus on major business activities and growth potential.
Better time management
Managed office spaces offer all the advantages of a fanatical office space while helping the workforce manage time more effectively. With flexibility in timings and facilities, they get the freedom to focus more on your core business than the office operations.
The time spent on desk becomes more valuable and productive. As an example, one will be able cash in of in-house health and fitness facilities and may strike that work-life balance without compromising on results or productivity.
More privacy and security
Unlike co-working spaces, managed office allows more privacy and security. Coworking spaces are pre-designed and equipped with facilities catering to employees from different companies. Also, counting on the sort of membership that employees have, they could be operating business in a sharing space with various other people working for different companies. This might lead them to be privy to sensitive and confidential information or more susceptible to cyber-attacks or data/information leaks due to shared network.
In managed office space, employees will not be sharing their office with other businesses and therefore, the occupier will have complete control over data privacy, including who accesses the space and the way the network and IT infrastructure is set up.
Customised office design
Office design is about creating a balance between company culture and employee satisfaction. Employee well-being and morale is significant for the overall success of corporates. Merely by offering employees areas to refresh and by taking their well-being into consideration, changes can be made to enhance the physical environment at the workspace.
Choosing to operate from managed office space allows to customise the office interiors as per the company’s requirements.
Outlook
Concept of managed office is transforming the face of the office sector and enabling enterprises with necessary tools to focus on their core business activities and drive growth and development without worrying about office management, rigid lease structures and capital expenditures. While enterprises continue to navigate shift to office models due to the pandemic, we believe the need for pre-built offices, lease flexibility, advanced technology and superior infrastructure will continue to increase.
With the COVID-19 outbreak, employees’ priorities have changed to health, safety, and hygiene. This has led to occupiers shifting their base from Grade B assets to Grade A office space which will enable to meet all compliance requirements and an additional focus on safety, sanitisation and contactless technology suiting the occupier and therefore the employees’ requirements.
Managed office spaces have a lot to offer and can be an added edge that an organisation needs to focus on core business function and improve operational efficiency.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YS.)
