Working habits in Australia have changed—possibly forever.
While many Australians now have the freedom to return to the office, it’s not simply a matter of picking up where we left off.
Research from the Boston Consulting Group into Australian workplace attitudes shows that while people love the flexibility and productivity of working from home, they miss interaction with colleagues.
They want a hybrid working model that includes spending some of, but not all, their time in an office.
The demand for coworking space is growing with landlords and developers adapting their buildings to make the most of this opportunity and coworking operators competing to attract these returning workers.
The key is being able to offer environments that are flexible, safe and easily manageable.
Adapting offices and workspaces with EAC
One of the most effective technology tools to achieve this is a sophisticated electronic access control (EAC) system.
Aside from strengthening safety and security, selecting an EAC that integrates with the property management system (PMS) or Flexspace Operating Platform streamlines and supports scalable operations, and offers seamless ease of access for members.
Operators can manage all their locations from a single screen, giving them complete visibility of when, where and by whom the space is being used.
Salto KS, for example, is a cloud-based access control platform that offers a wide range of integrations, including Office RnD and Nexudus.
It enables members to access the space safely and conveniently using their smartphone. A digital ‘key’ is sent to them, and access, via Salto’s wireless electronic door locks, is smooth, easy and contactless.
Hub Australia’s experience
Hub Australia, Australia’s largest privately-owned premium flexible workspace operator, uses the Salto EAC to provide streamlined access for its 3000-plus members in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
“Our primary concern is user experience, which has to be seamless”, John Preece, chief property officer at Hub, said.
“We also needed an access system that could be scaled as our platform grows”.
Flexible access control
As Hub, and many other office space providers have found, Salto smart access control allows them to manage their space and their users more effectively.
User bases are constantly changing, as employees come and go, or as new members join. An EAC allows community managers to grant and retract access instantly and remotely.
Wireless lock technology minimises installation cost and time, meaning operators can easily retrofit an existing building and rapidly re-configure their spaces as needs change.
The number of people in a space can be limited at any one time, or different areas segregated to keep users socially distanced.
There’s no need for a staffed reception desk, enabling longer and/or more flexible working hours. Operators can cater for the early birds and the late-night warriors without the cost of having staff on the premises.
Revenue protection and growth
If spaces aren’t monitored or access-authorised, they are effectively ‘free’ for clients to use—resulting in potential revenue loss.
With a smart access control system, alerts for attempted and unauthorised entry, and doors left open can be automated. The system will auto-bill for non-assigned users. If users pre-book access, community managers can automatically send them an access key for that date and time only.
Having a clear picture of usage and access patterns also provides insights into users’ behaviour, which can help co-working operators develop and position future offerings while strengthening their revenue model.
Remote, Contactless Access Management
Contactless user access via smartphone reduces interpersonal contact. The digital ‘key’ is sent directly to the user’s phone, not passed from hand to hand like a physical key or card.
Remote lock-unlock functionality means the ability to manage multiple spaces without being on the premises. Operators save on staff, and reduce person to person contact.
Enhanced Security
As well, digital keys increase security, because users are far less likely to lose their phone than a key or a card, and they certainly aren’t going to lend it to someone else.
Property theft tends to be more of an issue in co-working spaces than traditional offices, but an EAC helps to address this, with audit reporting for complete visibility of who has accessed (or attempted to access) what and when.
CCTV can be integrated for more detailed information, helping administrators spot any gaps in member safety and distancing measures before they become an issue.
Australia’s move back to the office doesn’t herald a return to pre-pandemic working patterns. They have almost certainly gone. But neither will we see full time working from home continue.
For smart space providers, who can provide safe and flexible working conditions, there will be ample opportunity to welcome their users back into the office.
Steven Strang is a specialist in electronic access systems, and national sales manager for SALTO Systems Oceania.
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