The IDC report, The Future of Workspace: Bringing Employees Back into the Office, says around 25% of organisations across Asia/Pacific are already redesigning their offices, and 70% of them will do so in an 18-month period. Organisations are redesigning their offices to bring employees back onsite and, at the same time, improve operational efficiency.
However, disruption to operations is the main challenge for AP organisations in redesigning the workplace.
“Without a clear road map and demonstrated tangible ROI, office redesign projects will fail to deliver expected outcomes. For leaders and organisations, office redesign goals are to improve productivity and employee experience. However, they are averse to any disruptions to their business operations even if these will improve productivity,” says Dr Lily Phan, research director, Future of Work, IDC Asia/Pacific.
Organisations are prioritising and are willing to invest 11–30% of their budget in office redesign. They plan to transform the office to enhance both team collaboration and focused work by 2024. Smart office management software and infrastructure are also focused investments for AP organisations.
Improving employee experience, enhancing operational efficiency, accommodating hybrid work, developing the company culture, and saving costs are all major drivers for organisations to redesign their offices.
“Hybrid work is no longer debated. About 60% of employees prefer to work remotely, so the office must provide a comparable or even better experience for them when they are to come back in person. Many organisations are redesigning their offices, thereby improving employees' in-office experience and increasing collaboration and productivity,” added Dr Phan.
