Space Management Software: What is it & Why You Need It?

Published: November 15, 2021
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A space management software is a necessity in today’s hybrid work setting. This blog explains what a space management software is and why do you need it for your organization. 

“Office centricity is over.”

Tweeted the CEO and founder of Shopify, Tobi Lutke. Many CEOs like Tobi have adopted hybrid work. Some of the biggest names include Amazon, Facebook, Twitter.  

We are now looking at an oceanic change in the traditional concept of workspace. As a result, employee work preferences are also fast-changing. So, if your organization is gearing for a physical return to work, you should bear the following three factors in mind:

1. Employee safety

2. Cost optimization 

3. Space efficiency 

Luckily with a space management software, you can achieve all. 

What is Space Management Software? 

What if you could have a complete view of your entire workspace inventory and user data? 

A space management software enables you to have a 360-degree view of your entire space inventory. 

Space management software helps you manage, audit, and track your company’s physical inventory. This automated technology works like a managing platform, offering  a suite of features for effective space management. 

With this solution’s simple and intuitive design interface, managers can easily learn about their company’s space usage. 

With an adaptive space management software, you can: 

  • Check real-time workspace occupancy 
  • Green flag any advance conference room bookings or desk reservations 
  • Plan efficient workflows and manage office visits for different hybrid employees depending on availability 
  • Monitor employee sign-in and sign-out times when they are on-site  
  • Notify all team members, regardless their location on the latest updates  
  • Manage visitors on office premises using contactless, QR-based digital passes 
  • Implement maintenance services based on needs 

For your employees, the space management software works like a console, which provides output based on command choices. 

Moreover, most space management software is accessible on the web and mobile app. It prompts the user to select workplace preferences based on location, space availability, purpose, occupancy time, capacity, etc.  

In other words, space management software acts as a channel of communication between the managers and the employees. Furthermore, it ensures efficient space allocation and inventory usage. However, there is much more the solution than that. 

Also Read: Top 5 Must-Have Facility Management Tools.

Modern Workspaces Need Modern Solutions: Space Management Software

Although the traditional role of the office has changed, it has given way to new work settings. This includes coworking spaces, satellite offices, and hot desking.  

However, these settings were questioned early on. Yet, such office spaces are getting the work done surprisingly well, as backed by these productivity statistics

More and more employees are demanding flexible working spaces today. Also, if you cannot deliver on the employee preferences, they are ready to quit. 

So, what does the future of the office look like? Well, it looks dynamic right now. Instead of a traditional cubicles, it is looking at hot desking. And reimagining how employees occupy this workspace might be the only way forward. 

This is where efficient space planning becomes essential. Therefore, the need for space management software. Managers are also looking at such solutions for cost savings, improving employee experience, and scenario planning.

Why Do You Need Space Management Software?

Future offices are now dynamic entities. They are no longer limited to getting people back of the office. But about fostering a healthy work environment, righting the workplace wrongs, and supporting employee well-being. 

They  are about moving beyond cutting costs to optimizing costs for a reduced real estate footprint. After all, office space leases and operating costs are often the second-largest expense a company bears.  

Not to mention, with manual workspace operations, there is a lot of finger-crossing happening. This makes it almost impossible to have a holistic view of your physical premises and how employees are using them. 

Likewise space management software provides the solution. 


1. Boost Employee Productivity

To design a flexible work environment, you need to optimize the workspace using digital tools and technology. But how do you find the right mix of working spaces for collaboration and productivity? How does space management software fit it? 

Meanwhile, such solutions provide insightful occupancy data, these can be used to plan, manage, and monitor your space utilization. The software’s centralized dashboard also helps you assign desks and rooms in just a couple of clicks. Subsequently, enabling seamless collaborations. 


2. Empower Employees 

Google, Facebook (…Meta), Twitter, and Amazon have something in common. A sprawling campus and a workforce reluctant to return to “traditional work”. These industry giants have set examples with their adoption of the hybrid workplace. However, there is a gap.

Today, employees want greater flexibility in how and where they work. Even though the hybrid workplace promotes flexibility, employees are looking beyond having choice with days. Now, employees are looking for flexible spaces. 

Through space management software, you can give your employees “ownership” over their workspaces. This means that employees get to choose where they want to sit, and how they want to work.

Regardless of where they are located, they can choose their workspace and book a seat in advance. All of this using a user-friendly mobile app. 

3. Reduce Administrative Work 

For facility managers, manually overseeing the space inventory, whether big or small, can become overwhelming. Especially now, with mandated covid protocols to ensure contact tracing competencies. 

However, with space management software, you can oversee and manage all the tasks on a single source. It also gives an aerial view of the floor plans, request management, resources allocation, and more. 

Space management software can also automate tasks like desk booking and check-ins. This cuts down your administrative work by half, if not more! 

Recommended Reading: 5 Opportunities with a Hybrid Workplace

Key Benefits of Using Space Management Software

Here are some key benefits you can reap using space management software. 

1. Implementing a Flexible Workplace Strategy  

The “back to the office” jitters are real. Despite the enhanced flexibility, many hybrid workers are feeling anxious about making a return. This reluctance has been a major reason for employee attrition across companies. 

Even Apple cannot convince their employees to come back to work without a fight. Is your organization ready to accommodate employee preferences?  

If not, space management software can give you the necessary technological intervention to enable a more dynamic works environment. It can help you achieve the following:

a. Ensure Effective Hybrid Team Management

Unlike manual reporting, which is not accurate all the time, space management software is quick and accurate. It can compute your occupancy information for shared spaces and check-ins to equip you with real-time insights.

Additionally, you will receive audited reports on the occupancy ratio. This kind of robust reporting can help you reconfigure the workspace to fit the ideal capacity limit and keep employees satisfied.

Bonus Read: How to Make Hybrid Workplace Fair? 

b. Optimize Space Usage

With space management software, you can readily access space utilization data to understand the big picture. Or access micro-level details like seating chart data or available hot desks. 

It can empower you with rich intelligence. You make data-driven decisions regarding budgeting, desk booking, room reservations, resource management, space inventory, and workspace strategies. 

This way, space management software also eliminates the guesswork typical in most wait-and-see scenarios. 

2. Optimizing Available Office Space   

The remote work arrangements challenged our inherited understanding of “work” and “productivity”. We are now asking questions like: do we even need an office? Do we revamp it?  

However, the answers to these questions are better left to time and collected insights. Data is captured and audited automatically by the space management software. Moreover, you can gain a complete understanding of your current space utilization for better real estate portfolio management. This can also help you in two ways: 

a. Cost Control

You can take note of how (or how not) employees are using the available spaces. And understand what tools and equipment are required for successful collaborations. 

Space management software can help you identify such areas to reduce cost and avoid overheads for improved savings. 

Also Read: How to Optimize Real-Estate Cost 

b. Resource Management

By deploying space management software, you can effectively manage office resources, even assign them to dedicated employees. This can help you implement a successful hybrid strategy, making essential resources and equipment accessible for all.

Space management software can also provide predictive assistance and ensure timely maintenance of your physical inventory. 

On top of all that, you can garner new data on occupancy trends and bring fresh changes to your workplace strategy. This will also help you decide how much office footprint is enough to support your hybrid team. And actively contribute to the bottom line of the organization.

Looking for Space Management Software?

To conclude, facility managers have to ensure efficient operations at the workplace. And one of them is choosing the right space management software depending on the back-to-work needs.  

Well, this is how you can streamline the process. Ask yourself: 

  1. Are the software tools and features in line with my workflow requirements? 
  2. Does the space management software support integration with other technologies? 
  3. Does it have a centralized information center for facility information?

With these answers locked, you can find space management software readily. WorkInSync is one such solution, offering a suite of intuitive and user-friendly tools for managing employee preferences and spaces alike. 

Subscribe to our blog to know more about the latest developments in space management software. 

Need to Optimize Your Desk Utilization? Try WorkInSync’s Desk Booking Software