As a global leader in medical and scientific publishing, Karger faced the challenge of managing a diverse, international workforce while optimizing office space utilization. The transition to a hybrid work model brought both opportunities and complexities, requiring a strategic approach to real estate management and workplace flexibility.

Karger sought a solution to address four key challenges:

• Reducing office space while maintaining a productive work environment
• Ensuring efficient use of office spaces across multiple locations
• Implementing and managing a flexible work model for a global team
• Gathering accurate data on space usage to inform real estate decisions

Before adopting Kadence, Karger operated under a fixed-desk policy, where every employee in the Basel office had an assigned workspace. This system led to significant inefficiencies, as many desks and offices remained empty for extended periods.

Recognizing the potential for greater flexibility, Karger gradually evolved its hybrid policy. Leadership acknowledged that employees could work effectively from home and began experimenting with different levels of flexibility based on role. Initially, sales-focused employees had greater freedom—working remotely up to four days a week—while back-office staff followed more structured hybrid schedules. After evaluating these trials, the company fully embraced hybrid work. Today, most employees work remotely the majority of the time, with office attendance varying based on individual roles and team needs.

Kadence provided Karger with a user-friendly solution to manage the new hot desking model. By leveraging Kadence’s occupancy tracking, Karger gained critical insights into office usage, enabling data-driven decisions about space reduction.

The shift to a flexible work model presented Karger with a major opportunity to optimize its real estate footprint. Kadence’s seamless implementation not only supported this transition but also provided key benefits to enhance workplace efficiency:

• Workplace Analytics – Discovered occupancy consistently remained at 30-40%, enabling Karger to make informed office downsizing decisions to 1.5 floors.
• Desk Booking – Ensured efficient use of reduced office space to accommodate all employees with an efficient shared desk system.
• Team Coordination – Allowed teams to plan in-office days strategically using Team Kadence, maintaining effective collaboration despite a smaller office footprint.

With Kadence as their hybrid backbone, Karger transformed their workplace experience, embracing a flexible model that better supports their workforce. They successfully accommodated over 200 hybrid employees, downsized their office spaces, and achieved an 80% reduction in real estate footprint without compromising productivity.

Kadence has become an integral part of Karger’s workplace strategy, providing the confidence to make informed space management decisions. Adrian Harper explains:

“Kadence gave us that confidence. On a regular basis, we know how many people are coming into the building, and therefore we are not going to be in a position where people come into the office and have no space to work.”

As hybrid work continues to evolve, Karger’s success with Kadence highlights how the right technology can turn workplace challenges into opportunities for efficiency and cost savings.

Chat with our team today to discover how we can help you maximize your office space and implement a successful flexible work model for your organization.