Posts by Luke Christian-Farman

Unify Your Teams, And Company Culture With Kadence Events

Posted on July 17, 2024July 23, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

Efficiently managing and coordinating events is key to successful team and culture cohesion. Introducing our new feature Kadence Events, designed to help companies and team managers bring their teams together, and unify their teams by helping them plan, organize, and schedule events efficiently.

No matter where your team members are, Kadence Events helps everyone come together, boosting collaboration and efficiency. It’s an essential tool for modern event management, seamlessly fitting into the dynamic needs of hybrid work environments.

What is Kadence Events?

Kadence Events is a robust events management tool designed to optimize productivity and streamline operations across various workspaces.

It transforms every workspace into a vibrant hub where teams thrive and innovation flourishes, making it an essential tool for managing both in-person and hybrid events.

Want to tell your team about a charity donut sale? How about organizing a weekly team check-in with drinks after work including a poll with the best spots nearby? Or perhaps a company offsite filled with seminars, updates, and presentations?

Create any event you like, invite who you like, and notify them directly in one click.

Why bringing your teams together matters for your organization

To unify your teams successfully is crucial for the success of any company. When teams are cohesive and aligned, they can collaborate more effectively, share knowledge, and leverage each other’s strengths. This increases productivity, better decision-making, and a more positive work environment.

By fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose, companies can tap into the collective intelligence of their teams, drive innovation, and adapt more effectively to change. Additionally, cohesive teams are better equipped to handle challenges and support each other, ultimately leading to higher employee satisfaction and retention. Overall, a united team can propel a company towards its goals and create a sustainable and thriving organizational culture.

Why bringing your teams together matters for your people

Bringing your teams together is essential for the well-being of your people. When teams are unified and connected, it fosters a sense of belonging, support, and camaraderie among team members. This creates a positive work environment where individuals feel valued, motivated, and empowered.

Collaboration and effective communication within the team lead to increased job satisfaction, personal growth, and a strong sense of community. Moreover, a cohesive team can provide emotional support during challenging times, boosting morale and resilience. Ultimately, when you unify your teams successfully, it enhances the overall well-being and happiness of your people, leading to a more fulfilling and rewarding work experience.

5 Benefits of using Kadence Events

1. Easily bring your teams together for a common purpose

People gather around shared values and beliefs, so the main way to instill your company vision, and goals, is to actively promote those shared values amongst your team.

Additionally, a great way to unify your teams, help make your employees feel included, and a powerful sense of belonging is to center events around a common theme.

That’s why with Kadence Events, you’re able to create events for anything you like, and for any occasion.

Whether it’s a regular town hall meeting or yoga club at lunch on a Friday, Kadence lets you plan, and invite team members and external guests via Slack, Microsoft Teams, Email, or within the Kadence App.

An illustration of a Kadence Event invite

2. Plan, organize, and schedule events all in one platform

One of the biggest challenges organizations face when it comes to bringing their teams together is event management. Whether it’s Excel spreadsheets, notion docs, or long lists of emails bouncing back and forth, it’s almost impossible to keep on top of.

The great thing about Kadence Events is that it streamlines all of your planning and invitations in one place.

Simply create an announcement with all the details about your event, including dietary requirements, and a Google Maps location. Send it out to all of your attendees through Slack, or MS Teams, or make an Announcement through the Kadence App to ensure your team members receive it.

Then collate all of your accepted invites in one place so you can see who’s able to come.

It couldn’t be easier.

An illustration of the location of an event

3. Drive meaningful connections outside of work

Connecting at work with your teammates is great, but most of the time, it’s about work. And although this is great, what we’ve found with many of our customers is that those connection moments that happen outside of work environments enable in-person work to flourish even more.

With Kadence Events, you’re able to see an entire catalog of everything that’s happening near any location.

Whether it’s 5-a-side soccer on Fridays, Movie night on Mondays, Chess club on a Tuesday or a Wellness seminar on a Wednesday, you can be sure to find something that’s right for you.

An illustration of the latest events in Kadence

4. Understand and promote employee engagement and belonging

Organizing any type of event at scale is time-consuming. On top of that, it’s equally hard to know whether the event was a success or not.

That’s why Kadence Events are so powerful.

With every event you organize, you can create feedback polls to let you know how people felt about the event.

You can also see detailed Events Analytics where you can see how many showed up in person or online to help you understand whether the event was a success or whether it needs improvements.

An illustration of Kadence Events insights

5. Streamline event and logistics communications

If there’s one thing that makes organizing an event difficult, it’s telling people about it.

With so many comms coming from different angles it’s near impossible to ensure your event can cut through the noise.

With Kadence Events, you can not only create an event announcement letting everyone know all at once, but you can also choose to send it via Slack, MS Teams, or email to ensure that everyone gets the invite.

The result of using Kadence Events

Increased Efficiency

Kadence Events significantly streamlines the event management process to unify your teams by integrating with tools such as Slack, MS Teams, and your preferred calendar, enabling you to manage attendees directly from Kadence. Kadence Events not only simplifies the process but also enhances productivity, as evidenced by a 44% monthly growth in space bookings and an average of 5-6 bookings per employee each month with one of our customers.

Cost Savings

By optimizing the use of office space and reducing booking conflicts, Kadence Events has helped organizations achieve a 70% reduction in booking conflicts by effortlessly bringing their teams together. Additionally, the use of Kadence Events creates unparalleled team dynamics ensuring that when your teams are together for work or social activities, they’re thriving.

Improved Attendee Experience

Kadence Events enhances the attendee experience by offering user-friendly features like a Google Map Block for easy venue location and galleries from past events to encourage signups. The platform also ensures that event information such as the name, date, location, and time are easily accessible and presented in various formats to prevent any attendee confusion. This attention to detail ensures a seamless experience for all participants, making the event more appealing and engaging.

Collaboration and Communication Enhancements

Kadence Events enhances team collaboration and communication by allowing you to send announcements with key updates directly through the platform. This feature reduces email clutter and ensures that critical information is easily accessible on your Homepage Dashboard. Effective internal communication fosters a positive work environment and aligns everyone towards common goals, which is essential for boosting productivity and reducing turnover in any organization.

Final thoughts

Throughout the exploration of Kadence Events, we’ve uncovered its profound impact on event management, particularly within hybrid work environments.

The platform’s capabilities extend from simplifying meeting coordination and desk booking to fostering improved collaboration and efficiency, all vital for the success of modern businesses.

The significance of Kadence Events goes beyond its immediate benefits, acting as a catalyst for innovation and growth within organizations.

By integrating essential tools for management and communication, not only addresses current needs but also anticipates future demands, paving the way for more connected and productive workspaces.

For businesses looking to elevate their event management strategy and harness the power of hybrid working models, Kadence Events stands out as the go-to solution.

To explore how Kadence Events can transform your event management process, book a demo and see it in action.

Author bio

Luke Christian-Farman

Luke heads up product marketing at Kadence, where he’s all about unveiling cool new features to help customers smash their hybrid workspace goals. When he’s not shaking up the office scene, you’ll find him roaming the Sussex South Downs in the South East of England with his family, sipping tea and chasing pheasants with his boys.

Introducing Advanced Features for Desk Management Efficiency

Posted on June 12, 2024June 17, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

Let’s get straight to the point. In today’s hybrid work environment, flexible hot-desk booking and the use of Desk Management Tools have emerged as a crucial tool for teams to collaborate effectively.

It provides an efficient way for teams to organize in-person meetings and brainstorming sessions, while simultaneously enabling Office Managers to optimize the use of office spaces.

In essence, it has completely revolutionized the way hybrid teams operate, making the logistics of office management significantly simpler and more streamlined.

Given the importance of such a tool, we’re excited to announce that we’ve taken Desk Booking to entirely new heights.

Our team has been working tirelessly to enhance its features, and the result is a more robust, user-friendly solution that will make the lives of Office Managers even easier.

Whether it’s overseeing the use of office spaces or coordinating team meetings, our improved Desk Booking Software is designed to handle it all with the utmost efficiency.

Create Maximum Booking Durations

Make exclusive areas of the office more available

Do you know those frequently visited areas in your office? The ones that are always buzzing with activity, filled with an assortment of snacks and surrounded by the latest trendy office furniture? It can often be quite a challenge to find available slots in these spaces because they’re almost always completely booked.

But, there’s good news!

You can now implement Maximum Booking Durations.

This function ensures that everyone within your office has an equal opportunity to make bookings in these highly sought-after areas, fostering a sense of fairness and inclusivity.

Stay compliant with health and safety regulations

And while we’re on the topic of trendy office furniture, let’s talk about ‘leaning stools’ and ‘high seats’. They may be stylish, but have you ever thought about how long your employees are sitting on them? Whatever the seating may be, prolonged use could potentially lead to health issues, and that’s where our new feature comes in handy.

With Maximum Booking Durations, you can limit the time your employees spend on these seats, helping you not only maintain a trendy office but also comply with health and safety regulations.

This way, your office remains a place of comfort, productivity, and safety.

Learn more here

Set limits on how much you can book

An example of a warning on kadenc for booking too many spaces at once.

Make more spaces available by reducing over-booking

When it comes to the topic of exclusive areas within the office space, have you ever experienced a situation where a desk appears to be available, but in reality, it’s already been reserved by another colleague?

Perhaps your team managers are booking multiple desks on behalf of their teammates which tends to be quite common in hybrid workplaces.

Now, office managers have a solution to this problem. They can Limit Concurrent Bookings ensuring that their teams are not over-booking desks that aren’t required.

It’s a smart way of preventing individuals from booking multiple desks on behalf of their teammates who may not even turn up to the office.

By doing this, you can make sure that everyone in the office who truly requires a workspace will get one.

Get more accurate space usage data

Over-booked desks can also play havoc with your data. When desks are booked on behalf of teammates who may or may not show up, there’s no way of knowing how your spaces are actually being used.

Thats why placing a Limit on Concurrent Bookings is so important. It helps enforce the right procedures for booking desks, leading to accurate space usage data, and maximum desk management efficiency.

Here’s a more detailed guide

Author bio

Luke Christian-Farman

5 Space Management Solutions for Transportation Companies

Posted on June 6, 2024June 18, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

If you’re a manager or employee at a transportation company, you’ll be more than familiar with the challenges of hybrid work. With employees moving between home office and in-person work at will, it can be difficult to understand how your spaces are being used — and where your opportunities for optimization lie.

And yet making the best use of your space is easier said than done. The reality of hybrid work is that people tend to come and go at will — even if you have rules already in place. With this unpredictability, how can you ever fully understand how your office is being used?

In this article, we’ll look at some of the most common challenges transportation companies face in managing their spaces and explore how space management software can help you optimize your use of physical space.

1. Introduce Desk Sharing

One of the most common challenges faced by transportation companies is the inefficient use of desk space.

The quick rise of hybrid work has meant that, in many cases, employees continue hanging on to their own permanent desks – despite visiting the office infrequently. The result is empty office floors and a plain waste of useful space.

Do you really need your own desk if you only plan to come into the office once a week?

The Solution

Space management tools are designed to organize people and spaces efficiently with smart desk sharing. With a simple booking flow, desk sharing can transform your use of your physical office space by reducing the overall number of desks and streamlining the experience of office-based work. Some space management tools even offer office neighborhood planning, which means you can design certain areas of the office around tasks, roles or departments. Desk sharing will help you save space which can be used for more critical functions, like meeting or training rooms — while also bringing your space back to life and boosting your company culture.

2. Utilize Your Office Efficiently

As a transportation company, you might be grappling with the idea that don’t use your space efficiently enough. Although you may have some basic functionality for desk booking or room scheduling, you still fail to understand which areas of your office are being used, and which are not.

Perhaps some floors are bursting with life, while others are quiet and underused. The uneven distribution of your people in your spaces leads to inefficient management of resources (energy that’s used to power parts of the office that are always empty) and frustration among employees, who may find it difficult to access the spaces they need when they need them.

So how do you stay on top of the day-to-day use of your space?

The Solution

Introducing a space management tool into your workflow will immediately help you utilize your office more efficiently. Look out for tools that come equipped with data and analytics, providing valuable insights into space utilization trends and patterns. By seeing how your spaces are used throughout the day, week, or month, you can identify problems and opportunities and make decisions that benefit everyone involved. Perhaps you’ve noticed that you could stop powering a certain zone in your office to save on your energy bills — or seen an opportunity for building a new meeting room in a quiet corner of the building.

Insights allows Office Managers see how space is being used.

3. Cut Down Real Estate Costs

In today’s tough economic climate, your transportation company is most likely looking for ways to cut down unnecessary costs attached to the business. One of those costs — perhaps your biggest fixed cost — is your real estate lease.

But downsizing office space is a big decision — and it takes a great deal of confidence to arrive at. With employees spread between home and the office, you might not know how your spaces are being used — and therefore what action you can take to downsize and reduce your real estate bill.

Ultimately, you might not have the answer to a simple question: what size office do we need?

The Solution

Transportation companies could benefit greatly from implementing desk booking management tools. Desk booking tools give you a proper understanding of the use of your office space and help you come to decisions about how you manage your space. By implementing a desk hoteling system, you no longer need permanent desk space and instead gain a clearer picture into how many desks your office floor actually needs. Working with space management software ultimately empowers transportation companies to optimize their space usage and make important decisions on where and how to downsize.

4. Introduce Office Neighborhoods For Face-to-Face Collaboration

At your transportation company, you might be facing the challenge that your office zones are poorly organized and compromise on proper collaboration and quality face-to-face time.

In a hybrid work system, employees can sometimes end up dispersed around the office floor in ways that don’t make sense for team cohesion and connection.

Although you are set on implementing a desk booking tool that helps you organize your people better, you want to make sure this comes hand in hand with the right people working alongside each other.

The Solution

Make sure to implement a space management tool that offers office neighborhoods and permissions. These tools allow admins to assign specific neighborhoods (groups of desks) to specific teams and set permissions to control who can book or access these spaces. Say goodbye to isolated employees working floors away from their teams! With office neighbourhoods, you’ll ensure the right people and working alongside each other whenever they are in the office – making for the best collaboration possible, and the quality social time that makes up your company culture.

5. Uphold Security and Privacy Standards

You’ve heard it before: privacy, privacy, privacy. As a transportation company, protecting the security and privacy of your employees is another big challenge, and not one you take lightly.

Not only are you responsible for protecting sensitive information related to your employees, you’re also always having to make sure you uphold the highest industry standards for data protection — and not fall behind.

The Solution

Go for space management software that takes security and privacy seriously. Your tool should be SOC 2 compliant, maintain Cyber Essentials certification, and data should be encrypted both in-transit and at rest. Partnering with a space management tool that maintains the highest data and privacy standards will give you peace of mind when integrating a new tool into your transportation company workflow.

Kadence: The Smart Space Management Tool for Transportation Companies

The best space management tools go above and beyond room and desk booking capabilities.

Tools like Kadence have a track record in helping transportation companies solve the challenges presented by hybrid work, offering a holistic space management solution tailored to all kinds of use cases.

Our platform leverages AI-driven desk booking and flexible scheduling, data analytics, powerful integrations, and robust security measures to organize your people and spaces and get the most out of hybrid work.

Trust Kadence to provide the tools you need to create a seamless, efficient, and secure environment for your employees.

Luke Christian-Farman

5 Space Management Solutions for Utilities Companies

Posted on May 30, 2024May 30, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

If you’re a manager or employee at a utilities company, you know full well the challenges that come with adopting hybrid work. As your team grows and adapts, you are tasked with managing your office space effectively, so that it’s both functional and enjoyable for your employees.

But making the best use of your space is easier said than done. People are unpredictable, and their use of your workspaces doesn’t follow a simple set of rules. With so much complexity, how do you make sure you’re on top of your management of hybrid work?

In this article, we’ll look at some of the most common challenges utilities companies face in managing their spaces and explore how space management software can help you optimize your use of physical space.

1. Do Hybrid Right

The transition to hybrid work can seem like an uphill battle at the best of times.

As a utilities company with employees spending their time between home and the office, there are so many things you might feel you need to get on top of: having a system for scheduling and booking rooms and desks, managing your evolving teams and spaces, encouraging use of your office, and finally just knowing if it’s all working or not!

The pile of tasks keeps getting bigger and you don’t know where to turn. Is there someone or something out there that can help provide clarity and simplicity?

The Solution

Space management tools are designed to organize people and spaces efficiently and remove all of the headaches associated with hybrid work. With scheduling software, insights, software integrations, and office neighborhood planning, the best hybrid work tools are designed to make going into the office an enjoyable experience — where everyone is on the same page. Hybrid work can get messy when it’s left to the people themselves, but when it’s managed properly with a dedicated tool, it can make a huge difference to the health and success of your business.

Space Management data and insights help drive team productivity

2. Use Your Space Effectively

As a utilities company, you may well be feeling like you simply don’t use your space effectively enough. Though you may have implemented some basic infrastructure for desk booking or room scheduling, you are still struggling to connect the dots and make sure that every inch of your office serves a purpose — and keeps your employees both focused and engaged.

Certain desks or meeting rooms might be neglected, while others are constantly in demand. This uneven distribution ultimately leads to wasted resources (powering parts of the office that never get used!) and frustration among employees, who may find it difficult to access the spaces they need when they need them.

The Solution

Integrating a space management tool into your workflow will instantly help you become more efficient with your use of the office. The best tools come equipped with data and analytics that provide valuable insights into space utilization patterns. By seeing how different spaces are used throughout the day, week, or month, managers can identify trends and make informed decisions that benefit everyone involved. This could mean “switching off” certain areas when not in use to save on energy bills or reorganizing desks to distribute workers more efficiently.

3. Reduce Real Estate Costs

In today’s economic climate, your utilities company is most likely on the lookout for ways to get leaner as a business and cut down unnecessary costs. Your attention may well be turning towards one of your biggest overheads — your office lease.

But with your employees spread between home and the office, it can be hard to see exactly how your office space is being used — and therefore what action you can take to downsize and reduce your real estate bill. It seems like a big step to break your lease when you don’t know what size office your company actually needs!

The Solution

To address this challenge, utilities companies can implement desk booking management tools. Desk booking tools give you a clear understanding of the actual use of your office space and help you make decisions about how you manage your space. By implementing a desk hoteling system, you remove the need for dedicated desk space and instead gain a clearer picture into how many desks your office floor actually needs. Working with space management software ultimately empowers utilities companies to optimize their space usage and make crucial decisions on where and how to downsize.

4. Designate Office Neighborhoods

It’s likely that your utilities company is also looking for ways to get smarter about how office zones are organized for a layout that encourages collaboration and cohesion.

Sometimes hot-desking can come with the unfortunate side effect that team members are strewn across different areas of the office floor, unable to work with each other as effectively as before.

While you may be preparing to implement desk and room booking software to get more flexible about how you work, you don’t want this to come at the expense of team cohesion and productivity.

The Solution

Implementing a space management tool that supports designated neighborhoods and permissions can help utilities companies manage your spaces efficiently. Space management tools allow administrators to assign specific neighborhoods (groups of desks) to particular teams and set permissions to control who can book or access these spaces. This ensures that teams can go about hybrid work flexibly without losing one crucial aspect of their work: collaboration.

5. Robust Security and Privacy

In a time where privacy concerns are high of mind, ensuring the security and privacy of your employees’ data is another major challenge — and not one that should be ignored.

Utilities companies are tasked with protecting sensitive information related to their employees and ensuring any new tools uphold the best security standards available.

The Solution

Make sure your chosen space management software comes with next-gen security infrastructure and measures. It should be SOC 2 compliant, maintain Cyber Essentials certification, and data should be encrypted both in-transit and at rest. Joining forces with a space management tool that upholds the highest data and privacy standards will provide peace of mind when integrating a new tool into your utilities company workflow.

Kadence: The Intelligent Space Management Tool for Utilities Companies

The best space management tools don’t just provide a neat solution to room and desk booking.

Tools like Kadence have a track record in going above and beyond to ensure that utilities companies gets hybrid right, offering a comprehensive space management solution tailored to all kinds of challenges.

Trust Kadence to provide the tools you need to create a seamless, efficient, and secure environment for your employees.

Luke Christian-Farman

Remote vs. Hybrid Work: Why Hybrid Emerges Superior

Posted on May 28, 2024May 28, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

Many companies and employees have seen the benefits of working from home. Since the pandemic, many businesses now offer employees the chance to work remotely or with a hybrid combination of some days in office and some days at home. Both remote and hybrid work present unique benefits and challenges. Choosing the right one can significantly impact productivity, employee satisfaction, and overall organizational success.

In this article, we will explore the differences between remote and hybrid work, weighing the pros and cons of each. Ultimately, we’ll demonstrate why hybrid work stands out as the superior model.

Understanding Remote Work

Remote work allows employees to work from any location, typically their homes. This model has gained immense popularity due to advancements in technology, making it easier to collaborate and communicate virtually.

Benefits of Remote Work

Flexibility and Autonomy: Remote work offers unparalleled flexibility. Employees can create schedules that align with their personal lives, enhancing work-life balance and job satisfaction.
Cost Savings: Both employees and employers benefit financially. Employees save on commuting costs and time, while employers can reduce expenses related to office space and utilities.
Access to a Global Talent Pool: Companies are not limited by geography when hiring. They can tap into a diverse pool of talent from around the world, fostering innovation and diverse perspectives.
Environmental Benefits: Reduced commuting leads to lower carbon emissions, contributing to environmental sustainability.

Drawbacks of Remote Work:

Isolation and Loneliness: Working remotely can lead to feelings of isolation. The lack of face-to-face interactions can make employees feel disconnected from their colleagues and the company culture.
Communication Challenges: Without in-person interactions, communication can suffer. Misunderstandings and delays in information sharing are more likely.
Work-Life Boundaries: The line between work and personal life can blur, leading to overwork and burnout. It’s challenging to switch off from work when your home is your office.
Limited Access to Resources: Not all employees have a conducive work environment at home. Issues such as inadequate internet connection, lack of proper office equipment, and household distractions can hinder productivity.

Understanding Hybrid Work

Hybrid work combines the benefits of remote work with the advantages of in-office work. Employees have the flexibility to work from home on some days and come into the office on others. This model aims to offer the best of both worlds.

Benefits of Hybrid Work:

Balanced Flexibility: Hybrid work provides a mix of flexibility and structure. Employees can enjoy the convenience of remote work while benefiting from regular in-person interactions.
Enhanced Collaboration: In-office days facilitate better communication and collaboration. Teams can brainstorm, solve problems, and build relationships more effectively face-to-face.
Improved Employee Well-being: The combination of remote and office work can mitigate feelings of isolation while still offering the flexibility employees value. This balance can enhance overall well-being and job satisfaction.
Efficient Resource Use: Hybrid work allows for more efficient use of office space. Companies can downsize their physical offices, reducing overhead costs while still providing a collaborative environment.

Drawbacks of Hybrid Work:

Complex Scheduling: Coordinating in-office days can be challenging. Ensuring that the right team members are present simultaneously requires careful planning and can be logistically complex.
Potential Inequities: Hybrid work can create disparities among employees. Those who can come to the office more frequently might have better access to opportunities and resources, leading to potential resentment and inequality.
Transition Challenges: Shifting to a hybrid model requires a change in organizational culture and processes. Companies need to invest in technology and training to ensure a smooth transition.

The Solution is Kadence

Many of the possible negatives of working hybrid can easily be solved through Kadence. Kadence’s desk booking software makes hybrid easy.

Scheduling does not need to be complex. Booking desks in the office can be completed in a few simple clicks. Kadence’s Smart Suggestions can tell you when your colleagues are coming into the office, so you can book a desk nearby. Managers can set team days where neighborhoods reserve space for team members coming into the office.

With insight and overview of when your teammates are coming into the office, the risk of potential inequalities is mitigated. Employees don’t have to fear missing out if they choose to work from home.

And with Kadence’s simple onboarding process, teams will know how to use Kadence quickly and efficiently. The transition to a seamless hybrid work model can be easy and painless for your company.

Comparing Hybrid and Remote Work

Productivity and Performance

Remote Work: Productivity can increase due to fewer distractions and personalized work environments. However, this heavily depends on individual discipline and effective self-management.

Hybrid Work: The blend of environments can lead to a well-rounded approach to productivity, with structured office days boosting team performance and remote days supporting individual focus.

Employee Engagement and Satisfaction

Remote Work: While remote work can offer higher satisfaction due to flexibility, it might reduce engagement without regular social interactions.

Hybrid Work: Hybrid work can strike a balance, fostering engagement through periodic in-person interactions while maintaining the flexibility that employees value.

Organizational Culture

Remote Work: Building and maintaining a cohesive company culture remotely can be challenging. Virtual team-building activities and regular communication are essential.

Hybrid Work: In-office days can help reinforce the company culture, allowing for organic interactions and stronger relationships.

Cost Implications

Remote Work: Significant savings on office-related expenses, but may require investment in remote working tools and employee stipends for home office setups.

Hybrid Work: Potential for optimized office space usage, with reduced costs for maintaining a physical office and supporting remote work infrastructure.

Why Hybrid Work is Superior

Hybrid work stands out as the superior model for several reasons:

Optimal Balance: Hybrid work offers the best of both worlds, combining the flexibility of remote work with the benefits of in-person collaboration. This balance can lead to higher productivity, better employee engagement, and a stronger organizational culture.

Enhanced Collaboration: Regular in-office days facilitate face-to-face interactions, which are crucial for effective communication, brainstorming, and problem-solving. These interactions can lead to more innovative solutions and stronger team cohesion.

Improved Well-being: The combination of remote and office work can help mitigate the isolation and loneliness often associated with remote work. Employees can enjoy the flexibility of working from home while still benefiting from social interactions with colleagues.

Resource Efficiency: Hybrid work allows for more efficient use of office space and resources. Companies can reduce their physical office footprint, leading to cost savings, while still providing a collaborative environment for employees.

Adaptability: Hybrid work is inherently adaptable. It allows companies to respond more flexibly to changes in the business environment, whether due to a global pandemic, economic shifts, or other unforeseen events. This adaptability can be a significant competitive advantage.

Practical Solutions for Implementing Hybrid Work

To maximize the benefits of hybrid work and address its challenges, consider the following strategies:

Develop Clear Policies: Define expectations and guidelines for in-office and remote work days. Ensure transparency and fairness in scheduling by using Kadence.

Promote Equity: Ensure equal access to opportunities and resources for all employees, regardless of their work location. Address any disparities that may arise. Offer access to co-working spaces that can be used by employees located outside of the local office area. Kadence Flex gives companies access to hundreds of co-working spaces globally.

A Kadence Flex illustration of a map with various office and co-working hub locations that enables you to see where your teammates are working, — Join your team wherever they’re working with Kadence Flex

Encourage Flexibility: Allow employees to adjust their schedules as needed, recognizing the diverse needs and preferences within the workforce. Trust your employees to manage their time effectively.

Foster a Strong Culture: Use in-office days to reinforce company culture. Organize team-building activities and encourage social interactions. Ensure remote employees feel included and valued through regular communication and virtual events.

Hybrid work stands out as the superior choice. It provides the flexibility and autonomy of remote work while enhancing collaboration, engagement, and well-being through regular in-person interactions. By adopting a hybrid work model, organizations can create a balanced, productive, and supportive work environment that empowers employees to thrive in the evolving landscape of work.

Book a demo to find out how Kadence can help you and your company find your rhythm for hybrid work.

Luke Christian-Farman

5 Space Management Solutions for Higher Education Organizations

Posted on May 23, 2024May 24, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

The way we get work done in the professional world is changing dramatically.

If you’re a manager or employee at a higher education organization, you realize your sector is no different. As your workforce and spaces change, you are faced with a unique set of challenges in managing your spaces effectively under a hybrid system.

At the heart of these challenges lies the need to create an environment that is both functional and enjoyable for higher education employees. But how do you balance the demands of a modern workforce with the practicalities of space management?

In this article, we’ll dive into some of the common challenges your higher education organization may encounter in managing your space, and explore how space management software can help you get smarter about how you use physical spaces and desks — and ultimately solve your space utilization woes.

1. Downsizing Staff Offices

As your higher education organization evolves, there is a growing need to reconfigure traditional office layouts to create more collaborative and multipurpose spaces and save on real estate costs.

Downsizing staff offices and desk space to make room for other amenities like study areas, meeting rooms, and recreational facilities is becoming just as important as cutting down on unnecessary space altogether.

But getting a clear understanding of your higher education office space and managing this transition can be challenging without proper systems in place.

The Solution

To address this challenge, your higher education organization can implement a desk booking management tool. These tools help maintain discipline by requiring staff to book a desk before coming in, effectively managing who is in the office and when. Desk booking systems support the concept of desk hoteling, allowing staff to use shared spaces efficiently without the need for permanent individual offices. This approach allows higher education organizations to optimize on your space usage and make crucial decisions on where and how to downsize.

2. Understanding Space Usage

As well as the need to cut down on unused space, your higher education organization is also faced with understanding exactly how your existing space is being used.

University offices might have certain areas or meeting rooms that are rarely used, while other parts of the administrative buildings are constantly overcrowded. This uneven distribution can lead to wasted resources and frustration among your higher education employees, who may find it difficult to access the spaces they need when they need them.

Underutilized spaces often stem from a lack of proper scheduling and planning. For instance, large conference rooms might be booked for small meetings, leaving smaller, more suitable rooms empty. Additionally, areas designated for specific purposes, like archives or IT rooms, may not be repurposed for other activities when not in use. This inefficiency not only impacts the physical space but also affects the overall energy consumption and maintenance costs of your higher education office in question.

The Solution

The right space management tools will come equipped with data and analytics that provide valuable insights into space utilization patterns. By looking at a breakdown of how different spaces are used throughout the day, week, or semester, your higher education office managers or administrators can identify patterns in space utilization and make informed decisions that benefit everyone involved. That could mean “switching off” certain areas when not in use to save on energy bills or grouping desks in different spaces to distribute higher education employees more efficiently.

Get insights on 148 bookings and 66% check-ins on floor 2 of the London HQ office. Alongside booked and checked-in floor occupancy levels for August and September

3. Seamless Scheduling and Booking

We’ve all had them. There’s nothing more frustrating than turning up to your workplace only to find someone has already occupied your favorite desk or work area. Even after you highlighted the right cell on your shared Google sheet!

Scheduling conflicts often come about due to the complexity of organizing people and their movements. That Google sheet gets confusing (fast!) and helps precisely no one understand which spaces are available and which are not. Desks in higher education offices might be frequently double-booked, or a conference room might be reserved on multiple days but never actually used.

Booking conflicts can lead to last-minute changes, cancellations, and a general sense of frustration among employees.

The Solution

Space management tools are built with the main goal of organizing people and spaces. That means they come with scheduling software that helps the people within a higher education organization see, at a glance, when and where there are available workspaces. By integrating a centralized scheduling platform, your higher education organization can streamline the booking process, making it easier for everyone to find and reserve the spaces they need without running into conflicts. A top tier space management solution will also come with AI-driven Smart Suggestions — automated prompts that help avoid scheduling conflicts and suggest bookings that make sense for each individual.

4. Fast Integration and Intuitive UX

Integrating new technologies with existing systems might seem like a daunting task for your higher education organization. Your current infrastructure may be complex and include a variety of legacy systems and software that are not easily compatible with modern solutions.

For example, you might have have separate systems for room bookings, resource management, and user access, all of which need to be synchronized to function effectively. This lack of integration can lead to inefficiencies, data silos, and — ultimately — a lot of headaches.

To add to your troubles, the rapid pace of technological advancement means that your higher education organization is always under pressure to keep up with new developments. This ongoing need for updates can be resource-intensive and disruptive if not managed properly. The result is often a patchwork of solutions that do not communicate well with each other, and only end up complicating the task of space management.

The Solution

Simplify! Space management tools are there to help you reduce complexity, not add to it. By integrating a platform that offers seamless management of room bookings, resource allocation, and user access from a single interface — you’ll find your higher education organization relies on fewer tools to achieve greater results. Furthermore, the right space management tool should be easy to integrate into your existing tech stack — an out-of-the-box solution that integrates with Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace or Workday — and come with a UX that is easy and intuitive to navigate as a first-time user.

Book room 11 and Invite Willa, Michael, and Jane on Wednesday using Kadence

5. Robust Security and Privacy

In an era where data breaches and privacy concerns are increasingly prevalent, ensuring the security and privacy of your higher education organization and employees is another major challenge.

Your higher education organization is most likely under pressure to protect sensitive personal data related to your employees, as well as information relating to the campus and facilities in general.

Without robust security measures, your systems are vulnerable to unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security threats, which can compromise the integrity of the organization and the safety of your community.

The Solution

Look out for space management software that comes with next-gen security infrastructure and measures. Your chosen platform should be SOC 2 compliant, maintain Cyber Essentials certification and data should be encrypted both in-transit and at rest. Making sure you partner with a space management tool that upholds the highest data and privacy standards will give you peace of mind when it comes to integrating a new tool into your university workflow.

Manage Your Spaces with Kadence

Effective space management is essential for creating a productive and enjoyable environment for higher education organizations.

Whether you’re dealing with unused spaces, scheduling conflicts, technology integration, or ensuring security and privacy, Kadence offers comprehensive solutions tailored to meet your unique challenges.

Our platform leverages data analytics, flexible scheduling, integrated technological infrastructure, and robust security measures to optimize your office spaces.

Trust Kadence to provide the tools you need to create a seamless, efficient, and secure environment for your employees.

Luke Christian-Farman

How Desk Booking Systems Empower IT Managers

Posted on May 22, 2024May 22, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

In any modern workplace, IT managers face the challenge of ensuring that technology supports the dynamic needs of their organizations. One such technological advancement that is proving invaluable are desk booking systems. These systems streamline the management of office spaces, providing a host of benefits that specifically address the pain points of IT managers.

Let’s delve into how desk booking systems enhance the efficiency of IT operations, improve resource management, and ultimately contribute to a more productive work environment.

Understanding Desk Booking Systems

A desk booking system is a software solution that allows employees to reserve workspaces as needed, ensuring that desks, meeting rooms, and other resources are utilized effectively. These systems come with features like real-time availability updates, mobile access, and analytics reporting. For IT managers, the introduction of such systems can transform the way office resources are managed.

Streamlining Resource Allocation

One of the primary responsibilities of an IT manager is to ensure that resources are optimally allocated. Desk booking systems provide real-time data on workspace usage, enabling IT managers to monitor which areas are underutilized and which are in high demand. This data-driven approach helps in making informed decisions about resource allocation, ensuring that office space is used efficiently and reducing waste.

Reducing IT Workload

Managing office spaces manually can be a time-consuming task for IT departments. Desk booking systems automate many of these processes, reducing the administrative burden on IT staff. Features such as automated booking confirmations, cancellations, and notifications streamline operations and free up IT personnel to focus on more strategic initiatives. You don’t need a team to manage desk booking if you have a desk booking system in place.

Facilitating Hybrid Work Models

The shift towards hybrid work models—where employees alternate between remote and on-site work—requires a more dynamic approach to office space management. Desk booking systems are ideally suited to support this transition. They allow IT managers to ensure that on-site resources are available when needed, while also accommodating remote work schedules. This flexibility supports a seamless hybrid work experience, benefiting both employees and IT managers.

Improving Space Utilization

Effective space utilization is critical in managing office real estate costs. Desk booking systems provide detailed analytics on how spaces are used, offering insights into occupancy rates, peak usage times, and trends. IT managers can use this information to optimize the office layout, potentially reducing the need for additional office space and leading to significant cost savings.

Enhancing Security and Compliance

Ensuring the security of IT infrastructure and compliance with data protection regulations is critical. Desk booking systems can enhance security by tracking who uses specific workspaces and when. This data can be invaluable in maintaining compliance with health and safety regulations, especially in environments where contact tracing or other security measures are necessary.

Implementing a Desk Booking System: Best Practices

For IT managers considering the implementation of a desk booking system, several best practices can ensure a smooth transition:

Understand User Needs: Conduct surveys or focus groups to understand the specific needs and preferences of employees. This information can guide the selection and configuration of the desk booking system.
Choose the Right Solution: Select a desk booking system that integrates seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure and offers the necessary features to support your organization’s unique requirements.
Pilot Program: Start with a pilot program to test the system with a small group of users. This allows for the identification and resolution of any issues before a full-scale rollout.
Training and Support: Provide comprehensive training for employees and IT staff to ensure everyone understands how to use the system effectively. Ongoing support is also essential to address any questions or concerns. Once users feel confident, they will feel empowered and will be less reliant on IT support.
Monitor and Optimize: Continuously monitor the usage and performance of the desk booking system. Use the data collected to make informed decisions about office space management and to optimize the system over time.

Real-World Success Stories

Many organizations have already experienced the benefits of desk booking systems. For instance, Softchoice implemented a desk booking system to support its hybrid work model. The system provided real-time data on desk occupancy, which the IT department used to optimize office layouts and reduce the overall footprint. As a result, the company saw a significant reduction in real estate costs and an improvement in employee satisfaction.

Another example is MOPAC who adopted a desk booking system to manage its employees returning to the office. The system allowed the IT team to easily scale operations, ensuring that new employees had access to the resources they needed from day one. This flexibility supported the company’s real estate costs while maintaining a high level of operational efficiency. MOPAC saw a 35% month-on-month growth in desk bookings as employees found it easier to book spaces and return to the office.

Kadence for Desk Booking

Desk booking systems are more than just a tool for reserving workspaces. They are a strategic asset for IT managers. By streamlining resource allocation, enhancing user experience, reducing workload, and supporting hybrid work models, these systems address the multifaceted challenges faced by IT departments. They contribute to better space utilization, improved security, and foster a collaborative work environment.

As organizations continue to navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, the implementation of a desk booking system like Kadence can be a game-changer. IT managers, equipped with this powerful tool, can drive efficiency, support employee needs, and ultimately create a more agile and responsive IT infrastructure.

Find your rhythm for work with Kadence – a desk booking system that will transform the way your offices operate. We empower IT managers to lead their organizations into the future of work.

Luke Christian-Farman

Elevate Your Workplace Experience: Refurbishing for Hybrid Work

Posted on May 1, 2024April 29, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

The workplace experience has become more and more dynamic each year since the pandemic. The rise of remote work, coupled with the resurgence of in-person collaboration, has paved the way for the hybrid work model. There’s a want for the best of both worlds. Employees want to work from home when it’s convienent and they want the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in the office.

As organizations adapt to this new way of operating, refurbishing the office space is a strategic imperative. By aligning physical environments with the needs of hybrid work, businesses can unlock a myriad of benefits that enhance the workplace experience for employees and stakeholders alike.

In this article, we delve into the transformative potential of refurbishing your office for hybrid work. From fostering collaboration to promoting well-being, we explore how thoughtful design interventions can shape a workspace that empowers productivity, creativity, and engagement.

Adapting to the Hybrid Work Era

The shift towards hybrid work represents a seismic change in how businesses operate. It offers employees the flexibility to alternate between remote and in-office work, providing a balance between autonomy and collaboration.

Many companies feel anxious about how much time employees will spend in the office. Mandates to return to work are often seen as the solution, but they undermine the very agency hybrid work should offer employees. Rarely do companies think about how to encourage workers to come into the office.

The most simple way to do this to make the office an exciting place to work. If the ways we work have changed since the pandemic, we need spaces that feel suited to working hybrid. If the office presents an environment that working from home cannot, then employees will naturally feel inclined to work in the office.

Creating Collaboration Hubs

If offices then offer the unique opportunity to work with and alongside colleagues, then they should be designed with this mind. Traditional offices are a mix of cubicles, open plan layouts and meeting rooms. Each employee has a desk. Perhaps the new hybrid workplace experience actually looks different.

Companies could create hubs with beanbags, meeting rooms designed for brainstorming and creative work, places with coffee and snacks that resemble cafes. There are a plethora of opportunities and ideas that will help boost morale. With a diversity of spaces, the workplace experience can be many different things rather than just one. By swapping the mundane for a dynamic approach, organizations encourage office working.

Prioritizing Flexibility and Mobility

Flexibility lies at the heart of the hybrid work model. Recognizing that employees may choose to work from various locations, refurbishing the office to accommodate flexible seating arrangements and modular workstations is essential.

Mobile furniture solutions and adaptable spaces empower employees to customize their work environment based on their preferences and tasks at hand. This promotes autonomy and productivity. Most companies will begin a hot desking system, managed through software like Kadence. Because employees will no longer have fixed desks that they can personalize, the space itself should feel personalized to their needs.

Embracing Technology Integration

In the digital age, technology serves as the backbone of hybrid work. Integrating smart devices, video conferencing systems, and collaborative software into the office infrastructure enhances connectivity and streamlines communication across remote and in-office teams.

Analytics tools within software like Kadence enables organizations to gather valuable insights into space utilization and employee preferences, informing future design decisions.

Collaborative hubs should also be quipped with modern technology. This way organizations can facilitate seamless interaction between remote and in-office team members. These hubs serve as focal points for brainstorming sessions, project discussions, and creative ideation, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among employees.

Promoting Well-being and Comfort

A conducive work environment goes beyond aesthetics; it prioritizes the well-being and comfort of employees. Incorporating design elements such as natural light, greenery, and ergonomic furniture enhances cognitive function, reduces stress, and boosts morale.

We have seen a rise in employees using third spaces like coffee shops as places to work. 50% of workers recently surveyed by Opentable said they spend at least some of their time working in cafes and other third spaces throughout their work week. The community atmosphere these provide as well as comfortable seating, natural light, food and beverage helps create a workplace experience that feels holistic. Employees have often been encouraged to work in spaces that avoid distractions. And yet this often feels restrictive and does not meet all the individual’s needs.

Companies can go one step further. By dedicating spaces for relaxation, mindfulness, and physical activity, they provide for the variety of needs of the employee. This approach recognizes that by creating a positive workplace experience, employees are more productive and engaged. The company encourages a work-life balance and supports overall employee wellness.

Cultivating a Sense of Purpose

The workspace experience should serve as a tangible manifestation of organizational culture and values. By infusing elements of brand identity and purpose-driven design into the office environment, organizations can inspire and motivate employees towards a shared vision.

From curated art installations to branded signage, every aspect of the refurbishment should reflect the company’s ethos, fostering a sense of pride and belonging among employees. This will also make the space unique to the company and not molded from a template of what we would traditionally consider the office to look like.

Driving Sustainability Initiatives

As companies are encouraged to be environmentally conscious, sustainability should take center stage in office refurbishment projects. Using eco-friendly materials, implementing energy-efficient systems, and prioritizing waste reduction minimize an organization’s ecological footprint. This can align with their corporate social responsibility goals. By championing sustainability initiatives, organizations demonstrate their commitment to creating a better future for both employees and the planet.

Consider Kadence

Refurbishing your office for hybrid work represents a strategic investment in the future of work. By reimagining the workspace experience as collaborative and well-being focused, organizations can create a conducive environment that empowers the hybrid workforce to thrive.

Kadence can help offer insights into how space is being used in real-time. Design decisions can be based on this data. Real estate costs can be lowered by understanding how the space is being used by employees.

Book a demo today to see how Kadence can help you unlock the full potential of hybrid work.

Luke Christian-Farman

5 Advantages of Using a Hot Desk

Posted on April 24, 2024April 23, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

Using a hot desk means employees don’t have assigned desks and instead choose from available workspaces each day. It’s become popular as companies shift to a hybrid working model.

Its flexibility offers numerous benefits for both employers and employees. In this article, we’ll explore five advantages of using a hot desk and how it can enhance productivity and collaboration in the workplace.

1. Flexibility to Suit Dynamic Workstyles

A hot desk provides you with the flexibility to choose a workspace that best suits your needs on any given day. Whether you prefer a quiet corner for focused work or a collaborative area for group discussions, hot desking allows you to adapt your environment to your work style.

And that work style can change each day. One day in the office may look like working a desk so you can do some heads-down work. Another day might be booking a beanbag with your colleagues to brainstorm some new ideas. Your desk is no longer rigid, but something that can adapt to your needs.

This flexibility fosters a dynamic and agile work culture where employees can thrive and perform at their best.

2. Optimal Space Utilization and Cost Efficiency

For employers, a primary advantage of hot desking is the optimal utilization of office space.

With hot desking, companies can maximize their workspace by ensuring that desks are occupied efficiently throughout the day. This results in cost savings on real estate expenses, as companies can allocate resources more effectively based on actual usage patterns.

By reducing the need for assigned desks, employers can create a more collaborative and agile work environment while minimizing overhead costs. The way offices have been designed for fixed desks can change. The space can be used in more exciting ways, with workspaces that are customized for different purposes. This new look will also encourage employees to come into the office.

3. Promotes Collaboration and Networking

Hot desking encourages spontaneous interactions and collaboration among employees from different departments and teams.

Without assigned desks, employees are more likely to move around and interact with colleagues they may not typically engage with. This promotes cross-functional collaboration, idea sharing, and knowledge exchange, leading to increased innovation and creativity within the organization.

Additionally, hot desking fosters a sense of community and camaraderie among employees, as they have the opportunity to connect and network with colleagues. Rather than being sat next to the same person each day, employees can mingle and make new connections.

Enhanced Employee Mobility

In today’s digital age, many employees value the flexibility to work remotely or from alternative locations. Hot desking seamlessly integrates with remote work practices, allowing employees to transition between working in the office and working from home or other remote locations.

This flexibility enables employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance while still staying connected to their team and the company. Using a hot desk eliminates the need for employees to be tied to a specific desk or location, empowering them to work from wherever they feel most productive.

Supports Workplace Inclusion

Hot desking promotes diversity and inclusion in the workplace by breaking down physical barriers and hierarchies. Without assigned desks, employees from all levels of the organization have equal access to shared workspaces, promoting a more inclusive and collaborative work environment.

This egalitarian approach fosters a sense of belonging and equality among employees, regardless of their role or seniority. By embracing this, companies can leverage the unique perspectives and talents of their workforce to drive innovation and success.

It also can allow senior leaders to connect with their teams. Imagine working alongside different team members on different days, rather than being isolated in a separate office. Employees will feel they have access to you and that the company operates on a flatter structure.

Consider Kadence

A hot desk offers numerous advantages for both employers and employees, including flexibility, cost efficiency, collaboration, mobility, and diversity. By embracing this innovative approach to workspace management, companies can create a dynamic and agile work environment that fosters productivity, creativity, and employee engagement.

To make using a hot desk as easy and effective as possible, Kadence can help you book desks and meetings room when needed. There’s no need for spreadsheets or timetables for when desks can be used. Our software allows employees the ease and flexibility that should come with hot desking.

Book a demo today to find out more.

Luke Christian-Farman

3 Ways Workplace Announcements Can Transform Internal Communication

Posted on April 9, 2024April 9, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

Introducing Workplace Announcements…

Communication is the foundation of any successful hybrid workplace. If your workforce is distributed across different spaces, be it the office, a co-working space, or at home, it’s integral that everyone feels connected.

Kadence is the management software that has allowed you and your team to find the time and place to connect. Now, Kadence can also transform your internal communications through its Workplace Announcements feature. Keeping your team up to date has never been easier.

What are Workplace Announcements?

Imagine you want to promote a social event at work or tell your team about a building closure. Rather than sending a mass email or a message easily missed in a busy Slack channel, you can now communicate directly with employees in Kadence.

We’ve enabled admin users to create, schedule, and send workplace announcements that employees can see in their Kadence dashboard. In just a few simple clicks, you can notify them with key updates and important information.

You can set priorities, so high-priority updates sit at the top of their inbox. And admins can segment who gets what information. You might want to tell the whole company about a town hall meeting happening later that day, but just the finance team about the plans for their Secret Santa nominations.

Announcements are personalized to what you need them to be. And they bring huge benefits that transform your workplace culture.

A Workplace Announcement on the Kadence dashboard informing employees of an upcoming town hall meeting

What can you use Workplace Announcements for?

Workplace Announcements can boost efficiency across your teams. We’ve come up with a few to help you get started.

Company-wide Announcements

Maybe you need to share a major company milestone or policy change with all employees. With Announcements, every employee, in-office or remote, gets the information at the same time, making sure communication is consistent.
Office-Specific Updates

Perhaps the facilities team has to inform employees in a specific office about maintenance work or office closures. Admins can target certain office locations with this feature. Only employees at the relevant location get the announcement. This is important for sharing information that only affects certain offices and avoids unneeded notifications for others.
Team-Specific Communication

Managers can use Announcements to share project updates, deadlines, or meeting schedules with a team. They can select which team needs to get the information and streamline communication.
Emergency Notifications

During an emergency like a fire or a sudden office closure, admins can inform all employees. Sending an Announcement is quick. Promptly notify everyone in a building with just a few clicks and enhance safety.

The Kadence interface of a new Announcement of a Fire Drill in the user's inbox

Announcements like these can result in three key benefits that will transform your workplace.

1. Keep Teams Informed and Engaged

Distributed workforces are at risk of losing touch with their company culture. HR Managers need to ensure individuals feel like they belong to a company even when they may no longer spend as much time in the office. It’s easy for employees to miss out on key events that give them opportunities to connect with colleagues across the company.

With Announcements, social events can be promoted in advance. It’s an easy way to let team members know about a colleague’s birthday or a bake sale that helps a local charity. Employees are more likely to decide to go into the office if given the chance to plan accordingly. And it’s handy that it exists in the same place where they can book a desk.

Maybe you’re looking to encourage employees to come into the office, so you set up a cycle-to-work scheme. There’s no better way to tell them than in Kadence, where they organize their diaries and decide where and when they will work.

An informed and engaged team will cultivate a stronger sense of culture and boost individual well-being.

2. Talk to the Right People

Our Announcements feature means it’s easier to share the right updates with the right group. This could be sharing information with one team, rather than the whole company. But we’ve learned that often updates also need to be filtered by location and booking.

Perhaps there is a fire drill scheduled to take place in one of your office locations on the upcoming Friday. Everyone using that building will need to be informed. Kadence allows you to send an Announcement to every employee booked to use the office on that upcoming Friday. You can set the message as urgent so they see it at the top of their inbox.

You can also schedule Announcements in advance. In this example, you could set a reminder for the fire drill an hour before it is due to take place on Friday. Everyone using the office on Friday will get that notification. This is true even if they spontaneously decided that morning to head into the office and missed your last Announcement that you only sent to those already booked.

The Kadence interface of a new Announcement being created informing teams of a Cycle to Work Scheme

3. Streamline Internal Communication

Announcements enable managers to efficiently inform teams of company news and changes. And as a result, employees feel confident that they have not missed key information, because they know exactly where it’s stored and how to access it. The result is a workplace built on trust.

With Kadence, you can also send the same Announcements to Slack, Microsoft Teams and the Kadence App. This is helpful if Announcements relate to an emergency, or if you’re in the process of onboarding teams to Kadence.

Kadence promotes ease of use for admins. Announcements only take a few clicks to set up and the ability to schedule in advance means you can streamline your workload. You can feel assured that information will be received across the workforce.

Find out more by booking a demo with us today. See how Kadence can help you and your team find your rhythm of work.

Luke Christian-Farman

A HR Manager’s Companion Guide for Hybrid Work

Posted on March 18, 2024March 18, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

As HR Managers, the shift towards a hybrid work model places you at the heart of transforming how your organization operates.

This evolution challenges you to redesign policies and culture to support both remote and in-office work.

Suddenly, your role expands beyond traditional HR functions to include championing flexible working practices.

This guide aims to assist you by providing strategies and insights tailored to HR Managers navigating the transition to a successful hybrid work environment.

Let’s embark on this journey.

Understanding the HR Role in Facilitating Hybrid Work

The HR department has always had people at its core.

But in an age where these people are spread out like never before, and their movement can be entirely unpredictable, helping your teams flourish can seem difficult. You may not know whether your teams are complying with your hybrid policy, or you may feel like you are slowly losing out on your office culture.

An HR manager’s role in today’s world of work requires finding a coordinated approach to hybrid work.

Nowadays, that involves understanding which hybrid work platform (or Integrated Workplace Management System) can help revitalize your office spaces and give you oversight of your employees’ schedules.

Your role is therefore likely to include:

Understanding your company’s specific needs when it comes to a workplace management system
Researching different hybrid operating platforms and finding one that fits with your company culture and helps guide hybrid policies
Helping to ensure company-wide alignment with your chosen hybrid work partner and onboarding your teams
Encouraging office attendance, especially during the winter months

Identifying Room Booking Needs from an HR Perspective

The first step towards finding a desk and room booking platform that works for you is understanding your specific organizational needs.

In order to do so, you might want to follow these three steps:

Assess current hybrid work routines

Everyone is different, and it’s likely your employees have diverse hybrid work routines. Is there a pattern to how and where people get their work done? Can you identify distinct hybrid personas in your organizations? Are your teams motivated enough to come into the office? Understanding the attitudes of your people to hybrid work is the first step towards implementing a desk booking system that feels tailored to them.
Collect input from all departments

Just as hybrid work habits will differ on an individual level, departments will also vary in their approach to getting work done in this day and age. Make sure you are aligned with the specific approaches of different departments. Perhaps you see a strong need for Marketing to be supported for in-person work, or perhaps you need to factor in clear remote preferences from your Engineering team. Either way, the desk hoteling software you choose should fit around the needs of your departments.
Be clear on your goals

What do you want to achieve by implementing a platform to help you navigate hybrid work? Is your company keen on reducing real estate costs by getting leaner about how to use physical space? Do you want to boost in-person collaborationand therefore productivity? Approaching hybrid work tools with a clear goal in mind will be important to ensuring they serve you and your teams best.

Selecting the Right Desk Booking System

So you’ve spoken to your teams, understood their attitudes to hybrid work, and decided what larger goals are most important to you and your organization.

Next up — choosing a hybrid work operating platform.

Here’s our recommended method for going about the search:

Look out for essential features

With plenty of desk and room booking systems available, it’s important to discern which ones truly cater to your needs. Keep an eye out for AI-driven platforms that provide smart recommendations on optimal times for desk bookings, and facilitate more meaningful in-person interactions among your employees. A system that delivers comprehensive analyticson the usage of your physical workspaces can also be invaluable. This kind of data not only helps in managing your resources more efficiently but also in planning for future workspace needs.

Team up with the IT department

Collaborating with your IT team will be important to fully understanding the technical specifications, integration possibilities, and security protocols that come with a new piece of software. One of the most critical aspects to consider is how the solution will blend into your existing digital ecosystem—be it Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace—to ensure your team can effortlessly book spaces and collaborate within their usual setup. By prioritizing a solution that seamlessly integrates with your current workflows, you’re setting the stage for a smooth transition to a hybrid work environment.
Focus on user-friendly design

Imagine getting excited about a new tool, only to find it’s a headache to use. That’s why the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of the hybrid work platform you choose should be top-notch, intuitive, and ready to use right out of the box. Good design is crucial, not just on desktop but on mobile too, ensuring your team can jump in quickly and actually enjoy using the platform. When a tool is easy and pleasant to use, adoption skyrockets, making everyone’s life easier.
Prioritize collaboration for employee happiness

Ultimately, the goal of integrating desk hoteling software is to foster an environment where your employees can thrive together, significantly contributing to the success of your business. Opt for a hybrid management solution that not only facilitates regular space bookings for teamwork but also offers the flexibility to tailor and organize your office layout into distinct neighborhoods and zones dedicated to concentration. This approach doesn’t just enhance operational efficiency; it plays a pivotal role in boosting employee satisfaction by nurturing a collaborative and adaptable workspace.
Keep the future in mind

As time progresses, your team will expand, and your needs will evolve. Make sure that your chosen hybrid operating platform is capable of adapting alongside your organization. Consider whether the platform offers access to a network of on-demand workspaces, a necessity if your existing office space becomes insufficient for your growing team. The ideal desk booking software should equip you and your team with maximal flexibility, ensuring you can navigate significant shifts in your workforce and workspace requirements with ease.

Assign teams to Office Neigborhoods throughout the week

Measuring the Impact of Your Hybrid Operating Platform

Your journey has begun! You’ve done all of the necessary due diligence to understand how a desk booking platform can fit into your company’s workflow, and you’ve worked with IT to implement the platform smoothly and effectively.

But how do you know if it’s worked? Here are some handy ideas to keep your finger on the pulse of your platform’s impact on both employee satisfaction and space usage.

Conduct regular employee surveys: Consider gathering feedback on a regular basis on key aspects like work-life balance and job satisfaction. These surveys will help you gauge how your team is receiving your new desk booking platform, and where opportunities for improvement lie.
Keep an eye on the metrics: A fully-equipped desk and room booking platform should give you detailed insights into exactly how your employees are making use of the tool. Keeping an eye on these numbers will give you a good idea of how your platform is impacting team collaboration and cohesion. Measure changes in your in-house KPIs and see how they correlate with the implementation of your hybrid work platform.
Monitor space usage: One of the largest opportunities that comes with a hybrid operating platform is the ability to understand how your spaces are being used on a daily basis. Check in as often as you can to gain insights into office or flexible workspace occupancy, and share the information with relevant stakeholders. You could be in with a chance of cutting down some major operational costs.
Benchmark against industry practices: It’s always worth doing a quarterly check of your hybrid work practices and doing a quick scan into what other comparable companies are doing. The field of hybrid work software is always changing, and it’s important you feel like your platform is keeping up with industry standards.

Kadence: Supporting HR Managers in the Transition to Hybrid Work

As organizations worldwide embrace a hybrid work model, the HR department stands at the forefront of navigating what can feel like a complex transition.

Kadence offers a full suite of tools designed to streamline the hybrid work experience and ensure your teams stay happy and collaborative as they grow. We understand that the essence of a successful hybrid model lies not just in the technology, but in preserving the human connections that define a company’s culture.

By providing intuitive solutions for desk booking, space management, and team collaboration, Kadence ensures that the physical distance between team members does not translate into a cultural divide. Regular feedback mechanisms, detailed analytics on workspace usage, and AI-driven insights allow your HR department to measure and adapt your strategies for the good of your teams.

Kadence stands as more than just a tool for managing hybrid work; it is a partner in sustaining the dynamic, inclusive, and productive workplace cultures that you aim to cultivate through your work in HR.

If you want to learn more about how Kadence can help bring cohesion and collaboration to your workforce, you can find out more here.

If you’d like to see Kadence in action, don’t hesitate to get in touch and book a demo with us.

Luke Christian-Farman

An IT Manager’s Companion Guide for Hybrid Work

Posted on March 11, 2024March 12, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

As IT managers, you’re likely spending a lot of time grappling with the complexities of your company’s transition to hybrid work.

It can feel like a monumental task: integrating new solutions into your existing tech stack, driving adoption in your company, and demonstrating clear ROI on these investments. All on top of your other day-to-day responsibilities.

In many ways, you’ve become the architect of the future of your company. But you’re desperately short on time!

The good news is that you don’t have to do it alone. In this guide, we’ll be taking you through a step-by-step approach to hybrid work from an IT Manager’s perspective, giving you all of the information and tips you need to handle the transition to a new way of working.

Understanding IT's Role in Hybrid Work and Desk Booking

Hybrid work is about more than just providing employees with the option to work from home.

It has become a key tool for companies looking to empower their employees and IT Managers to do their best work wherever they are and boost performance as a result. Hybrid work software enables companies to manage their office and workspace desk booking, and room booking, and coordinate their teams so that employees can collaborate where and when they need to.

Kadence Smart Suggestions help IT Managers organize teams. — Desk Booking Software that offers you Smart Workplace Booking Suggestions so you can connect with your teammates.

As IT Managers, you play a crucial role in the move to hybrid. You are responsible for identifying and implementing the right hybrid work software into your company’s existing workflow.

Your work is likely to encompass:

Understanding and catering to the in-office and remote work needs of your company
Defining the requirements for hybrid work software and desk/room booking solutions
Ensuring system compatibility and smooth integration of new tools
Supporting tech proficiency and adoption of new solutions among employees

The ultimate result of your work will be introducing an entirely new tool to your teammates. But what kind of tool do they need?

How to Identify Your Needs for Desk Booking Systems

Identifying the specific needs of your organization is crucial to choosing a hybrid work solution that will work best for you.

Whether you’re a small startup or a global company with offices in every continent, you’ll have your own specific daily operations, workflows, and collaboration patterns.

Here are three steps IT managers can take toward understanding where a hybrid operating platform will fit into your company’s unique setup:

Conduct an assessment of your current workflow and employee work patterns.

How often and why do teammates collaborate in person, or choose to work from home? How do they currently use technology to help them navigate the day-to-day of hybrid work? How should any desk booking software integrate with your company’s tech stack?
Collect input from as many departments as possible.

How do hybrid work habits and needs differ from department to department? Who is likely to be an early adopter of hybrid software, and who might need more time to adjust? Consider identifying key personas in your company and how they respond to hybrid work.
Zoom out. What is the bottom line?

Where are you looking to move the needle? How can a hybrid work platform help you to be more productive as an organization, by encouraging in-person collaboration or enhancing individual contribution? How can it help you save on real estate costs by giving you insights into the real-time usage of your spaces?

By getting to grips with the current dynamic of office-based and remote work, and taking time to understand how that dynamic can evolve, you’ll start seeing where any future solution could fit into your wider plans.

Evaluating Hot Desk Booking Software and Space Management Solutions

So you’ve understood why IT is important to the hybrid work conundrum, and done some thinking about your specific organizational needs.

Now it’s time to choose the desk booking software that works best for you.

Let’s break this into two main areas: your technical needs and your cultural needs.

In order to evaluate the tech side, consider the specifications of solutions, their integration capabilities, and the security features required to support your infrastructure efficiently. You could ask yourself…

Does the solution integrate within our current tech stack? (Slack / Microsoft Teams / Google Workspace)
Will the minimum viable implementation work for our organization?
Is the software available as both a desktop and mobile app?
Can we uphold our data security and privacy standards?

Hybrid Workplace Integrations help IT Managers smooth workflows. Diagram showing all the integrations Kadence partners with. — Kadence integrates with leading software for efficient hybrid work processes

For your cultural needs, consider how different desk booking feature sets complement your existing hybrid work dynamic, and how they can help it evolve. For example…

Do you anticipate needing to set office days or regular team meetings?
Do you require detailed reporting about the use of your offices and workplaces?
Do you want an AI-driven platform for smart recommendations on scheduling and space management?
Is the UI and UX up to scratch, and easily understandable to all kinds of employees?

The hybrid work platform you eventually go for should be one that integrates seamlessly to both your technical infrastructure and company culture.

Driving Adoption of Desk Hoteling Software and Ensuring ROI

You’re almost there! You’ve done your research into different hybrid work platforms and chosen the one that you think will fit perfectly into both your tech stack and the company’s vision.

Now it’s time to introduce it to your team and get them using it!

Although you might think this is the responsibility of your Operations or HR team, there are still plenty of things you can do as an IT manager to help your teammates navigate and understand their new tool.

Give a tutorial on your new tool

After all of your research and due diligence, no one likely knows your hybrid operating platform as well as you. Consider talking your team through the ins and outs of your new tool (or sending around a company memo!) so that everyone knows exactly what it’s capable of — and how it can benefit them.
Offer onboarding help

If people are still struggling to use your hybrid work tool — consider helping them onboard. Whether it’s you or your IT colleagues hopping on a video call for 15 minutes to give a quick bit of assistance, your team plays a crucial part in ensuring everyone has the same access to the new software.
Ensure ROI by aligning with finance and operations teams

If you’ve gone for a platform that provides full analytics and data insights into desk and room booking, this information will be invaluable to your finance and operations teams. Giving them access to real-time data on how your physical spaces are being used will help them make the best possible decisions about your company’s real estate moving forward.

Kadence as Your Hybrid Work Partner

At Kadence, we deeply understand the challenges for IT managers navigating a new way of working. Through years of speaking to our customers and fine-tuning our product, we’ve come up with a solution that we are confident addresses these challenges.

From desk and room booking to smart space management and in-depth insights and analytics, Kadence provides organizations of all shapes and sizes with a full feature set to streamline workflows and boost productivity.

With a strong focus on seamless integration, security, and ease of use, we provide IT managers with an out-of-the-box solution for your unique tech stack. That includes integration with Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Workspace — and plenty of other tools.

At the end of the day, your hybrid work software should work for you, not against you. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to help IT managers simplify the process of integrating their new hybrid work tools. Our team will go above and beyond to ensure our public API can be plugged into your native system to get Kadence up and running as quickly as possible.

If you want to learn more about how Kadence can integrate with your company’s tech stack, you can find out more here.

If you’d like to see Kadence in action, don’t hesitate to get in touch and book a demo with us.

Luke Christian-Farman