For most businesses of any size, the largest single expense is the employees. Next is putting a roof over their heads.
With office space costing as much as $23,000 a month in some cities (New York, see above), there’s got to be money that can be saved by renting only the necessary amount of space for the people who are actually at work. However, according to Jeff Revoy, chief commercial officer and cofounder of SpaceIQ, that is not typically the case. Companies as a whole waste a tremendous amount of space.
Revoy was recently involved with a company that complained that half of their space was going unused. The company had planned for one desk per employee, but some people were working from home and coming in 2 days a week, and others were often travelling or on leave.
By SpaceIQ’s estimation, of the $10 trillion spent to procure commercial workspace, $3 trillion is wasted. Facility managers have traditionally used FM software to get a handle on their real estate, but the old school FM systems just don’t work for everyone or as intended, says Revoy.
Hot Desking
“These days, you need to plan for hot desk,” Revoy says, referring to the practice of employees using any vacant desk, rather than having a specific one reserved for them.
The licensing model SpaceiQ employs is available to all employees (unlike legacy FM software) so that everyone can work in the modern open-concept and fluid space that is becoming common in today’s office environment. With many employees able to work at home, in coffee shops, as well as in the office, many desks are not permanently assigned, but instead available first come first serve. An app that let’s you see where you could work today if you decide to go to the office, or even let you know if all the desks are taken, would be quite handy.
With all employees having access, some precautions are necessary. You wouldn’t want an intern grabbing the corner office, for example. SpaceIQ provides three levels of access: administrator (full privilege), departmental (an IT manager can move his staff around, for instance) and employee (view where someone you need to meet is sitting).
Legacy Systems Showing Their Age
With AEC and BIM software being updated frequently, it’s hard to believe that there have been no major CAFM (Computer Aided Facilities Management) software products introduced recently.
“The current crop of FM software are legacy systems, 15 to 20 years old,” says Revoy. “It’s time for an update.” SpaceIQ is demonstrating its application over the web. This is understandable, as modernity does away with the need to be next to each other. It is also reasonable to expect modern software to be cloud based and usable on a variety of computers, both deskbound and mobile. Thankfully, SpaceIQ fulfils these modern necessities.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is paramount these days, says Revoy. “You can just pick up your iPad and start using SpaceIQ. It’s as easy to use as any iPhone app.”
It usually takes months to learn how to use the typical FM application. Only those trained with the FM software (or those who can teach themselves) are able to use it. SpaceIQ wants to make the software so simple that everyone can easily use it. Not just facility managers, but HR too.
It makes sense. The decision regarding who gets the corner office, the cube, or any specific available space, is something HR would find useful. Furthermore, few individuals (if any) would be able to view, much less manipulate CAD files, which usually provide this information. “You can let SpaceIQ handle the CAD and PDF files,” says Revoy, “We will provide a much friendlier interface for every type of user.”
Robustness
In all fairness to state of the art FM software providers, there is nothing they can do. A startup cannot hope to match a full blown CAFM software application feature for feature.
But how many of those features are really needed? According to Revoy, “We really focused on the 15 -20% of the features that you actually need to do your job. Still, we are constantly adding new features. Customers are amazed by how much we add every couple of weeks.”
FM Systems, the feature-laden market leader, is mentioned a few times. They are what anyone entering the FM software market must compare themselves to. The company’s software has every bell and whistle you can imagine, including much of what SpaceIQ has to offer, like move management and space reservation.
The latest versions of the software also run on mobile devices. In addition to space management, the programs also handles asset management. “We are thinking of adding asset management, but we will decide if simply adding an integration to an existing system is better for our customers,” mentions Revoy.
Integrations
Software as a Service (SAAS) application success can hinge on their integration with other SAAS applications. Products like SalesForce have hundreds of software applications that can integrate with it. SpaceIQ integrates with many applications as well, including Workday, which is common among HR professionals.
How Much?
Unlike most other modern apps, there is no published price list for SpaceIQ. You have to request a quote and speak with a salesperson. We can be certain, however, that it costs less to begin with. Old school software was bought on a perpetual license that, once purchased, was then owned forever. Monolithic CAD and FM software usually cost thousands of dollars. SpaceIQ is priced according to the size of the property under management and the number of spaces. “It breaks down to well under $10 per employee, per month,” Revoy concluded.