Avison Young safely welcome employees back to the office with Workplace Central

About Avison Young

Avison Young is a global commercial real estate company headquartered in Toronto with more than 100 offices in 15 countries. The company has more than 1600 employees that operate in a flexible, collaborative workspace environment across its offices.

Business Challenge

In the wake of COVID-19, Avison Young had to rethink its approach to space utilization, employee engagement and well-being, and sustainability. Short- term tasks such as reconfiguring floor plans and assigning desks became incredibly complex based on constantly shifting compliance requirements and employee sentiments towards returning to the office. As Avison embraced a hybrid work environment, it needed to reimagine how to optimize the return to office plan, make Space Scheduling an easier process, and follow COVID-19 guidelines.

Solution

To help manage desk book and space utilization processes, Avison Young implemented Space Scheduling, which is MRI’s Workplace Central’s desk and room booking tool, to help them control different aspects of booking. They also implemented Workplace Central’s space utilization features to provide insight into current seating trends so the team can adjust and optimize the work environment.

Business Impact

Space Scheduling assisted Avison Young in future-proofing their desk booking and space configuration processes while supporting the company’s long-term strategy. The return to office process has been effectively managed, and Avison can maximize available space, ensure employee safety, and respond to seating trends.

Flexible desk booking
Space Scheduling helped Avison Young’s employees book desks from their desktop or through their mobile devices using the Workplace Connect application. It offered easy access to interactive floor plans and search functions so they can quickly find and book safe, sanitized workspaces and locate colleagues without leaving their designated areas. As a result, the company minimized unnecessary movement, avoided confusion regarding open and used workspaces, and complied with COVID-19 safety regulations.

Capturing critical data
Data capturing has been at the heart of Avison Young’s safety compliance strategy. Corresponding data on employee desk booking allows the team to identify who’s using what space, and if anyone tests positive for COVID-19, they can quickly figure out who may have been exposed. Additionally, the team has greater insight into how their properties are being used and how they can modify spaces so that employees can have an easier, more productive work experience.

We fundamentally believe in the importance of physical offices for people in different stages of their lives and careers and we need to ensure that our workplaces facilitate collaboration and are safe.

Jason Shaw, Global Leader of Technology
Avison Young