Only one o f the m anagers interviewed, Frank H ennessey o f N uffield H ospitals, thought that his organisation was already doing everything it should concerning the m anagem ent o f space utilisation. Their systems appeared to be the best suited to their business and well m anaged and incorporated m ost o f the best practice suggestions. N uffield are unlikely to ever be guilty o f com placency but the adoption o f one set o f guidelines should not be considered to be a final solution to the issue. The potential exists to believe that targets, once achieved, should becom e the norm. This w ould be dangerous for the organisation and should be supplanted by the philosophy o f continual im provem ent w hilst m aintaining a knowledge o f objectives, contem porary thinking and an aw areness o f changing
circumstances.
Figure 5.4 describes a range o f objectives that have been identified through this paper. They are neither prioritised or exhaustive as a list. The selective o f some or all as a focus would depend upon the circumstances o f the individual organisation.
Procure facilities with long term adaptability and flexibility designed in Occupy on a freehold space and lease surplus on a short term basis Keep long term planning flexible
Expect need for corporate space to decline per person Establish culture o f increm ental im provem ent
Involve users in change processes
Enable users to control their w orkspace environm ent A udit space usage regularly & recharge users
Trial space m anagem ent regim es and m easure benefits M aintain records on CA FM systems
Fig 5,4 G uidelines for im proving space utilisation management.
BT is disposing o f 1.1m sq m o f its property portfolio and acquiring 0.55m sq m. (1) It considers that ow ning rather than leasing property gives the benefits o f capital
appreciation, greater certainty o f outgoings and easier disposal. This view w as also express by Office Group C.
The current practice o f space utilisation m anagem ent appears to be largely based on satisficing individual groups rather than optim ising overall potential. This approach may be adequate for the m anagem ent agenda in m any organisations but the degree o f lost utility, and thus perform ance, to the organisation should be a cause o f concern. Im proved space utilisation m anagem ent should be at least se lf funding w hilst supporting corporate objectives and assisting in their delivery.
Systems for charging occupiers for their space w ere show n to be an effective way to control dem and and potentially to nurture a clim ate o f understanding the costs o f
conducting business in particular locations. C harging was on the basis o f area occupied and was adjusted on a sq m basis, in some organisations, to reflect higher costs for m ore highly serviced and specified areas.
A further aim o f charging w as to encourage departm ents to release space with the goal o f reducing an organisations overall space requirem ents and overheads. However, space charging is a fairly blunt instrum ent for controlling dem and. A g rou p’s space needs and its ability to pay are not alw ays equal and relative inequalities in departm ental budgeting could lead to functional inequalities and reductions in perform ance. For this reason the process should not be w ithout checks and balances to ensure that the organisations agenda is not skewed by its most beneficially funded departments. Space auditing and
benchm arking could inform the centre and develop dialogue about relative space needs.
Local autonomy and control o f space can also impede corporate efficiencies. Office Group C were experiencing difficulties in rationalising their estate. Some departm ents were unw illing to leave poor quality buildings because o f relatively low occupancy costs. W hilst being an appropriate decision for the departm ent, corporate objectives were blocked by an effective local veto. T he degree to w hich space purchasing is devolved is therefore something w hich needs to be carefully m onitored to deliver the best outcom e for the organisation.
This paper makes a case for a high aw areness o f space m anagem ent systems w ithin an organisation’s P.M. team in order to be able to m onitor and ju d g e perform ance in the field. The decision o f w hether to acquire the technical ability in-house or from an external consultant should be made on the individual circum stances prevailing and the problem tackled as early as possible to start im proving prem ises perform ance.
The subject is a com plex blend o f technical, financial and personnel factors. Its ultim ate success can only be judged w ith hindsight but the likelihood o f such success can be im proved by thinking o f the w hole organisation’s needs beyond the im m ediate
circumstances to a wide range o f possible futures. Those involved have to avoid reliance on single measures and seek collective acceptance o f physical or financial good husbandry as a means o f preparing for an uncertain future.