Commercial real estate (CRE) teams are challenged to balance operational efficiencies and cost control with occupant demand for flexible and engaging work environments. To navigate these complexities, organizations need value integrators — professionals who can bridge the traditional gaps between real estate and broader business goals. By aligning CRE initiatives with organizational objectives, value integrators ensure that real estate becomes a strategic asset, driving long-term success and resilience. 

Market factors driving need for more strategic thinking in CRE 

Corporate real estate is undergoing a period of adjustment as organizations respond to evolving market dynamics amid increased operational costs. Property insurance premiums have tripled in some cases since 2020, and persistent labor and material cost inflation continues to delay construction and renovation projects. While in-office attendance remains below pre-pandemic levels in some areas, there are signs this trend is shifting. According to Eptura’s 2025 Workplace Index, 34% of businesses plan to increase the number of days employees spend in the office this year. Visitor traffic has also nearly doubled across all regions over the past three years, placing new demands on space, security, and operational resources. 

These pressures vary by industry and portfolio makeup. For example, a manufacturer may be more likely to own their buildings and centralize operations in low-cost-of-living locations, versus a financial firm which may prioritize leasing space in large cities, driving up costs. The latter type of organization may also be more aware of the role office spaces and amenities play in company branding and talent retention. 

While some enterprises recognized the built environment’s potential as a differentiator over the past 20 years, the pandemic created a clear dividing line between the traditional and new ways of thinking about commercial real estate. CRE used to be about cost control and operational efficiency. Now it’s a strategic asset that forward-thinking organizations can leverage to better support evolving workforce models, financial resilience, and long-term transformation. 

Organizational barriers: Siloed data and lack of alignment 

Most CRE teams have embraced the potential value of implementing everything from simple smart lighting to advanced AI, but inconsistent processes and disparate operational technologies limit their ability to affect organizational change. These teams struggle to capture reliable data, often having to pull it manually from several single-point systems before trying to compile it in spreadsheets. In fact, 37% of businesses are utilizing 11 or more employees to gather, analyze, and report on data from single-point systems, and 50% of businesses are using an average of 17 standalone worktech solutions, according to Eptura’s 2025 Workplace Index report. 

It’s not just the data that’s siloed. Many teams experience challenges in getting buy in and prioritization for workplace technology projects and related change management across departments or regions. That lack of alignment means some have a hard time getting past the pilot stage, so any progress occurs only at one site, not across the business. 

Value integrator: Cross functional and business minded

Overcoming these challenges means finding value integrators, people who can think cross-functionally and have a deep understanding of business goals, including each department’s metric-focused definition of success. The reason is simple: Before you can align with others, you need to know where they’re heading and what’s pushing them there. 

Value integrators play a key role in facilitating: 

• Strategic alignment: Ensuring CRE initiatives support the company’s overall business objectives 
• Enhancing workplace experience: Focusing on creating workplaces that improve employee satisfaction and productivity 
• Data-driven decision-making: Utilizing real-time data and analytics to make proactive decisions 
• Cross-functional collaboration: Working closely with other departments to integrate and optimize workplace solutions 
• Building trust and influence: Overcoming challenges like data quality and trust by implementing transparent processes and demonstrating early successes 
• Technology integration: Assessing and rationalizing the current technology stack to address gaps and improve efficiency 

These responsibilities aren’t just tactical — they’re connective. Value integrators serve as the bridge between CRE and the broader business, translating workplace strategy into measurable impact across functions. Their ability to navigate complexity and build alignment is what turns real estate from a cost center into a competitive advantage. 

Creating the right connections across the company 

Our advice for value integrators: Partner with the business leaders who manage the profit and loss statements that are paying for CRE. Look at who’s going to be most affected, negatively or positively, by the space and then identify the relevant senior leaders. In one successful use case, we’ve seen a CRE team create a role specifically to liaise with the business. They embedded that person inside the company to collect and share information about what was working and what needed improvement. 

Combining process and technology to tackle the midweek mountain 

Technology plays a crucial role in enabling value integration. A unified intelligent worktech platform, for example, helps companies automate processes, freeing up time for CRE teams to focus on strategic initiatives. These systems provide real-time data and analytics, which are essential for making informed decisions that align with broader business goals. They also help with optimizing space utilization, managing facilities more efficiently, and enhancing the employee experience by providing insights into how and when spaces are used. 

However, it’s important to recognize that technology by itself is not a complete solution. Organizations must ensure that their technology investments are strategically aligned with their business objectives and that they have the necessary processes and people in place to support the transformation.  

The midweek mountain, the tendency of office occupancy and utilization to peak on Wednesdays, is a good example of a challenge that companies cannot solve by technology alone. While software can provide valuable data and insights, it does not address the underlying behavioral and company cultural factors that contribute to this issue. 

Unfortunately, many companies view the midweek mountain solely as a real estate problem. Instead, organizations should see it as an opportunity to empower value integrators to work across teams and departments to collectively create a solution. 

Effective digital transformation in CRE involves understanding and influencing employee behavior, aligning with the organization’s strategic priorities, and building trust through transparent and well-communicated processes. Addressing the midweek mountain can include HR policies that encourage flexible working schedules, IT solutions that support remote collaboration, and operations strategies that optimize facility management. The CRE team must work closely with other departments to ensure that technology is used to its full potential and that the human element is not overlooked. By integrating these aspects, organizations can create a more balanced and productive work environment that truly meets the needs of both the business and its employees. 

Value integrators support digital transformation 

Digital transformation plays a critical role in streamlining operations and controlling costs, an essential capability in today’s landscape of post-pandemic pressures. By leveraging automation and smart technologies, companies can enhance workflows, reduce manual errors, and boost productivity. Increased operational efficiency enables organizations to redirect resources toward higher-value initiatives like innovation and customer experience, both of which are key drivers of sustainable growth. To maximize impact, value integrators must work across teams and functions to ensure that every part of the enterprise benefits from these technology investments by aligning tools, processes, and outcomes with broader business goals. 

To begin your own digital journey, connect with our consultancy. 

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With the current and potential disruptions to the global supply chain, enterprises are putting risk management front and center in a noticeable uptick from the start of the year. In the January survey of operational leaders featured in our 2025 Workplace Index, most companies did not prioritize risk mitigation in the context of managing their physical assets. When asked, “Which of the following is your biggest challenge when it comes to your asset management operations?”, “Risk management” was the least popular answer at 4%. The most popular, “Increasing asset lifecycle,” was ten times higher. 

At that time, respondents also indicated that reducing risk was not a top consideration in their long-range operational planning. When asked, “What is your key objective for the next 24 months when it comes to asset management?”, only 2% chose risk mitigation. 

Now, however, we’re seeing companies refocusing on risk, especially in industries that rely on their assets to make products or deliver services like healthcare, airlines, manufacturing, fleet and transportation, and energy and utilities. 

While there’s been less of a shift in industries that are more purely service-based, supply chain issues can affect anyone. For example, organizations planning renovations or upgrading their office furniture may need to re-examine project budgets. Some professional services businesses could even leverage current developments to add value for clients. Accounting firms, for example, could offer asset-reliant companies insights into their current supply chains and advice on where to optimize.  

What companies can control: Cross-departmental complexity of the procedure to pay processes 

The procure-to-pay (P2P) process encompasses the entire cycle from identifying the need for goods or services to making the final payment to suppliers. It is essential for maintaining operational efficiency, ensuring financial accuracy, and fostering strong relationships with suppliers.  

One of its defining features is that it is a cross-departmental process, requiring coordination from teams across the enterprise, including: 

• Procurement: Responsible for identifying needs, selecting suppliers, and managing the purchase requisition and purchase order processes 
• Finance: Handles the financial aspects, including budgeting, invoice verification, and payment processing 
• Accounts payable: Specifically manages the receipt and processing of supplier invoices, ensuring they are accurate and paid on time 
• Operations: Ensures that the goods or services received meet the required standards and are integrated into the company’s operations 
• Legal: Reviews and approves contracts and terms with suppliers to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements 
• Quality control: Inspects and verifies the quality of the delivered goods or services to ensure they meet the organization’s standards 

In asset-heavy industries like manufacturing, construction, and logistics, the procurement team sources high-value assets such as specialized machinery and raw materials, while the finance department manages budgeting and ensures accurate invoice verification and timely payments. For example, in construction, the accounts payable team verifies invoices for large equipment rentals to avoid overcharges. The operations team ensures that received goods, like new fleet vehicles in logistics, meet the required standards. The legal department reviews contracts for compliance, and quality control teams inspect materials and equipment to ensure safety and performance. 

Just as important as any one team’s work is their ability to share data and coordinate tasks across departmental lines. However, every business function has its own goals, which can create imbalances between teams. 

Accounts payable and procurement: Cash balance versus supplier relationships 

The accounts payable team often aims to pay invoices only when they are due to maximize the company’s cash flow. This strategy can help in maintaining a higher cash balance, which is beneficial for financial flexibility and interest earnings. However, procurement departments want to build and maintain strong relationships with the best possible suppliers. These suppliers may prefer shorter payment terms to ensure their own steady cash flow. Delayed payments strain supplier relationships, potentially leading to higher costs, reduced service quality, or even supply chain disruptions. 

Procurement and quality control: Short-term savings versus long-term costs 

The procurement department may prioritize cost savings and efficiency, which can sometimes lead to the selection of lower-cost suppliers. While this can reduce immediate expenses, it can also introduce risks related to the quality of goods or services. The quality control department, on the other hand, focuses on ensuring that the quality of delivered items meets the organization’s standards. Poor quality can lead to higher long-term costs, such as returns, rework, and customer dissatisfaction. 

All of these challenges increase as companies scale. Because the root cause for all these issues is lack of organizational alignment, the larger the company, the more critical it becomes to agree on the right balance between team objectives up front.  

When the departments work together, Procurement can prioritize cost savings while helping Quality Control ensure goods and services meet standards. By collaborating closely, the procurement team can jointly evaluate suppliers with quality control to ensure that lower-cost equipment parts, for example, do not compromise quality. Quality control provides ongoing feedback on the performance and reliability of delivered items, helping procurement to make better informed decisions. The partnership ensures that all purchased assets meet the required standards, reducing the risk of returns, rework, and customer dissatisfaction. 

Where companies can mitigate risk: External factors affecting the supply chain 

There are many links in any supply chain that a company can’t control. 

Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods, can disrupt the supply chain by damaging infrastructure, disrupting transportation, and causing production delays. For example, a factory in a disaster-prone area might be forced to shut down, leading to a shortage of critical components.  

Human factors like trade policies, political instability, and international conflicts can also significantly affect the supply chain. Changes in trade regulations, such as tariffs and import/export restrictions, can increase costs and create delays. Political instability in supplier countries can lead to supply disruptions, while international conflicts can result in sanctions or embargoes that limit access to certain materials or markets. 

Compounding the challenge is that the global supply chain is a dynamic and ever-changing environment. Market conditions, customer demands, and technological advancements are constantly evolving. Companies need to design their asset maintenance processes – from finding ways to increase the life cycle of mission-critical equipment to diligently managing parts inventory and suppliers – to be agile and responsive. For example, a sudden surge in demand for a product can strain the supply chain, while new technologies can render existing processes obsolete. 

How an enterprise can improve: Counteracting complexity and mitigating risk by moving toward the right on the value chain 

When supply chains slow and shrink, organizations start asking themselves tough questions about their existing operations. Siloed systems make it hard to even find accurate answers, while connected, intelligent workflows empower companies to create solutions. 

For example, a company that finds itself facing a new tariff would want to know: 

• What’s the source of the cost increase? 
  • Is it coming from a single country? 
  • How much of our manufacturing is based in that country? 
  • How much labor do we have in that country? 
  • Where does the output from that country go in terms of our customer base? 
• Who are those customers? 
  • Which customers are least (or most) sensitive to price changes? 
• What are our contractual obligations? 
  • Do our contracts with customers allow us to pass on the increased costs? 
  • Do we have any contractual agreements with vendors that allow us to push back on the cost increase? 
  • How will tariff-related supply chain disruptions impact our service level agreements, and how can we mitigate this? 

In a siloed approach, each department might focus on its own immediate concerns without considering the broader implications of their answers. The result is fragmented decision-making and increased vulnerability to supply chain disruptions. 

A more integrated approach involves cross-departmental collaboration and a holistic view of the supply chain that also includes an accurate understanding of on-hand inventory and forecast use rates. By working together, departments can identify and implement strategies to mitigate the impact of cost increases. For example, procurement could explore alternative suppliers, finance could adjust pricing strategies, and operations could optimize production processes to reduce costs. 

To discuss ways to optimize your asset operations and manage risk, connect with our consultancy. 

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The pace of digital transformation has accelerated, and enterprises are focused on ensuring they’re maximizing the value they get from worktech systems. In fact, Eptura’s 2025 Workplace Index report shows more companies are hiring digital workplace leaders to help manage related organizational change. 

It’s a positive trend, though not surprising. According to the report, 34% of companies surveyed are also increasing the number of days employees spend in the office, putting more pressure on leaders “to find the optimal employee experience and usage of space.” Hiring more digital workplace leaders signals that many organizations see digital transformation as a means to create value within their business. Different ways to think about digital transformation 

Implementing new technologies can offer many benefits, but different roles or sectors may view these gains – and their relative importance to the business – through different lenses. 

Across business types 

The operational areas in which enterprises focus their investments typically depend on who their business serves. Business-to-business companies tend to focus on improving the customer experience. They might develop front-end technologies like mobile apps that improve the overall shopping experience or digital solutions for online banking. For companies employing a business-to-consumer model, investments are more likely in back-end solutions that optimize internal processes and support business operations. For example, they might implement digital customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, or project management platforms.   

Between leadership and end-users 

Leadership is often focused on overall, fundamental business goals like reducing costs to improve the bottom line. They may view digital transformation as a way to streamline cross-functional processes and drive efficiency. 

We’ve also seen organizations extend their approach beyond optimizing operations. For example, with the rise of the Internet of Things, some heavy equipment manufacturers used technology to transform their basic business model. The first step was maximizing asset management for their own equipment. Next, they applied a layer of digital services they could then sell to customers as a new line of business. 

It’s still a popular idea. We recently spoke with a telecom company that’s interested in pursuing the same process. They want to transform their offices so they can offer smart spaces and smart buildings to their customers. Before they can do that, though, they need to make themselves into a compelling case study by proving the ROI of using high-performing space. Another driver of digital transformation from the leadership perspective is competitive differentiation. Here, digital transformation is about building brand affinity and delivering a level of customer experience that matches or exceeds what competitors offer. 

For those in the organization who will directly interact with the new technology — the end-users — the focus is narrower, and comes down to the questions “Day in, day out, how is this going to help me perform my job better?” and, “Am I going to be able to achieve what I’m being asked to do more efficiently?” 

It’s important to keep these differences in mind when building buy-in across different levels of the organizational chart. Employees will be more open to embracing the benefits of automation if you speak directly to their experience in the workplace and role-specific metrics about how the change will ultimately make their daily lives easier.  

The rise of the digital workplace leader 

Within professional and financial services organizations, 67% have hired a digital workplace leader to manage hybrid needs, with 42% hiring in the last 18 months, according to the 2025 Workplace Index report.  

In our experience, successful digital workplace leaders share some common characteristics. They’re innovators who are not afraid to push boundaries. They’re also creative and curious about technology. They want to experiment with tech to see how it works and how they can use it in new ways. Many of them come from backgrounds in IT, consumer experience, or design. 

They also excel at: 

• Cross-functional collaboration: Working well with different departments and teams to make sure digital transformation is a whole and integrated process 
• Influence management: Building buy-in from various stakeholders across an organization, including leadership and end users 
• Organizational respect: Earning and maintaining respect within the organization, which is crucial for gaining trust and driving change 

In this role, it’s always important to carefully match vision with execution. Digital transformation is a process that takes time, and it can be difficult to drive lasting change without well-planned use cases that consider the steps needed to evolve as well as the desired outcome. For example, if the majority of the business analyzes data manually on spreadsheets, a transition to running buildings via predictive automation and robotics within a short time span is likely unrealistic. Aspiration needs a strong connection to practical considerations, including timelines, budgets, and impact on company culture. 

The growing influence of digital natives 

We see many workplace leaders and their teams embracing change. In fact, they’re often the ones spearheading digitalization projects. This trend will grow as more employees become more comfortable with digital tech. According to the Workplace Index, Gen Z is now 18% of the workforce (and rising), and “Being a generation of digital natives, they are driving a significant shift from paper-based processes to automation.” It’s important to consider that there could be more at work than how a demographic generally thinks about technology. Remember, software solutions cannot create policies and processes. Instead, they play a supporting role. For example, we once saw a company that brought in a software solution to help their maintenance technicians identify and prioritize tasks. Because the team was not incentivized to work more efficiently, they did not invest their time in learning and leveraging the new technology. The team lacked clear, enforced performance metrics, so no amount training or fine-tuning the technology delivered the desired results. 

Digital transformation helps solve uncertainty  

Embracing digital transformation is a valuable strategy, especially in times of increased uncertainty, because it helps companies make data-driven decisions. By integrating advanced analytics and AI, businesses can gain deeper insights into market trends, customer behavior, and operational performance. A data-driven approach helps companies to identify opportunities and risks more accurately, enabling them to pivot strategies quickly and efficiently in response to a range of changing conditions. 

Digital transformation can also streamline processes and reduce costs, which is crucial to forecasting in any business environment. Automation and digital tools can optimize workflows, minimize human error, and improve productivity, which helps companies maintain operational efficiency so they can reallocate resources to more critical areas, such as innovation and customer service, which drive long-term growth. 

To begin your own digital journey, connect with our consultancy.  

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As part of their search for the best balance between work models, companies are looking more closely at occupancy and utilization. These are powerful metrics, and as corporate real estate (CRE) consultants, we know there’s a variety of reasons companies should be focused on them. For many organizations, it’s still early days in the process, but we’re encouraged by the increasing interest and growing understanding that they need to see these metrics not in isolation but within a larger context. 

Working definitions of occupancy and utilization data 

Although we often hear people using “occupancy” and “utilization” interchangeably—and it’s something we sometimes do ourselves—there are important differences between these two terms. On the most basic level, occupancy is how many people a space is designed for or used by, while utilization is how people use that space at a specific time or within a timeframe. 

Looking at them more closely, though, there are three facets to the two metrics, each connected to a specific way of capturing data. While bookings reveal what should happen, those numbers only reflect intention. To see what really happened, you need to look at badge data, which tells you how many people showed up. That can only tell you so much, though. To understand where people went and what they did, you need sensor data. 

Each of these aspects shows a different side of what’s happening in your spaces. For a more complete picture, you need to also look at employee feedback and experience, which includes understanding how the space works for the activity it was designed for as well as who uses it. 

The rise of occupancy and utilization as key metrics

Not only are occupancy and utilization separate – but related – metrics; we’re now beginning to see them evolve. Understanding these distinctions is crucial in the post-2020 work environment in which these indicators are now moving targets, with weekly, monthly, and seasonal variations. These fluctuations have made understanding occupancy and utilization much more important. 

We saw this new way of thinking about the metrics captured in two separate interactions in the same week this month. One organization we’re working with said their leadership never used to worry about occupancy, while another shared that occupancy and utilization were now key reportable metrics across many of their teams. These examples represent a trend we’re seeing with wide applicability across industries. 

Another important shift we’re seeing is senior leadership now asking to see these numbers monthly or even every other week. It’s a trend captured in an insight a facility management provider once shared with us: “We used to have to convince leadership this software existed. Now they’re coming to us and saying, ‘We need help with this.’” 

Companies want to leverage the metrics, but for different goals 

Industry-wide, we’re seeing businesses embrace one of two approaches. Either they’re looking at employee behavior so they can tailor facility operations to match demand, or they’re using the metrics as part of larger campaigns designed to directly influence when and how often employees are in the office. 

For example, a company that’s decided on or defaulted to an employee-led hybrid model may want to understand peaks and troughs so it can respond by adjusting available space to match organic demand. If Fridays usually have less traffic, they might open only a few floors. On Wednesday, when it’s busier, they may allow employees access to spaces throughout the facility. We’re also seeing companies using data to find opportunities to repurpose or sublet spaces on low-occupancy days. 

Other companies are taking a different approach, using occupancy and utilization as proxy metrics to track the results of other efforts. There are many possible reasons organizations want people back at their office desks. The CEO might feel employees need more oversight from their managers. Or the company might be more interested in changing when their hybrid employees are in the office. This may mean they’re not worried if the office is empty Mondays and Fridays. Instead, they’re concerned that so many people are showing up on Wednesdays it’s degrading the overall office experience. Tracking occupancy can help them understand how effectively their policies flatten the midweek mountain. 

Our experience matches what has already been widely reported about the prescriptive approach. Getting people back to the office on certain days with “rewards” only works for a while. Free coffees, group lunches, and after-work drinks with coworkers all eventually lose their appeal. Companies see more success when they directly connect time in the office to existing workflows. For example, they can schedule regular team meetings, lunch-and-learns, and kickoffs on days with lower occupancy numbers. 

How to put occupancy and utilization into perspective 

Many of the companies we’ve worked with are still in the early stages of finding ways to capture and leverage workplace and facility data that work best for them. From the start, we always tell them that both are important metrics, but you need to see them in a larger context to get actionable insights. 

Capturing occupancy and utilization has value for many teams 

Many different teams may want to use this data, so when organizations standardize on a digital system to automate collection of accurate occupancy and utilization data, they can see a strong return on investment. In fact, occupancy and utilization are some of the few metrics with broad cross-team appeal. 

Interestingly, we’re seeing the direction of rightsizing differ between countries. Although there’s been a lot of news recently about U.S. federal agencies reducing their real estate portfolios, work has largely returned to the office in India, and the companies we speak with who have staff there are looking to expand their footprints. Accurate occupancy data will help ensure these companies have productive spaces without overextending.  

Beyond portfolio planning, a workplace experience team can leverage the same numbers to level attendance throughout the working week or better match layouts to employee onsite behavior. If meeting rooms consistently see higher utilization numbers than individual desks, it may make sense to include more spaces for group work. 

Metrics only make sense in context 

Businesses can run into problems when they try to see occupancy and utilization in isolation or as absolutes. Depending on the organization, low utilization may not be an issue. 

We recently worked with a team that only comes into the office about once a month, which matches the nature of their work and position in the organization. They generally only work with one another, and when they need to work with other departments, they rely on established relationships and institutional knowledge. 

According to the team’s director, the situation is different for employees with less time at the company. They need and want to be in the office more often because it helps them develop their professional knowledge and networks. 

Within the same company there are vastly different data sets between groups, but neither indicates a problem. Instead, they reflect the different ways teams use spaces to best match a variety of factors. The metrics matter, but never absolutely. Context is key. 

To begin your own digital journey, connect with our consultancy. 

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From the adoption of single solutions to the integration of a comprehensive platform, the path to digital transformation is rarely a straight line. In fact, as corporate real estate (CRE) consultants, we see many factors affecting how companies integrate new technologies. Despite these differences, many companies face the same central challenge. Companies need to find ways to capture more data while avoiding the temptation to treat all data as equally valuable. 

Many factors affect digital transformation 

Digital transformation has an overall direction and clearly marked milestones. Stage 1 means moving from manual tasks to a single point digital solution. Here, companies might implement a visitor management platform, transitioning from manual visitor check-ins. At Stage 2 they add more solutions, but usually all from one vendor. The advantage is that they’re able to streamline management and software costs. But because the solutions are disconnected, the data remains siloed.  

It isn’t until Stage 3 when companies move to a single platform that they can implement integrated use cases, creating operational value through cross-platform functionality and digital mapping. Finally, at Stage 4, companies can leverage an integrated ecosystem for real-time predictive analytics for their facilities and assets. 

However, digital transformation is about more than just adopting technology. Just as important as the technology they have is how companies think about their CRE and assets. Traditionally, many companies saw their real-estate portfolio as a utility. So, the goals were limited to keeping the facilities running while controlling costs. But with advances in digital technologies and an expanded CRE agenda, many companies see their portfolio as an opportunity to drive value, helping them highlight the brand, attract and retain talent, and support connection and collaboration for their employees. 

Scale plays a part 

Another important influence we see is scale, especially when it comes to how much data companies want or think they need. At organizations with smaller, single spaces, it’s easier to have a better sense of occupancy and utilization rates. When everyone works in the same small space, an office manager can walk through the office to see how many people there are in the office. 

At larger companies, though, where many of the functions are divided between teams, we see data silos. There might be a team for leasing, one for space planning, and another for employee experience, each with its own sets of policies and procedures, supported by different, disconnected software. Although each team closely examines the data it collects, the company lacks a comprehensive view of the big picture. 

Not all large companies are the same shape, though, and in our experience some ownership structures bring new sets of challenges. At companies owned by holding companies, for example, attempts at widescale transformation can be more difficult because of the diversity between subsidiaries, varied corporate cultures, complex decision-making processes, and competing priorities. 

Company culture and industry affect how organizations approach digital transformation 

Although most can see the benefits of embracing digital solutions, not every company wants to be on the cutting edge. 

In some cases, it’s because of company culture. Some companies are more conservative in their approach. When thinking about the digital journey, they prefer to use industry benchmarks to guide decisions on how and when to introduce new technologies. In many cases, this comes from a desire to minimize risk and ensure that any technology they implement has a proven track record within their industry. 

The relative importance of attracting and retaining talent can also be a factor. A manufacturing plant in a low-cost-of-living area, for example, doesn’t see itself as being in competition for employees, so it’s less likely to implement worktech focused on improving the employee experience. Instead, when the company thinks about digital transformation, it’s tied to their assets and equipment. For example, they would be more interested in implementing condition-based or predictive maintenance on the production line. 

That’s different than in industries where the primary product is the people who perform the services, such as finance and consulting. When clients make choices based on the expertise and service quality provided by employees, firms are in direct competition for talent, which motivates them to invest in spaces and software that improve the employee and visitor experience. Here, there’s more interest in visitor management systems, desk booking, and room reservations. 

“Constrained advisors” and limited data are the common denominators 

We see “constrained advisors” at many companies. Although they want to be more strategic by implementing digital solutions, they’re held back by a lack of data and integration. 

For example, we were working with a company that was interested in adding sensors to track occupancy. But before they could do that, they first needed to rebuild some of the basics, including implementing a single definition of square footage across their portfolio. Another recent example: A large, multi-facility organization had different types and depths of data for each location. So, they might have been able to implement everything they want to at one location, but they couldn’t easily scale their success. 

Limited data also creates current and future problems, especially for companies hoping to embrace artificial intelligence (AI). We’re seeing companies refocus on capturing good data, and we recently worked with a company that’s taking a close, hard look at their data, where it’s coming from and how much they can trust it. They know it’s a critical first step for future AI implementations. 

The solution to limited data is not unlimited data 

Knowing you need data is not the same as knowing what data you need. Ideally, digital transformation starts with a company asking itself which problems it wants to solve. From there, it can determine the data it should capture. But that’s not what we’re always seeing. 

Point vs platform 

Many companies introduced point solutions because of the pandemic. While some of them were effective in the short term, they often lacked the comprehensive approach needed for long-term success. Single solutions typically address one specific problem, so they can’t provide a holistic view. And it doesn’t matter how many a company implements. In fact, we’ve talked to companies with ten to 15 stand-alone solutions that still struggle to turn data into actionable insights. 

For example, we spoke with a company that conducted an employee survey asking people how often they planned to come into the office. The survey results showed that employees planned to come into the office more frequently than what the company eventually saw in the access control data, desk bookings, and occupancy data. The survey data alone provided an incomplete picture, while the combination of multiple data sources in one system provided the only accurate understanding of employee behavior. 

Project vs program 

Companies that treat data as a project often end up with large data sets from multiple sources but a single period. So, what they have is only a snapshot of an aspect of their operations. And even though it captures a lot of the fine details, they can’t use it to see trends, which is where so much of the value of data lives. Knowing everything about the people who were in the office in the first week of February, including occupancy numbers, utilization rates, desk bookings, and room reservations, is likely less valuable than a narrower data set over a longer period. Because it’s data over time that reveals trends, data capture must be part of an ongoing program. 

For example, six months of occupancy numbers reveal the busiest days of the week, which the maintenance team can use to schedule work when there are likely to be fewer people in the office. Janitorial staff could also use this data, scheduling work to best match the busiest times. Looking at patterns in room booking data can help space planners better match the office layout to employee needs.   

Mainstream vs other companies’ metrics 

For external benchmarking, there are some metrics that will always make sense in CRE, and companies should use them in their decision-making processes. For example, it’s important to understand the local market rates when looking for new spaces to negotiate a lease. Paying a fair price starts with knowing what something is worth.  

But we’ve seen examples of companies trying to use external data without accounting for all the variables that can significantly impact these metrics. When benchmarking square feet per employee, for example, companies are likely to overlook all the reasons why the numbers are different, including everything from company culture to office layouts.  

Companies can benefit from comparing how they were using spaces across facilities in their own portfolios. By focusing on internal data, they can gain a more accurate and actionable understanding of their own operations. For instance, comparing the utilization rates of different office locations or the effectiveness of various workspace layouts can provide valuable insights that are directly applicable to their specific context. And there’s an additional benefit for employee satisfaction. By benchmarking their facilities, companies can ensure a consistent look, feel, and culture at every office, so employees don’t feel one location is better than another.  

The path to digital transformation is your own 

What this all means is that there’s no one-size-fits-all path for digital transformation. Every organization needs to chart its own course based on a solid understanding of the problems it wants to solve, the data it needs to capture, and the technology it should implement. 

To begin your own digital journey, connect with our consultancy. 

Erik Zink, Vice President Worktech Consultancy and Corporate Development, has more than a decade of experience as a strategy and transformation consultant. He is an expert on change and strategic growth and has advised Fortune 500 enterprise leaders on large scale implementations and transformations.

Sarah Kilmartin, Director of Customer Insights, has more than two decades of experience managing enterprise customers and supporting global departments through workplace transformations. As a former facility and operations leader for a leading flex space provider, she’s an expert on workplace strategy, qualitative and quantitative thought leadership, and customer insight.

The post Eptura Insights: Tracking trends in the digital journey appeared first on Eptura.

Change comes with challenges, and many organizations struggle to implement new ways of working. Lasting, positive transformations demand a systematic approach, and building a strong business case is the first step, whether you are implementing new technology or updating workflows. Creating a compelling case often means expanding your understanding of how people and processes deliver value to an organization. Building buy-in requires communicating from a position of empathy. The work is worth it, and successful digital transformations improve facilities and assets, drive investment returns, and enhance employee engagement.  

Welcome to the first Eptura Insights post, a new series from Eptura’s worktech consultancy, where we help enterprises manage change at every step of worktech implementations.  

How to build a successful business case 

A standard business case is a structured proposal for a project that outlines the benefits, costs, and risks. A strong business case delivers clear answers to critical questions for large, transformational projects. And it’s just as important at the final stages of a project as it is before the project even begins. 

At the start, it serves as a decision-making tool, providing a clear and concise overview of the reasons an organization should undertake a project. Building a business case gives a company the answer to the fundamental macro-level question: Will the eventual returns justify the initial and ongoing investments of time, energy, and focus? Projects pull employees away from regular tasks and require funding, often initial and ongoing. A business case must successfully argue that all that extra effort and refocused resources are worth it. 

Throughout the life of the project, the business case also serves as a reference point to maintain focus and accountability, especially in large, multi-year transformational projects where distractions and changing priorities are common. 

Include many types of value when exploring potential benefits 

Before answering the critical question “Should we do this?”, it’s important for companies to understand that projects can deliver many types of value. Often the easiest to find and quantify are financial. A company looking to maximize its investments in corporate real estate, for example, can calculate how much it can save by reducing operations and maintenance expenses with intelligent worktech. It can also calculate the cost savings from mitigating security risks with a modern visitor management solution. In both cases, the connections between actions and savings are direct. The company can see a clear path with concrete steps to cut costs and mitigate the risk of expensive issues. 

There are also qualitative benefits, which are harder to calculate because the cause-and-effect relationship might be less clear or take more time. So, a project might improve the employee experience, leading to stronger job satisfaction and better retention. Because hiring and training new employees is expensive, keeping existing employees happy helps companies save money. 

There’s also a lot of value in projects that help set employees up for more meaningful, more fulfilling work. In our experience working with organizations to optimize their workplace and asset operations, we see employees who are currently delivering value, but it’s the wrong kind based on their position in the company. If the department relies on a lot of manual data capture, for example, there could be someone at the director level doing basic analytics instead of data-driven strategic thinking. With the right initiatives, they could be delivering more value to the company while enjoying a higher level of job satisfaction. 

Marry internal and external data to larger goals 

A comprehensive business case contains careful combinations of data, each with a separate role. It helps you capture the current circumstances, shows you what’s possible, and validates initiatives.   

Internal numbers can include: 

• Salaries 
• Headcounts 
• Real estate costs  
• Asset costs 

But you can also add metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs), like the average cost of a work order or the monthly budget for parts and materials.  

Making raw data tell a story is an art and a science, but asking someone about their day-to-day pain points is a direct and powerful way to understand their current challenges. Make sure to speak with employees from across departments and up and down the organizational chart. Only the space planner knows how much time and effort it’s taking them to maintain a multi-office seating chart on spreadsheets, while the head of procurement can describe the pressure of creating budgets without reliable data on asset and equipment life spans. 

Collaborative input from both employees and executives is important because it helps identify the key metrics and objectives that are important to the organization, and ensures the business case represents reality and aligns with the organization’s overall goals. 

Involving different levels of the organization in the creation of the business case also helps in securing buy-in and alignment, making it more likely that the initiative will be successful. 

How to build project buy-in 

Buy-in building includes understanding each stakeholder’s job responsibilities and performance metrics, securing a strong executive sponsor, and implementing a change management work stream that helps maintain focus and momentum. 

Show the connections between larger initiatives and personal metrics 

It’s easy to get people excited about a project when you can show them exactly how it’s going to help them improve their job performance metrics. You need to “speak someone’s language” to get them to hear what you’re saying. 

• Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Reducing costs, such as the cost of unallocated or unoccupied space and efficiency and effectiveness of operations 
• Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO): Improving the workplace environment and employee satisfaction  
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (especially in financial services): Updating and enhancing the workplace to meet modern standards and expectations 

You can’t always guess what’s important to people based solely on their title. Your metrics are important, but so are your boss’s. We’ve found, for example, that the focus changes for corporate real estate teams depending on where they sit within the org chart. When they report to a chief operating officer or CFO, they’re concerned about unallocated space or unoccupied space. For teams that report to a CHRO, the priority shifts to employee experience. With the first group, you can build buy-in for implementing new technology by showing how it can help them maximize utilization rates. For the second group, you highlight the ways you can make it easier for employees to come to the office to connect and collaborate with coworkers. 

Another important insight into metrics is how many people focus only on a few of them, even when there are many that could directly connect to their job. Part of our work building business cases and buy-in involves helping people understand all the metrics they could be tracking. Once they understand that there are more areas of opportunity for them, they’re more invested in the project. We often start by asking people, “What are you reporting on day to day, and why?” From there, we review a menu of possible KPIs for them to consider.   

Strategically build support throughout the org chart 

You don’t have to win everyone over, but there are specific people who will be critical. To be successful, the initiatives in the business case need active, ongoing support from people in the organization who can deliver influence and oversight. There’s a difference between a mid-level director supporting a project and the CEO keeping an eye on progress. You’ll need both along the way, but the CEO’s attention simply carries more weight. The CEO can ensure departments dedicate the necessary time and resources to the project. They’re also in the best position to help you tie all the initiatives to larger goals. 

That mid-level director, though, is also important. Their knowledge of day-to-day operations of invaluable to any project. They’re the ones who can tell you what’s possible and how to fine-tune initiatives to accommodate current realities. Their competency creates respect from and influence with their coworkers and reports, so they’re the ones who can get departments to embrace projects. 

A common misstep when building buy-in is limiting efforts to the departments directly affected by a project. Organizations always have a lot of cross-functionality. Departments don’t operate in vacuums. When deciding where to build buy-in, you need to look at every affected workflow and process end to end. Even small changes can affect a large group of people. 

Another challenge is opt-outs. Just as important as getting people invested in initiatives is not letting parts of the company remove themselves from projects. We’ve seen large IT consolidation projects at global companies devolve into much smaller local upgrades once one region learned it didn’t have to participate. 

The growing operatives for building business cases and buy-in 

The good news for building business cases and buy-in is that new ways of understanding the role of real estate are making things easier. In the past, many organizations treated their facilities like a utility. It was just there, considered part of the overall cost of doing business. But with the growing focus on budgets across industries and a new appreciation for the ways spaces and assets directly support the bottom line, organizations are looking for ways to better support employee productivity while cutting operational costs.

Connect with our consultancy. 

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