New Research

Work Style & Use of Office Space Survey 2015
New work style influences location and use of office

Recent progress in information technology enabled work style changes. Mobile working*1 is one of them. If flexible work style continues to expand, will there be any changes in company's office location strategy and use of office space?

Our research encompasses current situations and three-to-five year plans of companies in Japan including obstacles against such plans. This is a summary of the results.

Key Findings From Research

Current Situation & Future Plan (Figure 1)
  • ・About 60%-70% said they have introduced or in process of mobile working with IT tools.
    About 80% are positive in introducing it in a three-to-five year plan.
  • ・About 20% said they have introduced or in process of work-from-home programs.
    About 40% are positive in introducing it in a three-to-five year plan.
  • ・About 20% said they have introduced or in process of hot-desking system.
    Only approx. 10% have workplaces other than their main office (third-place office*2 / satellite office*3).
Problems to be solved by New Work Style & Obstacles against Future Plans
  • ・About 80% said improving work efficiency and productivity is what they want to solve, followed by forward-looking challenges including improving workers' motivation and more active internal communication. (Figure 2)
  • ・As obstacles against three-to-five year plans, respondents raised difficulties in managing attendance, avoiding risk of information leakage and office costs (fixed costs). When it comes to the new work style, respondents feel difficulties in developing the system. When it comes to the office innovations, respondents feel difficulties in controlling the costs. (Figure 3)
What companies with positive plans have in common
  • ・Larger companies (number of employees) are more likely to have mobile working and work-from-home programs. They are also more positive in future office plans. (Figure 4)
  • ・Companies with mobile working system have a stronger awareness of improving productivity while companies without such system are more focusing on reducing office costs. (Figure 5)
    Companies with mobile working system also expressed stronger willingness for work-from-home programs, hot-desking system and separate offices. (Figure 6)

Mobile working with IT tools has become increasingly common. Compared to this, however, introducing alternative workplace remains slow; work-from-home programs and third place offices were introduced by only a limited number of companies. Nevertheless, companies that accepted new work style are motivated in office innovations too. There is a possibility that company's office location strategy and use of office space will have an influence of changing work style.

  • *1 Mobile working: IT environment/system that enables workers to work outside the office, when traveling or visiting places.
  • *2 Third-place office: Sub-workplace where workers enjoy an environment equivalent to that of their main office in terms of IT system and security. Used when workers are away from the main office (visiting somewhere near terminal rail station).
  • *3 Satellite office: Office in the local area near workers' home, where workers enjoy an environment equivalent to that of their main office.
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