Consumerization of workplace accommodation: how far will it go?

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In November, I wrote about Place-as-a-Service (PaaS), based on the now common term SaaS (Software as a Service): http://occupiersjournal.com/place-as-a-service-paas-time-to-join-the-connected-world/

The article was supply-side focused. I was considering the changes, already being seen in a small way, in how workplace accommodation is provided. Regus is the most well-known, globally; but there are many new entrants – in fact, who really knows how many?

Looked at from the user perspective, is this simply the consumerization of workplace accommodation? In a similar way that cloud-based IT and personal devices have been picked up by users? Not provided by the corporation (usually, the employer), but paid for by the consumer?

Where is this going? How far will it go? Of course, we do not know.

Will flexible accommodation, on flexible terms, reach a plateau? That seems unlikely.

Will agile working become universally accepted as simply the most efficient and effective way of working? That seems likely.

When people can truly work almost anywhere, at their choice, will they choose to commute to the corporate workplace? That remains to be seen. There are many ‘push/pull’ factors at play here – the need to belong to the wider ‘group’, recognition, immersion in corporate culture, versus time and cost to the individual.

How will corporations (employers) react? Or, indeed, plan for this eventuality? IT had its BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), and that spread rapidly. Will our sector have its own BYOD? Buy-Your-Own-Desk? And charge its use back to the company? A Regus account will do that already; how many others will follow?

So many questions!….what are yours?

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