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Hoteling

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Hoteling (also office hoteling, hotelling) is a method of managing the workspaces, desks or offices within an organization in a schedule fashioned. It is an alternative approach to the more traditional method of permanently-assigned seating. With hoteling, workers are not assigned their own desks; instead, they reserve a desk for their temporary use for just the days they expect to work in the office.[1] The benefits of hoteling over a more traditional, one-desk-per-employee scenario include saving costs on commercial real estate,[2][3] as well as creating opportunities for staff to mingle and collaborate more.[4][5]

The practice of hoteling has resulted from increased worker mobility, enabled by advances in mobile technology.[1] Organizations whose workers travel frequently, or with growing remote or mobile workforces, are best suited to hoteling.[1][6] A Washington Post article cites the rising use of hoteling as reflecting a shift from the office being a "home base" to being a "hospitality hub."[7]

It is similar to hot desking, and is sometimes confused with it, since both methods support unassigned seating. Hoteling is reservation-based unassigned seating, whereas, hot desking is reservation-less unassigned seating.

Companies started implementing hoteling in the 1990s, with consulting and accounting firms among the early adopters.[1][8]

How it works

Hoteling systems can vary in complexity, from a basic process for reserving office space to highly sophisticated systems that are integrated with a company’s IT system and offer the user multiple features to enhance the office experience.[9] Hoteling generally functions more smoothly when its technology is integrated with the company’s main IT system. Basically, the company uses a piece of software which keeps track of all of its resources. When employees arrive at work (or log in from home via the company intranet), they access the hoteling reservation software and log in. They can then either reserve spaces by their name/number or, in some systems, by looking at a blueprint of the office and visually selecting a workspace.[3] Once the reservation process is complete, a number of functions may be performed by the system including the routing of phone service to the workspace, the notification of an office "concierge" who prepares the workspace, etc. With many systems, workers are required to "check-in" through a terminal connected to the reservations database as they arrive at the office location.

Applications

Hoteling was first utilized by consulting firms and customer representative companies, and these types of companies continue to be the highest users of such systems. This is because most of these companies' employees spend the majority of their time away from the office; thus, reducing the amount of office resources they need to occupy on a regular basis. This allows large firms to utilize the concept of hoteling. Although hoteling started in consulting companies this does not mean that it is limited to these companies.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Hoteling". Inc. Magazine (encyclopedia). Archived from the original on January 7, 2010.
  2. ↑ Strickland, Sam (February 28, 2014). "The Savings from Flexible Office Space". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Soule, Alexander (January 14, 2015). "In "hoteling" concept, Deloitte says it has sufficient space for huge workforce". Stamford Advocate.
  4. ↑ Peterson, Kim (November 14, 2014). "Why companies are doing away with assigned desks". CBS News.
  5. ↑ Siddons, Andrew (July 7, 2014). "To Cut Costs, Federal Workers Become Nomads". New York Times.
  6. ↑ Nance Nash, Sheryl (2013). "Hoteling Checks In: Want to save a ton of money while gaining employee flexibility? "Hoteling" could be the answer". Insight Magazine.
  7. ↑ McGregor, Jena (June 15, 2015). "Five trends that are reshaping your office". Washington Post.
  8. ↑ Stephens, Chris (March 11, 2011). "Office hoteling provides desk only as needed". Anchorage Dispatch News.
  9. ↑ Censer, Marjorie (February 14, 2011). "Now Booz Allen workers have to call to reserve their desks". Washington Post.
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