In What is ABW? (Basics), we provided basic knowledge about ABW. In the Practical section, we will introduce Advantage and disadvantage of ABW for those who are considering implementing ABW. Many people also think that simply renovating an office is all that is needed to implement ABW, but in reality, changing the office does not change the mindset or behavior of workers who work there. We will explain the process of change, including what elements are essential to making ABW successful and what phases there are from introducing ABW to when the new way of working becomes established among workers.
Approach to realizing the vision
The introduction of ABW requires an approach based on three areas: office, IT, and behavior. If even one of these is missing, there is a very high possibility that the ABW way of working will fail.
"Office"
This mainly refers to the building, interior, furniture, and other aspects of the office, such as the layout, design, and functionality of the furniture.
"IT"
IT devices and systems for editing and sharing information, including not only devices such as PCs, smartphones, and monitors, but also applications and storage systems for information sharing and communication.
"Action"
Organizational rules, customs, corporate culture, and management style
Some people may wonder why the "action" area is important. In implementing ABW, workers can work "anytime, anywhere, with anyone," so it is important to build trusting relationships with others and develop new communication styles. "Action" refers to providing training on management methods and communication methods for managers, and involving workers in creating and spreading easy-to-work rules.
And before starting on these three areas, it is important to build a vision (what you want to be). When working on ABW, if you are not clear about the vision you should aim for, that is, "Why are we introducing ABW?", over time you may lose track of where you should go in the three areas.
What are Advantage and disadvantage of ABW?
The general Advantage and disadvantage of implementing ABW are said to be as follows:
Advantage
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Improved employee satisfaction
Because workers themselves choose where to work based on their activities, they have more discretion and are more satisfied. Comparing the workers before and after the introduction of ABW, the results show that employee satisfaction after the introduction of ABW increased by 10%.
※Source 1 -
Increased productivity
By reframing the content of work into 10 activities and changing the place of work according to the activity, you can work more efficiently. For example, you can first go to an environment that supports high concentration to concentrate on your work alone, then take a short rest in a relaxing environment to build up the energy to carry out the next task, and finally choose an environment that is easy to discuss with multiple people to generate ideas. In fact, workers work in an environment that supports ABW working (hereinafter workers in an ABW environment) can choose from multiple work environments according to the activity, and the results show that they feel 15% more productive than workers in a non-ABW environment.
※Source 2 -
Easier sharing of ideas and knowledge
Since there are more opportunities to work nearby with members of not only the same department but also other departments, it becomes easier for people to communicate spontaneously and generate new ideas. In fact, 74% of workers in ABW environments responded that it is easier to share ideas and knowledge with colleagues.
※Source 2 -
Improve your company's image
Compared to uniform offices, offices with dedicated spaces for each activity not only increase workers satisfaction, but also send a positive message to the outside world as a pioneering company that introduces new ways of working. workers in ABW environments are 12% more likely to say that the design of their workplace has had a positive impact on the company's image among visitors, clients, and potential employees than workers in non-ABW environments.
※Source 2 -
Increased organizational flexibility
When introducing ABW, it is important not only to review the office environment and ICT environment, but also to review the behavioral changes of workers. Changing the work style of each workers fosters a flexible organizational culture. 81% of workers in an ABW environment answered that their organization's culture supports flexible working styles.
※Source 2 -
Contribute to reducing office costs
Because ABWs choose to work wherever they feel they can be most productive, including outside of the office, the office does not need as many individual work seats for the number of workers people present. Therefore, even if the environment that supports the activity is rethought and more collaboration seats are added, the overall square footage is reduced, potentially leading to cost savings. In fact, companies that have implemented ABW in the past have reported an average reduction of 10-15% in office costs.
*Source 1
*Source 1: Veldhoen＋Company
*Source 2: The rise and rise of Activity Based Working, Leesman, 2017
disadvantage (hurdles to implementation)
It is said that there are hurdles to overcome before implementing ABW. This is not to say that there are disadvantage to working in an ABW way, but rather that it takes time and effort to overcome these hurdles in order to achieve a better way of working.
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It's difficult to know where everyone is, so we need to change the way we manage things.
From a manager's perspective, as work locations diversify beyond the office to include home, satellite offices, cafes, and more, it becomes difficult to manage subordinates directly. In order to alleviate such anxieties and concerns as "where are my subordinates and what are they doing right now?", it is important to make efforts to reach a "team agreement" that creates rules for communication and management within the team in line with the ABW working style, as introduced in "Communication Management" that builds trust. Deciding on rules together as a team member will accelerate the building of trust within the team.
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More efforts to foster a sense of solidarity and belonging will be necessary
With the ABW work style, even if you go to the office, you won't necessarily have members of your department around you at your desk. Furthermore, when working remotely, there are many situations where you don't have coworkers from the company. This means that you won't be able to "feel the atmosphere of the company or department while working," as you did in the past. It is important to consciously take steps to increase opportunities for interaction with members, such as "setting aside time for one-on-one time between superiors and subordinates once a week" or "creating opportunities for chatting within the team," to increase the sense of solidarity and belonging within the organization.
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It is necessary to disseminate the purpose of introducing ABW
To implement the ABW work style, it is necessary to foster a mindset workers that allows them to autonomously think about better ways of working, so it is important to share the purpose of introducing ABW. If the background and purpose of the introduction are not shared, workers will not see the point in changing their work style, and will always end up working in the same place, and those around them will not be able to choose a place that suits their activities. As a result, even if ABW is introduced, the expected effects may not be achieved.
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High initial investment cost
Transitioning to an ABW working style requires an initial investment cost as it requires reviewing office, IT, and behavioral aspects.
<Office>
In order to create a space where sound, light, line of sight, and working posture are all optimized for each activity, office renovations will be required and desks and chairs and other furniture will need to be purchased.
<IT>
As mobile work will become the norm, it will be important to promote paperless operations, create an environment where necessary information can be accessed from anywhere inside or outside the company, develop IT tools that allow work and communication to be done online, and take security measures.
(Reference article: "Essential for work remotely and ABW! How to achieve a paper-free work style")
<Action>
In order to spread flexible working and management styles, it will be necessary to review personnel systems such as attendance management, evaluation systems, and telework systems.
Towards concrete practice
So far, we have explained the general concept of ABW. When introducing ABW, it is very important to take the appropriate steps, as there are many different initiatives required, including building a vision and planning in the three areas of office, IT, and behavior.
ITOKI has partnered with Veldhoen + Company, the founder of ABW, since 2019 to provide ABW consulting services.
The service is characterized by workers focusing on an individual's "activities" and providing support in the three areas of space, IT, and behavior appropriate to all of those activities to change the way they work more effectively.
We are implementing a four-phase approach to change specific behaviors:
Phase 1
Formulating a vision for the future and collecting and analyzing data on current working patterns
Phase 2
Requirement definition that integrates the three areas of Office, IT, and Action with employee participation
Phase 3
Integrated program management and organizational transformation to realize new ways of working
Phase 4
Evaluating and developing the degree of transition to new ways of working
There is no set plan or formula that can be applied to all customers. We will support you by carefully creating three areas according to the actual situation of your activities, the direction you are aiming for, and your goals. If you are considering introducing ABW, please feel free to contact us.
