Space underpins all other business costs, yet too many FMs are unaware of how much usable space they have, and how much they need. With the right space management system in place, organizations can realise cost savings that extend beyond the initial cost of the space.
And you don’t need to employ a CAD technician to be able to use space management software. We work with teams who don’t have dedicated space management resources, like smaller NHS Trusts for example, to update floor plans as a complementary service.
Capacity vs utilization
At the heart of space management lies the question: how much do you have, and how much do you need? It’s easy to measure the workplace in square metres but how does this translate to the optimum number of employees, students, patients or visitors?
Space management software helps identify, often with the help of integrated sensors, how much a workplace is being used, and whether more people could fit into it if the layout was different. For public spaces such as universities or hospitals, visitor experience concerning aspects like wayfinding and how the space functions are just as important as the employee experience. Effective use of space can drive competitive advantage; understanding where savings can be made and justifying expansion is an invaluable insight.
At a strategic level, software can assist with managing space risk vs liabilities scenarios, by enabling analysis of any number of ‘what if’ questions. Data-driven insight is particularly important in today’s hybrid working environment where the risk of wasting money on too much space must be considered against the opportunity cost of not having enough to grow.
Visualize resources
Being able to see resources graphically, at a glance, greatly simplifies decision-making compared to analysing rows of data.
One client, a financial institution, was able to make an annual saving of £1.2 million by mapping a list of employees who had a news terminal on their desk onto a floorplan. They were able to quickly identify that many of these employees were sitting next to each other and could easily share, allowing the client to drastically save on expensive screen rental costs.
Space is continually scrutinized in public sector organizations like healthcare, but organic growth over the years can lead to haphazard resource placements and a suboptimal workspace. Something as simple as a colour-coded floorplan can show where each department is, as well as the dimensions of each room. This informs potential layout changes to improve the customer experience – for example positioning a diagnostic resource closer to the most relevant department to reduce walking time and save on porterage resources. It also helps the estates team identify efficiency changes, like making a single-occupancy office into a treatment room to reduce waiting times for services.
Chargebacks
While the overall organization may want to reduce their portfolio size, there’s often little motivation for each department to follow suit. Introducing reporting to make individual cost centres accountable for the space used can encourage teams to become more efficient with how they use the workplace. This can even be extended to internal charging of space to drive change.
Move management
Evolving use of space often requires moving employee workstations to different areas or even different buildings. Whether this is due to downsizing, expansion or just more efficient use of space, moves can be a complex and sometimes costly process. Software like QFM Space manages moves, from the simple to the complex, efficiently streamlining the process, and offering savings of up to 20%.
Space planners can test out multiple scenarios to identify the best seating plans. Then the software produces documentation for all project activities such as crate deliveries, packing, server repatching and telephone number switching, and automatically generates chargebacks if applicable. This will all save hours of time and manual effort in planning and documenting the process of each move.
Are you an accidental landlord?
According to 2025 research from CBRE, large companies have scaled down their office use since 2020 due to lower occupancy rates. As a result, the take-up volume of large office spaces (> 1,500 sq m) has dropped from an average of 71.5% to 66.4%. For those with excess space but locked into long leases or unable to find suitable premises, the answer is often to sublet to other companies, thus creating ‘accidental landlords’.
While this does improve finances, this leased space is still the occupier’s responsibility, and they must remain compliant with health and safety legislation, such as undergoing regular fire safety inspections or asset maintenance. This can be easily done through CMMS software, providing access to integrated health and safety software to remain compliant with legislation and regulations. We have several resources to help FMs improve their maintenance and asset management, such as our blogs on maximizing ROI from asset management, top tips for creating an asset register, and time saving tips for asset and maintenance management.
For more information about how QFM Space can save you money and help you plan your workplace more efficiently, contact us for a chat or a demonstration.
