What this shift means for operators looking to attract larger, long-term customers
For years, flexible workspace was often viewed as the alternative to traditional office space.
It was where startups launched, remote teams gathered occasionally, and growing businesses found a home before committing to a long-term lease.
Today, that perception has changed.
Enterprise organizations are increasingly incorporating flexible workspace into their wider real estate portfolio strategy. What was once considered a temporary solution is becoming a deliberate business decision.
According to Savills, corporates now account for 47% of global flexible office occupancy, up from just 13% in 2020. At the same time, major landlords, investors and workspace providers continue to expand their flexible offerings as demand grows.
This reflects a fundamental shift in how organizations think about office space, workforce planning and business agility.
For flexible workspace operators, it represents a significant opportunity. But it also means meeting a new set of expectations from customers who are looking for far more than desks and meeting rooms.
Flexible workspace is becoming part of the enterprise portfolio
Many organizations are rethinking the role office space plays within their business.
The traditional approach of signing long leases, investing heavily in fit-outs and forecasting workplace requirements years in advance has become difficult to justify.
Workforce needs change faster than they once did. Business priorities evolve. Economic uncertainty remains a factor. Hybrid working patterns continue to vary across teams and locations.
In response, enterprises are looking for more flexibility in how they manage their real estate portfolio.
The traditional office model is under pressure
For many businesses, the challenge is finding the right balance.
Reduce office space too aggressively and future growth becomes difficult to accommodate.
Maintain too much space and costs can quickly become difficult to justify.
Research from JLL shows that average office utilization globally sits around 54%, highlighting the gap between the space many organizations occupy and the space they actively use.
This has encouraged businesses to look for workplace strategies that offer far greater adaptability.
Why enterprises are embracing a "core and flex" strategy
More often, organizations are adopting what has become known as a core and flex model.
This approach combines a permanent office footprint with flexible workspace that can expand or contract as business requirements change.
Flexible workspace can help businesses:
● Enter new markets more quickly
● Support project-based teams
● Accommodate temporary growth
● Reduce long-term real estate risk
● Provide workspace closer to employees
● Avoid significant upfront capital expenditure
Access to talent is influencing workplace decisions
Talent has become one of the biggest drivers behind workplace strategy.
Employees now expect greater flexibility in where they work. Long commutes are becoming less attractive, while many businesses are recruiting from wider geographic areas than ever before.
Flexible workspace allows companies to create workplace networks rather than relying solely on a central headquarters.
This gives employees more choice while helping businesses access talent pools that may otherwise be difficult to reach.
For some organizations, flexible workspace has become as much a talent strategy as a real estate strategy.
Enterprise expectations are changing
As enterprise occupancy grows, operators are finding that larger organizations evaluate workspace differently than traditional coworking customers.
Enterprises want consistency, not just flexibility
Large organizations need confidence that employees will receive a consistent experience regardless of where they work.
This applies to everything from workspace quality and connectivity to customer service and operational standards.
Enterprise occupiers are often looking for:
● Reliable service delivery
● Professional workplace environments
● Consistent experiences across locations
● Scalable workspace solutions
● Strong security and compliance standards
As flexible workspace becomes part of a wider business portfolio, consistency is more important than ever before.
Meeting rooms are becoming a key decision factor
The purpose of the office is changing.
Many employees now come together for activities that are difficult to replicate remotely, including collaboration, workshops, training sessions and client meetings.
As a result, meeting rooms have become one of the most important workplace assets.
Enterprise customers now expect:
● High-quality meeting facilities
● Reliable connectivity
● Video conferencing capabilities
● Flexible room configurations
● Professional environments for clients and visitors
For many operators, meeting room quality has become a major differentiator.
Data and reporting matter more than ever
Enterprise occupiers are placing greater emphasis on workplace data.
As organizations seek to optimise their real estate portfolio, they want visibility into how workspace is being used.
Increasingly, occupiers are looking for:
● Occupancy reporting
● Utilisation insights
● Workspace analytics
● Multi-site visibility
● Resource usage data
The ability to provide meaningful workplace insights is becoming a valuable part of the customer relationship.
Flexible workspace design is becoming a competitive advantage
The rise of enterprise demand is also influencing how workspaces are designed. Rows of desks alone aren’t going to cut it for employees, and today's occupiers want environments that support multiple ways of working.
The office is now a destination for collaboration
Hybrid working has changed how many people use office space.
Employees often come into the workplace specifically to collaborate, solve problems together and build relationships with colleagues.
This has shifted the focus away from individual workstations and towards more flexible workplace environments.
Operators are starting to invest in spaces that encourage interaction and teamwork while still supporting focused work when needed.
What enterprise occupiers are looking for
Modern flexible workspace design often includes a variety of workplace settings, including:
● Collaboration zones
● Project rooms
● Private offices
● Meeting and training spaces
● Quiet focus areas
● Informal breakout spaces
● Lounge and networking areas
The most successful workspaces are designed to adapt to changing customer requirements rather than supporting only one style of working.
Operational excellence is becoming a USP
As enterprise clients become a larger part of the customer base, operational efficiency becomes more important. Delivering a high-quality customer experience requires much more than attractive interiors.
Great workspace experiences depend on strong operations
Behind every successful flexible workspace is a complex set of operational processes.
Operators are often managing:
● Memberships
● Private offices
● Meeting rooms
● Virtual offices
● Customer enquiries
● Billing and invoicing
● Reporting requirements
● Multi-site operations
When these processes rely on disconnected systems or manual administration, maintaining service consistency has become especially difficult.
As enterprise demand grows, complexity grows too
Enterprise customers often require faster reporting, more detailed information and higher service standards than smaller occupiers.
As businesses scale, operational complexity increases alongside customer expectations—which makes efficient systems and streamlined workflows a necessity for long-term growth.
Why technology is becoming essential
Many operators are discovering that technology now plays a serious part in delivering the workplace experience enterprise customers expect.
Enterprise clients expect seamless experiences
From room bookings and visitor management to invoicing and reporting, customers now expect every interaction to be straightforward and efficient. The best workspace experiences often feel effortless—but behind the scenes, however, they rely on well-connected operational systems.
Flexible workspace software supports scalable growth
At UltraSoftBIS, we work with operators of flexible workspaces, serviced offices, managed spaces, meeting rooms and business centres looking to simplify increasingly complex operations.
UltraSoftBIS Cloud helps operators manage:
● Bookings and reservations
● Customer management
● Billing and invoicing
● Reporting and analytics
● Resource scheduling
● Multi-location operations
By bringing operational processes together into a single platform, operators can improve efficiency, reduce administration and deliver the consistent service enterprise occupiers increasingly expect.
Ready to support enterprise workspace requirements?
UltraSoftBIS Cloud helps operators of flexible workspaces, serviced offices, managed spaces, virtual offices and business centres automate bookings, billing, reporting and customer management through one intelligent platform.
Book a demonstration today and discover how UltraSoftBIS Cloud can help you simplify operations while delivering the experience enterprise occupiers expect.
