Tech, Trends, Workspace Views and UltraSoft News
Industry update: What flexible workspace operators should know right now
Flexible workspace operators have to make room for new technology while also accommodating the expectations of occupiers and any investment on the table. Be it an AI-ready building or the upswing in demand for managed offices, recent moves in the sector are telling.
Here are five developments to put on your radar.
Industry News
1) Office Landlords Put AI Readiness First
According to WiredScore, 99% of the real estate decision-makers they surveyed plan to have AI in their organisations in two years’ time. The digital infrastructure is not always in place for that kind of ambition, though. For flexible workspace operators, having a technology-ready building with dependable connectivity will be of growing importance.
2) India’s Flexible Workspace Sector Is on the Up
The Economic Times has reported on the considerable demand being drawn into India’s flexible workspace market. As businesses seek office arrangements that adapt to their needs, operators are benefiting, and the country’s standing in global coworking is rising.
3) Privacy Issues with AI in the Workplace
The Guardian says employers are making greater use of AI to keep tabs on and appraise their staff. Such tools may break down performance and activity, but they also bring questions of surveillance and trust to the fore. Any operator taking on AI would do well to think about privacy as much as operational efficiency.
4) Orega to Expand After Management Buyout
With Apiary Capital behind them, Orega has completed a management buyout. CEO Alan Pepper outlines how the company intends to go from 25 to 50 centres in five years. It is a case in point for the investor appetite for flexible workspace operators that have a scalable management-agreement model.
5) Blog: AI’s Record in Coworking and Flexible Workspaces
AI is useful for an operator in analysing occupancy, making better decisions and cutting out some of the tedium of admin. Yet there are still hurdles in the form of cost, privacy and systems that do not talk to one another. Our blog looks at the good and the bad of putting AI to work and why you cannot discount reliable data and the human element.
What This Means for Operators
While AI is a means to greater efficiency, the technology has to address actual operational issues. It is for operators to put reliable data first, put a figure on returns and safeguard the human experience — that is what holds members.
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